Is this cable broken?

[John303]

I am having trouble with my black tank. It is very hard to open the valve, and the actuation feels "mushy". When I opened everything up to take a look, I see that the black outer sheath has come loose from the handle assembly. In the picture the white arrow points to the black tank cable, and you can see that the other cables have the outer sheath firmly inside the body of the handle assembly. When I pull the black tank handle the outer sheath gets pulled into the body of handle assembly, but when I push the handle the outer sheath pushes out as you see in the picture. Another symptom is that even when the handle is pushed in, there is still leakage past the valve. I may have two problems, but first...is my cable broken?

 

[Second Chance]

It looks like the sheath is no longer crimped in the fitting. If this is causing play, it could be part of your valve issue.

Rob

 

[John303]

I talked to a couple of rv mobile mechanics, but neither was willing to tackle this type of problem at a campground. What do other full-timers do for this kind of issue?

 

[NB Canada]

I talked to a couple of rv mobile mechanics, but neither was willing to tackle this type of problem at a campground. What do other full-timers do for this kind of issue?

Not much of a “mobile tech” if they are not mobile


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

 

[John303]

Yeah, the one did not want any liability in case some of the black stuff got onto the site. The other had concerns about dropping the belly and having to cut into piping to fix things. For now I am depending on the extra valve I put at the end, but I do not like having that handle accessible to any passer by.

 

[Second Chance]

I talked to a couple of rv mobile mechanics, but neither was willing to tackle this type of problem at a campground. What do other full-timers do for this kind of issue?

The vast majority of things that have needed doing, I've done myself. Most recently, I replaced the convection/microwave and the hydraulic manifold for the big slides (GD/Furrion/LCI supplied the parts under warranty). Dropping the underbelly would be a PITA, though.

Rob

 

[NB Canada]

The vast majority of things that have needed doing, I've done myself. Most recently, I replaced the convection/microwave and the hydraulic manifold for the big slides (GD/Furrion/LCI supplied the parts under warranty). Dropping the underbelly would be a PITA, though.

Rob

I would be tempted to just slice it open where needed and tape it up with gorilla tape

This is my first trailer with an underbelly
Can’t say I am a fan. We don’t camp in the off season so heating of tanks is unnecessary
I like the idea of easy access to everything


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

 

[Second Chance]

Now that [MENTION=18726]NB Canada[/MENTION] mentions it, I cut an access flap in the underbelly on our Reflection to insulate some water lines and repair the heating ducts. I repaired it with underbelly repair tape designed for mobile homes... worked well. The issue is pinpointing where the gate valve is located before you cut.

Rob

 

[FT4NOW]

Yeah, the one did not want any liability in case some of the black stuff got onto the site. The other had concerns about dropping the belly and having to cut into piping to fix things. For now I am depending on the extra valve I put at the end, but I do not like having that handle accessible to any passer by.

Not a very good mobile tech, I replaced a black and gray valve in our Momentum while we were living in it at a campground. As long as you take proper precautions, it's not a big deal. I drained the tanks as best I could, laid out tarps and then laid out plastic over the tarp with absorbent on top of that. Once the initial spillage occurs, wrap up the absorbent and plastic and the tarp is still in place while the repair is made.

Depending on which valves you have will determine the repair. Valterra valve cables can be replaced without removing the valve. On my Momentum, they had LaSalle Bristol valves which requires the entire valve to be removed for cable replacement. I used Valterra valves for the replacements.

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[John303]

Not a very good mobile tech, I replaced a black and gray valve in our Momentum while we were living in it at a campground. As long as you take proper precautions, it's not a big deal. I drained the tanks as best I could, laid out tarps and then laid out plastic over the tarp with absorbent on top of that. Once the initial spillage occurs, wrap up the absorbent and plastic and the tarp is still in place while the repair is made.

Depending on which valves you have will determine the repair. Valterra valve cables can be replaced without removing the valve. On my Momentum, they had LaSalle Bristol valves which requires the entire valve to be removed for cable replacement. I used Valterra valves for the replacements.

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I see 2 items on the GD parts website related to valves. Any idea how to tell what goes where? One kind for black and one kind for gray? The first one is a bristol valve? They look like they are glued on, so to replace them do you have to cut them off and splice other pieces in?

