Honestly, an RV toilet seat is one of the most frequently used items in your camper. So, having one that is durable and long-lasting is essential. Have you considered upgrading your seat to something more comfortable than what came with your RV?
Keep reading to find the best way to replace an RV toilet seat. We look at the top four things you should consider and seven of the best options on the market.
Take a seat, and let’s get started!
Can You Replace the Seat on an RV Toilet?
Yes, you can replace an RV toilet seat. Just like in your home, an RV toilet seat can wear out, get damaged, or break from misuse. You may also not like it if it wiggles or bends under pressure. For this reason, RV toilet manufacturers usually design the seats to be replaceable. If you’re lucky, they are even easily upgradeable.
RV manufacturers aren’t necessarily considering your convenience or comfort when choosing RV toilet to install in their RVs. So if you’re picky about your toilet seat at home, you’ll likely want to make an RV toilet seat upgrade before too long.
The toilet seat usually attaches to the back edge of your RV toilet. As long as you can find the exact size seat and attach it securely, you can replace it with a new and improved model for comfort and quality. If needed, you may be able to reuse hardware to reattach the new toilet seat.
Does a Regular Toilet Seat Fit on an RV Toilet?
You can sometimes put a regular residential toilet seat on an RV toilet, but it has to be the right size. Not all toilets in RVs are the same type, size, or shape as the standard toilets in your home. To fit in smaller RV bathrooms or water closets (W.C.), they often have a smaller seat or unique mounting hardware.
You also must ensure your mounting holes are in the same location as a regular toilet seat. For example, our Tecma RV toilet seat would not take a regular toilet seat due to its design.
Campers have different parts of RV toilets than home toilets due to their different plumbing system. Unlike a home with a full-time water supply and wastewater system, RVs are usually self-contained with tanks and pumps. Because of this, your toilet shape and design might be significantly different than the ones in your home.
Things To Consider for Upgrading Your RV Toilet Seat
Overall, there are several things to consider when upgrading an RV toilet seat. They may seem like common sense, but pay attention to each so you won’t regret your upgrade down the road.
Brand
The easiest way to get the right fit is to match the brand. Dometic, Thetford, and Tecma are some of the most popular RV toilet brands out there, and you can find many toilet seats that match your particular toilet model. This makes it very easy to replace your RV toilet seat. However, this limits your potential upgradeable features to only what the RV manufacturer offers.
Pro Tip: We took a closer look at Who Is Thetford and What Do They Make?
Size and Shape
RV toilets come in different shapes and sizes and are made by various manufacturers. Before upgrading your toilet seat, properly measure the diameter, length, and width. One of the most important factors is determining if it’s oval or round, and elongated or not. Smaller campers will typically have smaller, round toilets to better fit in the space, while larger campers and motorhomes may have oval, elongated bowls more like in your home.
Then, measure the length, width, and distance between the mounting holes to ensure they match up. Some toilet seat models will give you specific instructions for getting the right measurement. You’ll want it to be a perfect fit, not too big or too small.
Color
Finding a seat that matches the color of the rest of the toilet may be trickier than you think. Did you know there are several variations of the color white? We recommend taking the seat you’re replacing to the store with you to match the color of your new seat if you can.
If you’re ordering online, it may be more different to get the right color the first time.
Pro Tip: Is your RV bathroom starting not to smell so sweet? These are 5 Reasons Why Your RV Toilet Stinks.
Material
Consider the material of the toilet seat. Do you prefer a hard, soft, or wooden seat? You usually have options between plastic, porcelain, and wood. Determine what you want and narrow down your search based on the material. You don’t have to get a seat with the same material as the rest of the toilet.
But remember that it may be easier to locate a seat with the same color and measurements if you stay within the same material.
Soft Close
A soft close toilet seat sets itself down flat on the toilet slowly. You simply give it a gentle push shut and it continues going down by itself without slamming it hard on the toilet base. The benefits of a soft close RV toilet seat are keeping down the noise in a small living space and preventing the seat from breaking.
Soft close seats are a house toilet feature that is very popular. It adds finesse and sophistication to an unassuming RV bathroom.
Bidet Toilet Seat Upgrade
These days, bidet toilet seat upgrades are also popular in the home. Why not install a bidet toilet seat in an RV? The “wash don’t wipe” movement exploded shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic toilet paper shortages, and many people discovered the unspeakable delights of bidets.
If you’re looking for the premiere upgrade for your RV bathroom, check out these simplified toilet seat versions of the real thing. Many of them don’t even require electricity to work, which is perfect for campers. Just remember you will use more water and you will have a more complicated installation process.
