What did you do to your Grand Design today?

**iborders** · 03-24-2024, 04:45 PM

Replaced both the black and grey tank vent covers, the old ones were installed incorrectly. Finished just before it started raining and snowing.

**SGT ROC** · 03-24-2024, 06:07 PM

Tried to get the gray water valve open for my Kitchen gray tank. This was after lubing the line. I open and closed the tank once, now the valve is stuck closed.....

**fez111** · 03-25-2024, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by traveldawg

...bad news - looks like I may have to drop Coroplast again and replace the black tank valve as is seems to let water seep out very slowly....

We had the same problem...Take the cover off the pipe and get your shoes very messy...! Have you tried adding an extra gate valve at the pipe outlet? For our Solitude I had to cut a few inches off the end and use an ABS coupling (Lowes sells ABS pipe and parts, including the ABS glue). I purchased a new gate valve with with the barbs for the cap and hose connection at Camping world (You may have to ask them to look on their "upstairs or back room stash" because this particular valve is not always on the shelf.

Two caveats:

1. Make sure that the added valve pipe does not stick out past the wall of the trailer.

2. I had never used ABS glue before. By the time you swab it onto the fittings, it is already half dried...gotta work really fast to get the fittings seated together or you will never make it! Go for it!

That was 4 or 5 years ago and we have never regretted this mod. In our 379FL, by keeping the final valve 'closed' we can leave both grey water tanks open which allows then to equalize each other yielding over 80 gallons of capacity rather than filling the 'bathroom tank' while the 'kitchen tank' is nearly empty.

**JFF&KRN** · 03-25-2024, 07:43 AM

I might add a quick thought / check;
Take a drain elbow, the one with the hose washout on it, connect it and try to force some water backwards up the drain pipe, or use a wand type down the toilet with teh littel sideways jets and try to flush out whatever may be caught in the valve.
sometimes a piece of toilet paper gets stuck in the valve slot, (not sure if i am describing it right), but that could resolve your issue, has happened to me in the past.
good luck.

**xrated** · 03-25-2024, 08:22 AM

Added a little "juice" to my LFP battery yesterday. It's a 302AH DIY that I built in 2022 and I generally do my winter storage with it at a 50% SOC, and turn the 300A battery disconnect off so there is no drain on the battery. The one exception to that is the DALY BMS that I use for for that battery build....I leave it connected 24/7/365 and it will consume a bit of battery power. So the totals are from early Nov. 2023 until yesterday...basically about 5 months, I went from 50% SOC down to 30% SOC and that comes out to approx. 60AHs from the battery. That accounts for "self discharge" of the battery itself, and what the BMS used over that time period, which I replenished yesterday back up to ~ 60% SOC because I'll de-winterize next month sometime.

It looks like my Top Balance is holding quite well. I had .004 volts differential between all four cells!

**geektoad** · 03-25-2024, 08:50 AM

Just new camper stuff. Hung decorations with the wife and then replaced the toilet seat with a solid one.

**traveldawg** · 03-25-2024, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by fez111

We had the same problem...Take the cover off the pipe and get your shoes very messy...! Have you tried adding an extra gate valve at the pipe outlet? For our Solitude I had to cut a few inches off the end and use an ABS coupling (Lowes sells ABS pipe and parts, including the ABS glue). I purchased a new gate valve with with the barbs for the cap and hose connection at Camping world (You may have to ask them to look on their "upstairs or back room stash" because this particular valve is not always on the shelf.

Two caveats:

1. Make sure that the added valve pipe does not stick out past the wall of the trailer.

2. I had never used ABS glue before. By the time you swab it onto the fittings, it is already half dried...gotta work really fast to get the fittings seated together or you will never make it! Go for it!

That was 4 or 5 years ago and we have never regretted this mod. In our 379FL, by keeping the final valve 'closed' we can leave both grey water tanks open which allows then to equalize each other yielding over 80 gallons of capacity rather than filling the 'bathroom tank' while the 'kitchen tank' is nearly empty.

Thanks, @fez111. I've had a valve on the end of my dump pipe for years (actually wore one out and have replaced it). No matter how one dumps, or how much one dumps, there always seems to be some residual water in the piping between the outlet and internal valves, so that external valve is essential.

But my issue is a leaky black tank valve. I removed and cleaned it once but it still leaks (although less than before). I even went to the extend of putting different colored water in each of the 3 holding tanks to verify which one was leaking - it's always the black tank.

I'll be dropping the belly pan tomorrow morning to put a new valve in (just the valve, not the ends which are glued to the existing tank/piping).

**fez111** · 03-26-2024, 11:14 AM

Please let me know how it turns out. All three of my cables are getting very rusty (at least where the handle is), although they are still working. My black tank is the farthest rear-ward and the cable goes over the axles. Not looking forward to that day...

**retired_engineer** · 03-26-2024, 11:32 AM

Fixed a bad crimp where the ground wire attaches to the frame. I was doing a visual inspection of the exposed wiring on the A-frame and gave the ground connector a jiggle to be sure the bolt was tight. When I did that the ground wire came out of the connector barrel. I'm happy it happen here at home as I didn't have that size crimp connector in my road repair bag, I do now, and would have hated running around to try one while on the road.

**xrated** · 03-26-2024, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by retired_engineer

Fixed a bad crimp where the ground wire attaches to the frame. I was doing a visual inspection of the exposed wiring on the A-frame and gave the ground connector a jiggle to be sure the bolt was tight. When I did that the ground wire came out of the connector barrel. I'm happy it happen here at home as I didn't have that size crimp connector in my road repair bag, I do now, and would have hated running around to try one while on the road.

In a pinch, you can probably find a connector at an auto parts store. Something like this will fit a wide range of cables and is good to have in a pinch...