Re: [VAL] Overlander toilet

["Forrest McClure" <forrest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mark,

Thanks to you and to everyone for their input on this. Mark, your mentioning
that the floor flange threads into the holding tank was the information I
needed to remove the toilet without damaging the holding tank! When I was
trying to visualize the problem, all I could see in my head was the type of
metal floor flange that only functions to hold the toilet to the floor.
Today, I went out and began turning the entire toilet counter-clockwise and
initially the wood screws holding the flange to the plywood floor resisted,
but the wood was so rotten that after a half-turn it began turning easily
and I was able to unscrew the flange from the holding tank and lift the
toilet off.
Then I turned the toilet upside down to see if I could pry the flange away
from the riser. It would hardly budge. I thought that if a genuine bees wax
ring had been used perhaps, after 39 yrs. it had set up like cement. I
remember that back then the wax rings were not as pliable as todays and that
plumbers used to soak the bees wax ring in hot water to soften them. So, I
put the toilet out in the sun (we're having a fairly warm day today) to see
if warming it up would loosen the flange. It did, but only slightly. So, I
began to pry it off as gently as possible working my way around the
perimeter, and finally got it off. There was no wax ring, or foam ring...
some PO had substituted silicone adhesive!!! No wonder it would not come
loose, it WAS glued together.
Still, it is apart now, and it was a real mental block for me. I couldn't
get myself to work on anything else in the trailer cause I was so hung up on
getting the toilet out. Now it is out without damage to anything, and it
looks like the holding tank is in good shape, so I am very happy!

Thanks again to everyone,

Forrest