Official 215 Express Thread

dasdsanti said:
thanks lawndoctor,
that is a great help.
although, not knowing anything about the porta potty system and how it works, i am handy and do most things myself so i am trying to learn everything. If you know where i could get more info on this please let me know?
(how it pumps out, what hoses go out or go in, venting, holding tank, vacuflush, are all things i'm hearing but know nothing about)
i would also consider hiring a Dometic/vacuflush authorized installer like you did if i could find one in my area. Does the dometic fit in without any modifications, as if it was an original install?
you said it was "A big expensive job", could you tell me about how expensive?

thanks again, dave
Click to expand...

Dometic is the company that makes the porta potties and the vacuflush toilets and systems.

My boat came from the factory with a porta pottie with the deck discharge setup for dockside pump out. That’s all shown in the factory manuals available on the Sea Ray web site, and I think the people who responded to your duplicate post provided some details about that.

The porta pottie was not our idea of being able to go to the bathroom when out on the boat, and we probably won’t move up in boat size for a while, so I had a vacuflush system installed. That required a number of modifications, including relocating the fresh water tank and pump to make room for the vacuum generator and holding tank, as well as making a soffit at the base of the bulkhead in the head space to cover some of the new hoses required. It turned out great, both functionally and aesthetically. I can get you some photos if you’re interested. The project cost about $4K.

Below are links to one of the biggest vendors of these items, along with specific links to the manufacturer’s web page showing some of the Vacuflush components I had installed.

https://www.northeastsanitation.com/

http://www.dometic.com/USA/MS-11346-Marine/PG-11395-Toilet-Systems

http://www.dometic.com/USA/MS-11346-Marine/PG-11395-Toilet-Systems/PG-11396-VacuFlush-Toilets/MD-144228-VacuFlush-140-Series-Toilets/SK-144307-VacuFlush-147-toilet-above-floor-right-side-discharge

http://www.dometic.com/USA/MS-11346-Marine/PG-11395-Toilet-Systems/PG-11435-Vacuum-Generators-Pumps-Tank/MD-144239-J-Series-Vacuum-Generators/SK-144405-J-series-vacuum-generator

http://www.dometic.com/USA/MS-11346-Marine/PG-11395-Toilet-Systems/PG-11411-Holding-Tanks/MD-144199-HTS-Basic-Series-Tanks/SK-144562-12-HTS-VRT-holding-tank

Hope this is helpful.
 
Dasdsanti, I have the pump out head (porta potty) and its nice to have for use while at anchor and is a little roughing it but not too bad. Its a factory option. I can take some photos if you haven't seen it. Looks straightforward to install as a retrofit and as lawn doctor said its just a length of hose to the Starboard gunnel. Shore power is an easy retrofit also but I never saw the need. If you were to use a fridge, well I guess you have to.
JP
 
Pete can you IM me also, I have carpet currently that needs to be replaced and am having a hard time finding a good source. Mine is snap in and the snaps would be super easy to install if you don't have them
Thanks
JP
 
diverjp said:
Pete can you IM me also, I have carpet currently that needs to be replaced and am having a hard time finding a good source. Mine is snap in and the snaps would be super easy to install if you don't have them
Thanks
JP
Click to expand...

You got it. Just getting back from a vacation. Will figure the I'M thing out and get it out to you both....
 
diverjp said:
Pete can you IM me also, I have carpet currently that needs to be replaced and am having a hard time finding a good source. Mine is snap in and the snaps would be super easy to install if you don't have them
Thanks
JP
Click to expand...

You got it. Just getting back from a vacation. Will figure the I'M thing out and get it out to you both....
 
petes105 said:
You got it. Just getting back from a vacation. Will figure the I'M thing out and get it out to you both....
Click to expand...

Hi Pete, im a;so interested in what you have found out about the floor carpets, I'm in Australia and there is nobody over here that can assist me that has any templates.
Cheers
Mark.
 
OZ215EXPRESS said:
Hi Pete, im a;so interested in what you have found out about the floor carpets, I'm in Australia and there is nobody over here that can assist me that has any templates.
Cheers
Mark.
Click to expand...

I will send you some information. i was looking at two options and went with a place that had higher grade carpet with the template already on file. I'm very happy with what I received. The price couldn't be beat from what I researched. 1998 through 2001 apparently use the same template as far as the deck layout....
 
Fantastic, thanks for that Pete. The 215EC is such a great boat and getting carpet for mine will just finish it off perfectly!
 
Hi all, has anybody tried to fit an electric head and holding tank (non vacuum) to the 215EC?

I can't stand having to empty the portaloo that comes standard, and I have access to a pump out station at my marina, but where I live here in Australia overboard discharge is banned in all areas.

Im considering putting in an electric head and holding tank, but not going to the much greater expense of using the vacuum style system by just using a standard holding tank setup with a deck fill fitting for the pump out station.

Hopefully someone out there has attempted something similar!

Thanks.
 
#EDIT#

Found it!! FP Marine, what an awesome site.



Hi all, can one of you excellent 215EC owners please post some pictures of the sliding cabin door lock?

My boat has this part completely missing after what the last owner said was a break in which destroyed it. Some helpful members on this forum have pointed me in the right direction to find another one, but I first need to know what the original on actually looks like!!