6 Easy Ways to Upgrade Your RV Toilet Seat
Upgrading your RV toilet seat doesn’t have to be difficult, but to get what you want you might need to do some measuring and installation work. First, get yourself familiar with your current toilet model and measurements. Then go through our list of considerations before making your purchase. Let’s look at seven of the best upgrade options on the market.
1. DOMETIC 385312073 Replacement Slow Close Wooden Seat (for 310 Series Gravity-Flush Toilet)
Dometic’s 385312073 Replacement RV toilet seat and cover are made of wood and weigh 3 pounds. Its dimensions are 20 inches by 14.5 inches by 6.3 inches. While they claim it’s a universal fit, be aware that not all toilets are the same size and measure appropriately. But if you have the 310 Series Dometic toilet, it is a true-to-size replacement. The seat is white and has a soft close.
- Fit Type: Universal Fit
2. Thetford (36788) Aqua Magic IV White Seat and Cover Assembly
The Thetford (36788) Aqua Magic IV toilet seat and cover are plastic and a replacement for this specific toilet. It’s off-white and matches the Thetford toilet.
The seat weighs 2.89 pounds, and its dimensions are 17.75 inches by 15.5 inches by 3.5 inches. It’s a basic seat without a soft close.
- Seat & Cover Assembly for Aqua Magic IV, White
3. MAYFAIR 41EC 346 Cameron Toilet Seat
The Mayfair 41EC 346 Cameron toilet seat comes in a variety of colors, including pink and blue. It’s round and made of durable enameled wood for a long-lasting seat.
It’s easy to install and replace your old seat and cover. Its dimensions are 16.89 inches long by 14.36 inches wide.
- NO MORE WIGGLE: With the STA-TITE Fastening System your seat will...
- INSTALLS WITH A SNAP: The STA-TITE Seat Fastening System is easy...
- QUICKLY AND EASILY REMOVES: For cleaning or replacement
4. Brondell Swash Non-Electric Bidet Toilet Seat
The Brondell Swash toilet seat includes a bidet! Its Eco-seat 101 bidet has dual nozzles and requires no electricity or batteries. It operates off of water pressure, and you will need to do a slightly more complex installation than a regular toilet seat because of the water line. You may need to find appropriate adapters to make it work with the RV fitting sizes.
It does not have a heater, so your water temperature will be ambient. The white seat has a soft close cover and comes in two shapes: round and elongated. The round seat dimensions are 18.47 inches by 14.34 inches by 2.55 inches, and the elongated seat is 20.03 inches by 14.39 inches by 2.55 inches.
- CLEAN AND REFRESHING: With Brondell’s Ecoseat 101 Bidet,...
- HIGH-QUALITY PARTS: Enjoy dual nozzles for rear and front washes,...
- EASY INSTALLATION: This round bidet toilet seat measures 18....
5. Angol Shiold Elongated Molded Wood Toilet Seat
The elongated wooden toilet seat comes in a variety of color shades. It’s made of solid molded wood that can hold up to 400 pounds, and it’s waterproof.
The oval toilet seat and cover are 19.1 inches long and 14.3 inches wide. In addition, it has zinc alloy hinges and is easy to install.
- 【ELONGATED SIZE】If the size does not match, even if you...
- 【Artistic Exterior】Drawing lessons from the design elements...
- 【Excellent Quality】Choose artificial planting trees to...
6. Bemis 500EC 390 Toilet Seat
The Bemis 500EC 390 is a round toilet seat and cover that comes in cotton white. It’s durable enameled wood with a superior high-gloss finish making it chip and scratch-resistant. It also has non-corrosive bolts and wing nuts with easy-to-install hinges.
The dimensions of the seat are 16.5 inches long by 16.5 inches wide.
- QUICKLY AND EASILY REMOVES: For cleaning or replacement
- HINGES: Plastic twist to unlock and lock
- HARDWARE: Non-corrosive bolts and wing nuts
Pro Tip: Learn more about the ins and out of What Are the Parts of an RV Toilet & How to Replace Them?
Is Upgrading Your RV Toilet Seat Worth It?
Upgrading your RV toilet seat is worth it if you’re tired of your cheap or uncomfortable seat. Toilet seats are largely a personal preference. But more often than not, replacing one in an RV is a good idea, especially if you use it a lot.
Which RV toilet seat in our list do you like best? We hope your RV bathroom feels like home soon!
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Robert
Friday 14th of April 2023
Shortly after going full-time in our 5th wheel, we replaced our toilet seat. We determined that it was a Dometic 320 elongated model, and that just about any home standard seat would fit. We picked out a wooden slow-close model. It was very tight working behind the toilet due to the placement near the wall, but other than that, it went in easily. Slow-close for the win!
Mortons on the Move
Sunday 16th of April 2023
Oh nice! Its great when they use standard sizes!