Bathroom rennovations and extensions

[iplayguitarintheshower]

Hey All,

Planning on doing some bathroom remodeling on a class B Camper Van. I'd like to possibly extend it slightly. This would mean adding new walls and I'm unsure of the best type of fiberglass like material to use to match it up. I'm guessing its a wooden frame behind the walls with insulation (?) and then the plastic type walls.

I'm also looking to add in a corner sink / mirror. The piping im guessing would need to be moved as the handles are near my feet. I'd like them above the sink or at least higher up and have 2 water sources.
How hard is it to relocate such fixtures and reroute the pipings?

 

[BradKW]

Given your name, I can certainly understand why you need more shower space...perhaps soon you will be able to play a full 12-string

While I'm not sure as to it's acoustical properties, FRP (fiber reinforced plastic) is a very DIY-friendly product for high moisture areas. It comes in both a thin form that you apply to a plywood substrate with adhesive, and also as a panel form that has structural rigidity on its own. http://www.homedepot.com/p/4-ft-x-8-ft-White-090-FRP-Wall-Board-MFTF12IXA480009600/100389836 and http://www.homedepot.com/p/FiberCor...KCCmYXOMcbdr5ZQAyI29DBoCp2Lw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

In general, moving supply lines is pretty simple...get the appropriate pvc pipe fittings, glue it up, etc. Or, if its Pex or want to switch to pex, there's fittings that allow that easily.

Moving Drains always has the potential for difficulty, but if you can trade height for convenience, you can take shortcuts...similar to basement toilets being raised on a pedestal to maintain drainage and avoid having to bust up concrete...

 

[highdesertranger]

x2 on what Brad said. I would leave the drain where it is and make it work. highdesertranger

 

[iplayguitarintheshower]

Thanks guys!

If I HAD to move the plumbing, that pretty much means ripping up the floor, right? no easy way around that im guessing like tackling it from the undercarriage?

 

[BradKW]

Plumbing means both supply and drain. So supply, no. Drain, may end up having to drop a tank and cap hole, install new hole. Can't say without seeing it...

 

[iplayguitarintheshower]

What about simply changing the direction/orientation of the toilet? If say, a toilet faces the hallway, how hard is it to turn so it faces the back of the rv? 90 degree turn. Is it a matter of just unbolting it from the seal?

 

[ZoNiE]

Drain could end up moving above the exhaust pipe or drive shaft... Probably best to leave it where it is.

 

[B and C]

I have never lifted a RV toilet, only S&B toilets.  That being said, if there is space around the toilet to swivel it 90 degrees (look into toilet drain position and see if you visually twisted it in place if there is room), you should be able to disconnect the water, lift the toilet (how it is fastened, I don't know) and set it back down in the position desired.  Replace the toilet seal while you are there.

I did a quick Google search and came up with this: http://www.wikihow.com/Replace-an-RV-Toilet-Seal

It talks about removing the holding tank as being an option so you don't drop a tool into it. I think you might have to do the tank drop to reposition the mounting bolts :dodgy:

 

[iplayguitarintheshower]

Its got to be easier than that to reposition a toilet. I'd be shocked if the seals and adapters aren't engineered to allow such a thing given the complexity of the tanks and drainage systems. I guess it depends on models though.

A lot of the Class B's im looking at have a single stall toilet facing the isle and a 'changing room' or 'closet' next to it. Id plan on combining those rooms into one bathroom, and changing it so the toilet faces either the rear or front of the van, depending on expansion. The RFP walling or whatever its called isn't expensive, neither is the caulking sealant, so its a matter of just doing the work and whether the toilet can swivel =\

 

[B and C]

If worse comes to worse (you have meet Murphy haven't you?), you might build a platform to move the toilet up a little and then use some sort of ABS adapters?  You may have to go to an RV place and look at replacement toilets to get a good idea of how this could be accomplished.

Maybe someone on here has done it    I have not seen a thread about moving or repositioning a toilet on here and I pretty much have read every word posted on here until this year.   Of course I have CRS (can't remember sh.. er stuff) pretty bad anymore.