Thanks for your help!
 
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I have a 1999 215 ec and I get water in the front storage compartment under the front "V" cushion area. Has anyone else had this same experience and how did you remedy it? I am assuming it is coming from the anchor locker drain but cannot seem to pinpoint the issue. (The cushion is never wet so the leak cannot be coming from above.)
 
isles271 said:
I have a 1999 215 ec and I get water in the front storage compartment under the front "V" cushion area. Has anyone else had this same experience and how did you remedy it? I am assuming it is coming from the anchor locker drain but cannot seem to pinpoint the issue. (The cushion is never wet so the leak cannot be coming from above.)
Click to expand...

there are two anchor locker drains...look under the bow of the boat and find two chrome clam shell fittings.....these fittings cover the drain holes in the bow.....these drains need to be clear or rain water and wash water will build up in the anchor locker and could eventually find its way through the bulkhead wall between the locker and the cabin and collect in the forward storage under the V berth bed as in your situation...I used to take a water hose with a sprayer and use the water jet from the sprayer to clean the locker drains every few weeks when I had my 215EC.....

cliff
 
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Hi All, I have a 1998 215 EC and find myself having to constantly vacuum out the fuel tank and fresh water compartment. I find it hard to believe that there isn't a drain hole from this compartment to the bilge area. Only drainage is around the lip in the floor, which drains into bilge pit. I'm considering adding a bilge to pump the water into the bilge area, or sliding the fuel tank back to drill a drain hole into the bilge area. Anyone out there tackle this issue that can offer some advice? Thanks!
 
castawayinvt said:
Hi All, I have a 1998 215 EC and find myself having to constantly vacuum out the fuel tank and fresh water compartment. I find it hard to believe that there isn't a drain hole from this compartment to the bilge area. Only drainage is around the lip in the floor, which drains into bilge pit. I'm considering adding a bilge to pump the water into the bilge area, or sliding the fuel tank back to drill a drain hole into the bilge area. Anyone out there tackle this issue that can offer some advice? Thanks!
Click to expand...

I had the same boat and know every square inch of it very well....unless your boat is different than mine was there are two drain holes in the bulkhead wall that separates the fuel tank compartment and the engine room...they are located on both sides of the wall just above the 'V' of the hull bottom....there are also drain holes in the wall that separates the fresh water tank compartment and the fuel tank compartment....any water in the fresh water tank compartment and the fuel tank compartment will drain back into the ER bilge unless these holes are plugged or if there is not enough slope of the hull to let the water naturally drain backwards.....

I guess it could be possible that the PO of my boat made these drain holes but I doubt it....

careful about drilling holes in the wall of the fuel tank compartment.....I would hate for you to make a $600 mistake like I did and accidentally drill into the tank......this can be dangerous and new fuel tanks are expensive.....:smt009.....

cliff
 
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Pete, Thanks for the responses, and carpet info. Sorry for the delayed response, just sent a e-mail to Rich the carpet guy.
How did your carpet go?
Dave.
 
Cliff, Thanks for the response. After further inspection, I found the two drain holes which were plugged with debris.
 
I am new to boating and picked up 1999 215 express cruiser earlier this summer. I am glad that I did, and that I found Clubsearay. One thing that is driving me nuts is the transom door keeps coming open even though it is latched. I have noticed it when towing and once while out on the water. Every time I find it open the slide latch is still in the closed position. Any idea what to look for? The hull wouldn't be flexing that much would it?
 
Rgory said:
I am new to boating and picked up 1999 215 express cruiser earlier this summer. I am glad that I did, and that I found Clubsearay. One thing that is driving me nuts is the transom door keeps coming open even though it is latched. I have noticed it when towing and once while out on the water. Every time I find it open the slide latch is still in the closed position. Any idea what to look for? The hull wouldn't be flexing that much would it?
Click to expand...

never had that issue with my 215....it sounds like the slide latch is not sticking far enough into the receiver hole in the transom doorway.....you might can reposition the slide latch to where it goes deeper into the hole......you may get lucky and the original mounting holes of the latch that are drilled into the door may be covered by the latch after you reposition it closer to the transom doorway......at least the holes on the back side of the door...the holes on front of the door can be filled with gelcoat or put a stainless steel screw in them.....

also you might want to be sure the screws for the piano hinge on the door are tight....

cliff
 
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CliffA said:
never had that issue with my 215....it sounds like the slide latch is not sticking far enough into the receiver hole in the transom doorway.....you might can reposition the slide latch to where it goes deeper into the hole......you may get lucky and the original mounting holes of the latch that are drilled into the door may be covered by the latch after you reposition it closer to the transom doorway......

cliff
Click to expand...

That ^^^, or... I have seen times (doing a little inferring here) where the latch is loose enough that with the combination of bounces and gyrations, that the latch pops up, slides open, then the door opens and the latch slides back and gravity drops the knob back down. Possible fixes for this is to use some stick-on, foam, gasket material to make the door fit a little tighter (which "wedges" the slide into the hole more tightly), or uses a black, nylon strap (with snaps) to "cover" the handle so it can't pop up. Then unsnap the strap and snap it back onto itself when you're in the water (think "center windhsield" strap).
 
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