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Have you ever considered adding a porcelain RV toilet to your motorhome or trailer bathroom?
Believe it or not, RV porcelain toilets do exist, and there are many benefits to upgrading.
In this article, we’re taking a closer look at the detail of porcelain RV toilets, including their benefits, alternatives, and our top 5 picks for porcelain RV toilet replacements.
Are There Porcelain RV Toilets?
Yes, there are porcelain RV toilets. However, most RVs come standard with non-porcelain RV toilets.
But you can upgrade to a porcelain one if you feel so inclined, and you’ll be glad you did!
Porcelain toilets make your RV feel so much more like a home away from home. Admittedly, these toilets are typically a little heavier and bulkier than traditional RV toilets, but that’s also part of the allure.
What are RV Toilets Commonly Made Of?
Typical RV toilets are made of a sturdy polymer compound. Some commodes are cheaper than others and use less durable plastic. Yet there’s nothing like a good quality porcelain toilet.
Since the Vintage Era (1945-1970), plastic RV toilets have been the standard, but they’re far from luxurious. RV toilets made of plastic are prone to staining and discoloring. In addition, they’re also harder to clean than porcelain toilets.
Stuff tends to stick to plastic RV toilets if you know what I mean.
These days, mid-length to luxury RVs usually come with ceramic or porcelain toilets as a standard feature. However, most entry-level or lightweight campers will almost always come with a plastic commode because it’s cheaper and weighs less.
4 Benefits of Porcelain RV Toilets
So, what’s the big deal with porcelain RV toilets, anyway? Why might you want to upgrade if your plastic toilet works just fine? Here are the top benefits.
1. A Porcelain RV Toilet Makes Your RV Feel More Residential
Most of us don’t spend a ton of time sitting on our toilets, so the idea of having a nicer one isn’t always a top priority.
However, a toilet upgrade does a lot in making your RV feel more like home. Toilets in stick-and-brick houses are made from porcelain.
And, even though plastic RV toilets are styled to look like a regular toilet, it’s easy to tell the difference.
2. Easier To Clean
Porcelain toilets are easier to clean than regular, plastic RV toilets. Plus, it takes less effort to keep them pristine. In addition, the slick glazed surface prevents build-up or anything from sticking to the bowl.
3. More Sanitary
Plus, porcelain RV toilets are naturally more anti-microbial than plastic RV toilets. Plastic is a porous material, no matter how smooth it looks to the naked eye.
The porousness of plastic creates a perfect breeding ground for bacteria in your toilet, which is already a naturally dirty area.
4. Won’t Discolor
Plastic RV toilets tend to discolor and turn yellow over time. In addition, old porcelain toilets can be prone to staining inside the bowl from hard water, but that can take decades.
However, with plastic toilets, the entire thing turns yellow, not just the inside of the bowl.
Yellowing RV toilets make your RV look a lot older and dirtier. Although plastic has come a long way over the past few decades, it’s still prone to discoloring.
Can You Put a Regular Toilet in an RV?
No, you absolutely cannot put a regular toilet in an RV. Toilets that are made for household plumbing are not compatible with RVs. Not to mention, it’s totally impractical.
RV toilets don’t have a holding tank and use a fraction of the water as a traditional household toilet.
RV toilets fit over a small flange-covered hole in the RV floor plumbed directly down into the black water holding tank. Since every traditional RV toilet has the same disposal process at the base, swapping one RV commode for another is easy.
If you have a very old RV model, you may need an RV toilet mounting adapter to upgrade your RV toilet. But, for the most part, it’s a simple and straightforward swap.
RVBlogger Tip for Park Models: Park model/destination trailers can use residential toilets if the sewer line is directly connected to the coach. Most of these coaches don’t have holding tanks since they’re made to stay in one location.
3 Alternative RV Toilet Replacement Options (That Aren’t Porcelain)
Do you want to switch out your commode but aren’t sure that a porcelain RV toilet is the right move for you? Here are some other options.
1. Composting Toilet
Composting toilets in RVs are waterless toilets that work by separating liquid and solid waste. These toilets don’t plumb into your water or holding tanks. Instead, they’re self-contained, like a portable cassette RV toilet.
Solid waste goes into peat moss, soil, or another composting material-filled bucket. Liquids go into their own holding jug.
For much more info about composting toilets check out our article called Should You Consider a Composting Toilet for Your RV?
2. Cassette Toilet
A cassette toilet is a permanently mounted self-contained toilet that works similarly to a regular RV toilet without being plumbed into the water or waste tanks. Instead, these toilets have a space to hold designated freshwater and a sealed container that contains all the waste.