More Googling:

From the "Comments" section at:  http://www.money-saving-rv-repair.com/remodelling-rv-bathroom.html

No pictures though.

[font='Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]The New Toilet is IN 
by: Jaime 

UPDATE! I finally had time to tear out the old toilet and install the new one two inches over. Helpful was having a "spare bathroom" to use in case something went wrong. And it did.  

Taking out the old toilet I discovered 8 thoroughly corroded 4 inch screws holding the old toilet flange in place and it took me three days of experimenting with different extraction techniques to free that beast. 

Installation of the new toilet 2" over was a breeze and only took a few hours of measuring twice... cutting once... 

I used two 3" 45 degree elbows for the drain. No problems with that at all so far and it has been in place for about a month. I can't remember the grade of that pipe, but NOT the heavy stuff, which adds an undesirable 2" to the height of the toilet. The 3" pipe is a perfect fit to the top of the tank and the bottom of the toilet. My plywood platform is 15" wide by 13" deep and 6" tall. Height includes the "box lid". 

I used the plastic "base" of the original toilet to measure and template the holes I needed to cut in the plywood "lid" for the new toilet. I discarded that old plastic base because it also adds undesirable height to this project. 

I reinforced and anchored the box to the floor with angle braces that I found at either ace hardware or home depot that is made for doing that. And I supported my new plywood toilet base with 1 x 2 "rafters". 

13" depth of the box to the wall gives me room to get behind the toilet. 

If you flair the ends of your new pex tubing by applying just a LITTLE bit of heat (from a lighter) and using needle nose pliers and vaseline, the PEX fittings go on very easily. DO make sure your cuts are straight. Use a tube cutter made for that. 

I installed an inline PEX valve in the rear of the toilet, but discovered that it only slows and does not STOP water flow, so that was $11.00 wasted. I might have gotten a faulty valve but would be hesitant to use them again. I didn't want to redo my pex, so I just left it in place. 

When I installed my screws for anchoring, I dipped each one of them in vaseline to hopefully inhibit the type of corrosion that I discovered on the tear out. [/font]

 

[rvpopeye]

I have replaced one RV toilet and pulled and reinstalled another while re-doing my floor.

They both had a standard floor flange and bolts. You should be able to slide the bolts out of the flange after the toilet comes off and put them back 90* from where they were.

A regular gasket is all you'll need to buy , I got 2 new bolts cuz the old ones were
a little rusty too.

The bolt nuts will be found in the front by the pedal and in the back by removing a small plastic disc/cover on the top and using a socket extension and maybe universal to reach. I taped the deep socket to the extension so it wouldn't fall off inside the toilet enclosure just in case.

I used a water balloon to cover the hole to the tank for smell suppression as well as not dropping anything in !

 

[ZoNiE]

RV toilets are usually always right above the tank. Having an elbow and horizontal run with minimal flush water is asking for problems and smell.

If the spot you want to move the toilet to is above the same tank, you need to drill a new hole in the tank and weld a fitting to it. Have it poly welded, don't consider anything else, as compression fittings come loose and RTV won't work. Tanks expand and flex in an RV. While they are at it, have them weld the old hole shut. This requires the following steps:

1. Ensure the tank is directly under the floor where the new place for the toilet will be.
2. Drill a test hole in the floor.
3. If OK, drill the proper size hole (same as the old one) in the floor only.
4. Drill a pilot hole or mark the exact center of the new toilet drain in the top of the tank.
5. Remove the tank and take it to a place that can modify it. (Make sure it is empty, clean, and dry first)
6. Re-install after modifications and install the toilet.

The shop that mods it should be able to move the old riser or make a new one in the place you need it.
Places that can do this may be large RV repair centers, or plastic fabricators/welding shops. All major cities have them.
They are usually (but not always) polyethylene. (HDPE)

 

[highdesertranger]

every RV toilet I have ever seen has a straight pipe right into the tank. no elbows. highdesertranger