Q. The stool in our RV’s toilet will not hold water; it slowly seeps away. I tried to fix it using a cotton swab to clean the site where the slide contacts the bottom of the bowl, but I didn’t have any luck. Do you have any suggestions?
— K.W., Nashville, Michigan
A. It appears your solution doesn’t work really well in your case, K.W., but that’s a good idea if the seal is bad due to debris stuck in the area. You didn’t say how old your RV is, but chances are the seal has just worn out. Seals age, get brittle, crack and lose their ability to seal against the knife valve. Check with the parts department at your local RV supplier, and you can order a replacement seal that should solve your problem.
You can learn about the seal-replacement process by reading the appropriate chapter in Trailer Life’s RV Repair and Maintenance Manual, available at our RV Tech bookstore or by calling (800) 766-1674.
— J.J.
Jeff Johnston, TL consulting editor, started RVing at age 6. During his more than 20 years as a writer/photographer, he has worked for Truckin’ and Four Wheeler magazines before joining TL’s technical staff in 1985. Johnston also has produced an award-winning travel video and TV commercials.