Our saga continues (5th problem) on the first week of our trip to the north. Tonight, as we were preping to move out out of a park tomorrow, our Black Water Tank Slide Valve failed, probably the cable. Now the handle move too free and the black tank is not holding. Any suggestions would be appreciated as we need to get north on family business asap. Can we hold the tank back temporarily with the outer cap till we get to a rv repair place tomorrow night?
Bill,
That is most unfortunate. The cap should hold back the black tank contents but I would not under any circumstances use the toilet until the valve is fixed.
This advice is a little like telling you to close the barn door after the horse has run out, but -- in the future you might want to do this:
Alway pull the valve handle with a slow, firm and steady motion. Never jerk them. Every time we empty the black and/or gray tanks we put about a half cup of vegetable oil down the toilet or into the shower drain or both. After doing this for almost a year, the valves open noticeably more easily.
Once you get the valve repaired, you might want to consider adding an additional gate valve at the end of the sewer connection inside your utility bay. This way, if you ever have another valve fail, you can continue to use toilets and sinks as if there were no problem.
I see you have a seven year old coach. Ours is 10 years old. Stuff wears out and breaks -- it happens on SOBs and it happens on Foretravels. You still have a better coach than 90 percent of what is out on the highways IMHO.
Let us know how this dilemma ends.
Bill,
Here is a photo of what the valves behind the utility cover look like.
I think you can manually push it in or reconnect the cable from behind the utility cover.
Worth a try.
Barry,
It is Bill Brown with the problem. For once -- it is not me ;D.
I was just planning ahead ???
Now that is funny and a quick response.
Hi Bill,
Just to answer your question, Yes, you can put on the outer cap and travel. But think a little down the road. If you have the cap on, then you don't have the hose on. How do you propose to get the cap off, and the hose back on without making one heck-of-a mess. Unless, of course, you have someone that you would like to get revenge for something, that you could persuade him into doing the cap release for you. At that point in time, I would declare that "I didn't know you" .
Best thing is to not do it.
Good luck,
LynnD
'01 GV
Happens to all of us, not funny but S... happens.
My solution ( as well as others ) is to cut off the white adapter and glue on a Valterra standard hose adapter, then add a 3" slide valve at the end of the pipe. Then in the next failure you have a fail safe system . See the archives and you will find that Bill W. Gives some part numbers and additional info.
Good luck
If there is a way, how can we lubricate the cables to help prevent a problem? What lubricant to use?
Thanks.
George,
This is too easy. The next really interesting problem has your name on it.
-Tom
Who's on first. George HATFIELD plays shortstop.
A very powerful shop vac attached to the vent, with rags around the nozzle to make sure it seals. Turn on the shop vac to create a vacuum. Then you can take the cap off and attach the hose. :-X Well, somebody come up with something better...
Hi Pat,
I think that might be a very try-able idea. I just hope that I am not the one that gets to be the guinea. I think I would rather be sitting across the road, with a cool one, watching the action. Cheers.
Good luck,
LynnD
'01 GV
Hi Pat,
Are you talking about vacuum attached to the roof vent?
Raymond & Babette Jordan
1997 U 320
I would just open up the panel in front of you. It is a few screws and manually ck the valve and close it. Then get a container and place it u deer the opening and crack it open. There will be only as much as in the pipe come out if it opened the slide valve at all I put a third valve on all my coaches starting in '99. That is the best idea.
Yes!! You have to make sure that there is no other openings in the system. It has been done to change oil drain plugs without losing motor oil in engines. But then engines do not hold anywhere near as many gallons of fluid. But if you are really quick. And maybe best to wear a
Tyvek protective suit and foot coverings. One person to remove the cap and another to attach the hose.
It is either that, or find a place where you can straight dump with out a hose!
And I have to thank you guys, cause I now have a extra "fail safe valve".
Think this might be best solution, close it manually.
I know this works very well from experience..... :o
Just an update. We spent the morning of our BW valve failing (valve was too stiff to move by hand) on the phone with several repair shops in area, all with openings 1 to 2 weeks out. Finally called Holland Motor Homes in Holland Michigan and they said they could work us in the next day to fix our BW tank drain valve. We drove the ~120 miles w/o using the restroom and they meet us when we arrived and set us up at a sewer location with 50 amp service for the night. They brought us in right at 8 am and had the stiff BW valve replaced and the push/pull cable re crimped by lunch.
Their TV/Sat tech had a cancellation that afternoon and offered to look at our Tracstar satellite problem. With the help of Tracstar tech, they quickly determined I needed a LNB and a dual upgrade box. Holland tried to remove the LBB off one of their new coaches to get us out of there the same day but the bracket was different. So Tracstar shipped the parts overnight and we were on the road with great in-motion TV right after lunch the next day.
Holland Motor Homes is a first class operation with 10 bays and a competent staff. They sell Newell, Dynamax, Renegade, DynaQuest, Airstream Interstate and used Country Coach & Bluebird Wanderlodge. We summer in Michigan almost every year and plan to use Holland MH again. :)
Bill & Deanne Brown
'03 U-320 out of Houston