Foretravel Owners' Forum

Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: Frontier Camping on April 14, 2024, 10:26:15 am

Title: Electric dump valve
Post by: Frontier Camping on April 14, 2024, 10:26:15 am
OK ready to go and pulled the dump hands and nothing comes out... first time for this. Look behind the panel and there are electric valves but I don't see any switch to actuate either grey or black!
Any guess where to look is appreciated.
Thanks
Title: Re: Electric dump valve
Post by: craneman on April 14, 2024, 10:40:51 am
You need to post a picture. Usually 2 rocker switches near where the fill valve is.
Title: Re: Electric dump valve
Post by: Frontier Camping on April 14, 2024, 10:57:36 am
No joy there under the bath sink where the large handle is for filling the tank Only wires there are to the overhead fan and the 115 outlet. That would be a good place since it's over that compartment but I would expect it with at the dump compartment so you can control it while it's dumping...
Title: Re: Electric dump valve
Post by: craneman on April 14, 2024, 11:15:23 am
I am referring to the electric fill valve at the wet box. Maybe you don't have one there. I have 2 rocker switches above where the old handles used to be.
Title: Re: Electric dump valve
Post by: Frontier Camping on April 14, 2024, 11:17:25 am
That would make sense.... I have the electric valves in series before the manual valves and they apparently are closed.
No additional switches....
Title: Re: Electric dump valve
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on April 14, 2024, 11:47:23 am
Look behind the panel and there are electric valves but I don't see any switch to actuate either grey or black!
Any guess where to look is appreciated.
I'm always happy to submit pro bono guesses.

First guess: In a logical world, the switches that operate the electric valves would be mounted in the wet bay, adjacent the manual valve handles.  I will give you credit for having decent eyesight, and assume you don't see any switches around that area.

Second guess:  look in adjacent storage compartments on either side of wet bay. Why they would be there, I don't know, unless it was due to easier connection to a 12V power source.

Third guess:  Inside the coach...but where?  Laundry closet (if you have a clothes washer/dryer)?  Bathroom?  Kitchen wall?  Under kitchen sink?

I'm out of guesses.  Last (quick) solution would be to find another way to open the electric valves.  They operate on 12V.  You could locate a nearby 12V power source and run a jumper wire to the valve wiring plugs.

OR, if you have Valterra electric valves (or possibly other brands), they might have a manual operating handle.  See Valterra installation sheet linked below:

https://www.rvupgradestore.com/v/vspfiles/assets/pdf/EC014-installation-instructions-1.pdf
Title: Re: Electric dump valve
Post by: Frontier Camping on April 14, 2024, 12:08:53 pm
It's not a valterra valve. My jpeg pictures keep getting rejected with an error although it's only 2.6MB. the wires use the same wire protection as the to the other 12v wiring so I actually think they are factory installed?
I'll try calling Foretravel emergency number... wish me luck
Title: Re: Electric dump valve
Post by: Michelle on April 14, 2024, 12:37:06 pm
It's not a valterra valve. My jpeg pictures keep getting rejected with an error although it's only 2.6MB.

What error are you getting?  Steve checked the logs and hasn't found any recent (within the past week) recorded failures.
Title: Re: Electric dump valve
Post by: dsd on April 14, 2024, 02:39:52 pm
Not trying to add to the confusion, but my coach has manual remote valve with cable operation. Very simple and easy to maintain. I just like to have a non electronic control over valves and when closing if something is blocking the gate you will feel a difference and be able to resolve easier IMO. I would also at the same time incorporate a third valve  to resolve emergencies and enable being able to back flush the black tank with the gray tank. Better to do every thing in the area and be done for years hopefully. Silicon grease is your friend on moving parts and water wetted items. The controls switches would only make sense to me to be at the wet bay were everything else is done to service.
Amazon.com: Valterra-TC372 Flexible Cable Kit with 3" Valve, Mess-Free Waste... (https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-TC372-Flexible-Cable-Kit/dp/B002N5L9R8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1J6ID183UMA05&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9._zFXcP47t3anYuEPOHiXH31Pu4NKRD-U4fhtWy73o8QjfmUqM7kEcarf75Ua5nngAYKUGEC_aBurAznqVOQsbfr9yHcvnPzc1hJhx4AzeHeUvZvVg7_86e-OFsqgjVrHbae39_QgZtIDkplnFoc4D47x1qcOkzOuPfGKSOO1cHKQTwtVQQ_BtX03R00oFnb2xQ8AnH37PQmXdgJFOLpd8ka2QOE2YVX_3OH-B-pMzpo.9tg0wIFpnPSudop3-GkEK-DC4bd9TncKng2ndSTuezQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=Remote+dump+valve&qid=1713120023&sprefix=remote+dump+valve%2Caps%2C314&sr=8-1)
Title: Re: Electric dump valve
Post by: Frontier Camping on April 14, 2024, 10:13:33 pm
OK True confession time... I'm now assuming the White and black item in series with the dump valve is not an electric valve as I assumed initially. I finally decided to put things back together enough to drive home and figure it out there. So when I went to take the hose off low and behold there was sewage coming out for a very short period. I looked in the end of the hose and there was the cap I needed to take out of the hose end before attaching it..... Super embarrassed.... I now am questioning what the white and black items are and assume they are pressure sensors to show how full the tanks are rather than sensors attached on the sides of the tanks to show how full they are. My prior coach was a Nimbus and it has Seelevel installed so this is new to me.
Well it only delayed us three hours and I have a lot to put back together but no harm no foul other than the initial smell and mess.
We pulled the coach out of the site and washed everything down so the next campers don't have anything to deal with and home we came after a proper dump.
The tank indicators, if those are pressure sensors, are bad so I am going to Seelevel but I'd still like to know what they are. See picture please.
Thanks and I hope this helps someone else from having the same situation.
PS I'll be fool proofing the caps so the hose can't be put on without taking the caps out.
Tyson
Title: Re: Electric dump valve
Post by: Michelle on April 14, 2024, 10:15:52 pm
The white thing is the screw-in PVC mount for the tank sensor.  The black thing with wires is the actual tank sensor pressure transducer.

You have 3 of them.  One for fresh (will be in bay with manabloc and water pump, usually), one for grey and one for black.

They work with the Javalina tank monitor (which is no longer available and not supported).  The calibration process is (more than) a bit of a pain since you have to do all 3 tanks at the same time.  Many have switched to SeeLevel for the same reason you note - it stops working.  You could probably find a solid PVC threaded cap to replace them with (and call them "inspection ports" or "cleanouts"  ;) )
Title: Re: Electric dump valve
Post by: dsd on April 14, 2024, 10:49:58 pm
In your photo it shows manual valves. Works well for me. Regardless if possible I would still install a third valve at the exit point. Works when everything else has failed and back flushing is easy

Third drain valve (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=42934.0)