You have to manually remove the waste tank and carry it to a dump station to dump it. RV manufacturers now have exterior bay doors to access the cassette. They also add wheels and a collapsable handle like a rolling suitcase to make transporting the cassette easier on your body.
3. Portable Cassette Toilet
A portable toilet works almost exactly like a cassette toilet. However, portable toilets are smaller and portable. As a result, they have to be emptied a lot more frequently.
Our Top 5 Porcelain RV Toilet Picks
Now that you know the many different types of toilets for an RV, here are our top picks for porcelain RV toilets.
1. Dometic 310 Series Sanitation Gravity Toilet
The Dometic 310 Series gravity toilet easily replaces your standard plastic RV toilet bowl.
The toilet weighs 39 pounds, so it’s heavier than a plastic toilet, but that’s expected with porcelain versions.
This ceramic toilet works with a 2-way foot pedal flush like most RV toilets. When you press the pedal halfway, the bowl fills with water. Pushing it down fully flushes the toilet, similar to many RV toilets on the market today.
This toilet has a slow-close seat cover, so you don’t have to worry about slamming and chipping the porcelain.
2. Thetford Style LI High Pro Aqua Magic China Toilet
The Thetford China porcelain RV toilet weighs 25 pounds and is a seamless replacement for your regular plastic toilet.
This toilet looks sleek, modern, and minimalistic. It operates with a powerful pedal flush system that clears the entire bowl each time. The residential-style seat is comfortable and customizable, too.
Options include choosing between a tall or short toilet, white or bone colors, and an optional water-saving hand sprayer.
3. Dometic 320 Series Porcelain RV Toilet
Like the 310 series, the Dometic 320 toilet has a porcelain bowl and plastic fixtures.
This toilet is larger than the 310 series and comes in at just under 37 pounds. As a result, this one feels a lot more residential than the 310.
This is another gravity flush porcelain RV toilet that operates with a foot-pedal flush system.
The toilet features an elongated bowl rather than a round basin, and it comes with an enameled wood seat for a true residential feel.
4. Thetford Aqua Magic Porcelain Elongated RV Toilet
The Thetford Aqua Magic Style Plus is a low-profile porcelain RV toilet with an elongated bowl.
Low-profile toilets are perfect for mounting in RV bathrooms where the toilet sits on a raised floor area.
Although smaller, this toilet is substantially heavier than other toilets on this list, coming in at almost 43 lbs. This additional weight is due to the elongated bowl style and thicker porcelain construction.
Like all the other toilets on this list, this toilet operates with a pedal flush system.
5. Twusch RV Porcelain Insert
The Twusch isn’t an actual porcelain toilet. Rather, it’s a porcelain RV toilet insert that goes inside the plastic toilet bowl.
The Twusch is made specifically for Thetford brand cassette toilets and may fit a few other Thetford RV toilets. Although this insert is for a specific set of toilets, the innovation gives us hope that it will be available for many other toilet brands and styles soon.
The benefits of a porcelain RV toilet insert include making your toilet easier to clean and maintain. In addition, the fact that porcelain is non-porous and less prone to bacterial growth makes your plastic commode more sanitary.
Finally, the last (and major) benefit of a porcelain toilet insert is the ease of use and installation.
Simply clean your toilet, install the porcelain insert, seal around the edges, and you’re good to go. Literally!
Final Thoughts on Porcelain RV Toilets
Whether or not you’ve ever given porcelain RV toilets a thought, now you know that there are some pretty great benefits to having one.
If you’re looking to upgrade the throne in your RV, we think a ceramic or porcelain RV toilet is a great option to consider.
While mid-level through luxury RVs come standard with porcelain or ceramic RV toilets, most value-brand RVs come with the typical, lightweight plastic toilets.
If you decide to upgrade, you’ll enjoy a more residential feeling toilet experience, a bowl that’s easier to clean, and stays cleaner longer.
1. Should You Consider a Composting Toilet for Your RV?
2. How Are RV Wet Baths and RV Dry Baths Different?
3. Can You Use the Bathroom in an RV While Driving?
4. How to Dump RV Tanks at Home
5. How to Install RV Hookups At Home
About the Author:
Carrie Wilder is a part-time van lifer, full-time nomadic lifestyle enthusiast, and the advertising and SEO Manager at Escapees RV Club.
When she’s not camping or working, you can find her writing about her favorite marketing tips on her website, The World Wild Web, or befriending the nearest cat.
