TRI CABIN AFT/FWD TOILETS, NEW THREAD,NEW INSIGHT

[aaronbocknek]

the type and design of commode varies depending on model year. the early tri cabins had direct over board discharge. this was the set up on BUBALA 3. B3 came equipped with the bench standard manual raritan marine toilet. and in almost 40 years, with proper upkeep, they never once let us down.
once holding tanks were mandated the original trojan specs called for the SEALAND TRAVELLER TOILET. this had a small holding tank underneath the bowl that used fresh water tapped in from the water lines to fill the bowl for flushing. the discharge lines then ran up to deck pump out and then Y valved to a forward utility area seacock for over board discharge, using a hand whale pump. later on, a holding tank was added to the forward bilge 'utility area' along with one overboard discharge seacock and deck pump out hoses.
the PO of my boat 'engineered' a unique system that i cannot wait to get rid of. they added a full size holding tank, mounted just above the port engine and underwater exhaust system. the jury rigged system is held up w/ galvanized ties and hoses running all over the place up to a deck pump out and then down to the forward holding tank too, using not one, but two hand whale pumps to 1. empty the aft tank to the forward tank or, 2. direct pump out to the deck or 3. to a seacock for overboard discharge.
the problem with the aft holding tank is two fold. 1. the sewage must travel 'up' 2 feet to get to the tank and i always get back flow into the aft commode.
2. because the aft tank is right above the port engine, i cannot get to the transmission or stuffing box and it rests approx. less than a half inch above the composite exhaust collector. the result when you start the port engine and the bellows must go up and down with the engine exhaust pressure, the boat shakes like no ones business. the shock wave is terrible and i've actually gone into the bilge while phil starts the engine and i can see the collector and bellows assembly bang up against the holding tank 'floor'. i cannot wait to get rid of that mess.
i surmise that the ideal situation would be to use a vaccu flush system to pull the sewage from the aft commode to the forward section of the boat.
anyway, i know that there was a previous thread, but, thought some of you could benefit from my discovery on this issue.
aaron in baltimore.

[k9th]

Thanks Aaron for the info.

My '79 tri-cabin has a vacuflush system with two heads and the holding tank and vacuum pumps mounted just forward of the engine room in the small compartment just aft of the companionway down to the V-berth. The water heater is also in that same compartment. My on-deck pump-out discharge connection is right above that area on the port side gunwale. The system works great and provides easy access to all of the system components. The level indicator system in the holding tank has the indicator light mounted in the forward head so that the red indicator light is in easy sight.

I thought is was OEM but from what you are saying, perhaps it is not.

[aaronbocknek]

Thanks Aaron for the info.

My '79 tri-cabin has a vacuflush system with two heads and the holding tank and vacuum pumps mounted just forward of the engine room in the small compartment just aft of the companionway down to the V-berth. The water heater is also in that same compartment. My on-deck pump-out discharge connection is right above that area on the port side gunwale. The system works great and provides easy access to all of the system components. The level indicator system in the holding tank has the indicator light mounted in the forward head so that the red indicator light is in easy sight.

I thought is was OEM but from what you are saying, perhaps it is not.

hi tim, that is the 'retrofit' setup. and you are wicked lucky to have that set up. have you had problems w/ the vac pumps at all? just curious. i'd love to see a few pics of your fwd area set up too.
the small compartment that you speak of is the 'utility' area where indeed, the water heater is. (i have a raritan 20 gal heater and i can make it last all weekend it heats up so well) prior to the holding tank being installed there in later years, this was a storage area for tools and such. i'd love to do the vac system, but do not have the funds right now. eventually though. for now, we just use the forward head. it's the ever faithful raritan PH2. since it was 'tapped' into the sea strainer for the a/c pump (yeah i know, some unique engineering there too!), phil and i have resorted to turning the knob to 'dry' and filling the commode w/ fresh water that i keep in two gallon bottles. flushes right into the holding tank for pump out w/ out using 'sea' water. keeps the funk down big time.
aaron

[MadBen]

My personal favorite system is the Lectra-san. I've had them on various boats and love the fact I don't need a holding tank.
On my next boat, I think I am going with the pura-san. I like the fresh water flush because the head, well, doesn't smell like a head.
While I like the luxury of the vacu-flush, I'm partial to an old fashion electric head.
My ideal set up would be to connect both heads to one pura-san unit.

[k9th]

Thanks Aaron for the info.

My '79 tri-cabin has a vacuflush system with two heads and the holding tank and vacuum pumps mounted just forward of the engine room in the small compartment just aft of the companionway down to the V-berth. The water heater is also in that same compartment. My on-deck pump-out discharge connection is right above that area on the port side gunwale. The system works great and provides easy access to all of the system components. The level indicator system in the holding tank has the indicator light mounted in the forward head so that the red indicator light is in easy sight.

I thought is was OEM but from what you are saying, perhaps it is not.

hi tim, that is the 'retrofit' setup. and you are wicked lucky to have that set up. have you had problems w/ the vac pumps at all? just curious. i'd love to see a few pics of your fwd area set up too.
the small compartment that you speak of is the 'utility' area where indeed, the water heater is. (i have a raritan 20 gal heater and i can make it last all weekend it heats up so well) prior to the holding tank being installed there in later years, this was a storage area for tools and such. i'd love to do the vac system, but do not have the funds right now. eventually though. for now, we just use the forward head. it's the ever faithful raritan PH2. since it was 'tapped' into the sea strainer for the a/c pump (yeah i know, some unique engineering there too!), phil and i have resorted to turning the knob to 'dry' and filling the commode w/ fresh water that i keep in two gallon bottles. flushes right into the holding tank for pump out w/ out using 'sea' water. keeps the funk down big time.
aaron

Aaron - I will get some pics when I go up next time which may be this weekend. I am still up for the winter but may head that way to get some stuff done.

I have had no problems at all with the vacuum pump system. It seems to work flawlessly. Guess I lucked out with the "retro-fit system". That compartment where it's located seems so perfectly sized and located for the vacuflush system, I thought it was OEM for sure.

[aaronbocknek]

My personal favorite system is the Lectra-san. I've had them on various boats and love the fact I don't need a holding tank.
On my next boat, I think I am going with the pura-san. I like the fresh water flush because the head, well, doesn't smell like a head.
While I like the luxury of the vacu-flush, I'm partial to an old fashion electric head.
My ideal set up would be to connect both heads to one pura-san unit.

i too like the raritan set up and that can be used with both electric and manual flush heads. i just have to figure out what i want to do in the long run. tim, you are indeed correct that that 'utility area' is perfect for the vacuflush set up and appears to be OEM. i think, now, maybe i'm over thinking this, trojan thought that at some point this would be the area for a permanent holding tank or lectra-san system.
aaron

[JGedridge]

Tisk Tisk Tisk......

When I bought my tri cabin 2 years ago it was a MESS! This was a nightmare. 2 mansfield head systems. They were self contained with a 2" hose going into a Y valve to a macerator and into a holding tank. I ripped that out quick to get rid of the smell.

I put in 2 vacuflush systems. ALL NEW HOSES AND TANK! I installed the toilets, and hoses. Each goes into 2 seperate generators, and then afterwards they both go into a Y fitting which goes into the holding tank. This is the best system that I could think of.

Joe