Raritan Marine Elegance vs. Planus Match

[sbwriter]

Peggie Hall, a question for you:

The fellow who invented the macerating toilet at Tecma now produces similar (or even better?) products at Planus. From all appearances, Tecma is oriented towards the RV market, while Planus aims for the luxury yacht market. Planus doesn't have much of a presence in the US, though they do have a dealer in Florida (Aquamare).

Both Planus and Tecma produce toilets that, for the most part, are too tall and too deep for the small mounting area in sailboat heads. However, recently Planus introduced their Match model. Somehow, Planus has managed to shoehorn all the parts from their larger toilets into a much smaller space. Unlike the smaller toilets at Tecma, the Match does not shift to a different design or components.

With the Match, Planus now has a toilet the same size as the Raritan Marine Elegance. The Match and the Elegance also have similar list prices, though you can get the Elegance at a steep discount while you will be paying list price for the Match.

Peggie, assuming money is not a factor (what is an additional $500 in the big scheme of things?), any thoughts about the relative merits of these two macerating toilets?

Thanks,

Greg

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Let me know if you can fit a Raritan Marine Elegance on your platform. I didn't think that I could. I only fit a Raritan Sea Era model (household size) on the platform by rotating the bottom 90 degrees. Even then, I cut a hole in the back panel to fit the back of the toilet. Catalina made a very skimpy platform for the toilet on the 320, I think. I'd like to know what others have done to replace the ridiculously small standard marine toilet. Not that it matters anymore ... I've already made my change. Point is, check your platform size carefully. I don't think the Elegance would fit without serious modification, so possibly not the Match, either.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

I would go with the Raritan Marine Elegance for the following reasons:
Raritan is the only remaining toilet mfr who still makes everything in the US.
Everything they make is always TOP rated by Practical Sailor and every other "rating" provider.

They have outstanding tech support...when you call and click on the extension for tech support, a trained tech answers the phone. And they stand behind everything they make...I've even known them to replace a known problematic component two years out of warranty. And there are Raritan servicing dealers in most coastal markets in the unlikely event you have a problem.

The Elegance is the quietest electric marine toilet on the planet...almost as quiet as a household toilet. It also offers a choice of 3 flush options--the usual push button that brings simultaneously brings flush water in and pushes it out, a 3-option wall switch that allows you to bring in water and hold it (important ahead of solids), dry flush and simultaneous flush, and a 4 option "Smart Flush" panel that adds an extra "full" flush to the 3 option switch when you need it.

It's available in two sizes--"regular" (short to sit on a raised platform ) and "tall" to sit on a level floor, either makes it household height. It's also available in either an angled back to lie against the hull or straight back to sit against a vertical bulkhead.

It's designed to use pressurized fresh water, but can use sea water (requires a remote intake pump) and, with the addition of Raritan's optional "SeaFresh" system can even allow you to switch between fresh and sea water at will.

And although it has a list price starting around $1500, I know of at least one retailer who has it starting at $640 with no upgrades, up to $1040 with ALL the "bells and whistles."

And finally...Raritan introduced about 10 years ago...I've yet to hear of a single owner who doesn't LOVE it, no matter how long they've owned it.

FYI a bit of history: It was the Italian mfr who introduced the Tecma. It was originally a "megayacht" toilet. Wilcox-Crittenden became the US importer in the early '90s and it revolutionized the US marine toilet industry. Thetford decided they wanted it and bought Wilcox-Crittenden to get it...then promptly discontinued every W-C branded product. They stuck with the original design and quality for a while, then began to "mess with" it... the Thetford Tecma is no longer the toilet the Italians made...I'm not even sure where they're building it. That upset the original Italian mfr enough to develop and introduce the Planus. Meanwhile, Raritan had introduced the Elegance.

--Peggie

 

[sbwriter]

Thanks, Peggie, for the extensive reply.

Scott, I am presently shopping for a Catalina 320, so I don't have a boat to measure. However, I have read your previous posts about your SeaEra installation, and I also have looked at the SeaEra manual. According to the diagram in the manual, the toilet base has a diameter of 6 5/8". The discharge hose fitting adds another 2 7/8". Together, they give a depth of 9 1/2" with your toilet orientation. Once the discharge hose is attached, this dimension may increase. Raritan clearly was not looking at the 320 when they designed the SeaEra.

Your experience makes me think that I may have no problem installing the Raritan Elegance or the Planus Match. This is because the depth of the Match at its base is 9.5", while the depth of the Elegance is 9.75". However, the base of both toilets probably is aft of your discharge hose. That would put them in a narrower portion of the platform.

I am curious how much additional depth you were able to gain by removing a small section of the liner between the toilet and the hull. An inch or so? That liner removal, plus the option of overhanging the front of the platform by a little, may be the key to a successful Elegance or Match installation.

Thanks,

Greg