I do like your description on how you handled working on things. I may resort to that if the mobile mechanic route does not pan out.

 

[FT4NOW]

I see 2 items on the GD parts website related to valves. Any idea how to tell what goes where? One kind for black and one kind for gray? The first one is a bristol valve? They look like they are glued on, so to replace them do you have to cut them off and splice other pieces in?

I do like your description on how you handled working on things. I may resort to that if the mobile mechanic route does not pan out.

View attachment 33676

View attachment 33677

Best bet is call GD and provide your VIN, they can tell you which valve is installed. Other option is to drop coroplast and see what you have. In either case, the flange will be glued to the tank and pipe manifold. The valves are interchangeable as long as you get correct size, 3" for black, 1.5" for gray. If you remove the 4 nuts/bolts on the valve, you can ditch the new valve flanges and use the existing flanges that are glued into the system.

The challenge will be reassembling the valves while keeping the seal in place. I wrestled with the manifold for awhile and thought I had it set correct, filled tank and didnt see any leaks. A month later I smelled something funky and dropped the coroplast, about a gallon of black water dumped out....fun times!

Turns out I didnt set the seal correctly. This time I cut the pipe with a sawzall (a portion of the manifold) and was able to properly set the new valve in place. I purchased a 3" rubber coupling made for sewer systems to attach the pipe where the cut was made. It lasted about 2.5 years leak free (it didnt start leaking again, I sold the camper).

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[Just Krusen]

I got tired of the cable problems on my 376. I installed a Valterra electric valve on my black tank a year ago. Install was easy and it works great. Planning to do the grey tanks in the future.

 

[John303]

Just to close this out, I did find a mobile tech that changed out the valve. He covers middle/east TN if anyone is in that area. His business name is Fickey's RV Mobile Service. It was more expensive than I thought it would be, but isn't everything...$328. He brought along a helper and it took both of them to spread the piping enough to get the new valve in. At one point he even had his foot up there to get better leverage. He also cut up some 2x2 to make a frame to screw the the belly material to so it would not depend on tape alone to stay together.

Glad to have it done, and I would call him again for a repair.

 

[John303]

Just to close this out, I did find a mobile tech that changed out the valve. He covers middle/east TN if anyone is in that area. His business name is Fickey's RV Mobile Service. It was more expensive than I thought it would be, but isn't everything...$328. He brought along a helper and it took both of them to spread the piping enough to get the new valve in. At one point he even had his foot up there to get better leverage. He also cut up some 2x2 to make a frame to screw the the belly material to so it would not depend on tape alone to stay together.

Glad to have it done, and I would call him again for a repair.

I am afraid I will have to take back my recommendation of Fickey's. A few days after his work when I was pushing in the handle for the black tank, something gave way or became unattached. The handle moves in and out but does not seem to actuate the valve. Repeated efforts to get him back out and correct it have proven to be pointless. Looks like I will have to get in there after all.

 

[FT4NOW]

I am afraid I will have to take back my recommendation of Fickey's. A few days after his work when I was pushing in the handle for the black tank, something gave way or became unattached. The handle moves in and out but does not seem to actuate the valve. Repeated efforts to get him back out and correct it have proven to be pointless. Looks like I will have to get in there after all.

Is the new valve a Valterra valve? Good news with Valterra is you can replace the cable without removing the valve. Should be an easy fix.

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[John303]

Is the new valve a Valterra valve? Good news with Valterra is you can replace the cable without removing the valve. Should be an easy fix.

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Thanks for the encouragement. If the rain lets up I will take a look tomorrow. And yes it is a Valterra valve, and there is an RV parts place not too far away. At least I have the underbelly cut and flapped, so I know where to look.

 

[FT4NOW]

Thanks for the encouragement. If the rain lets up I will take a look tomorrow. And yes it is a Valterra valve, and there is an RV parts place not too far away. At least I have the underbelly cut and flapped, so I know where to look.

Before buying parts, or maybe buy the parts and prepare to return them, take a look at where the cable meets the valve.

The way the cable attaches to the valve:
There is a part attached to the gate which has a hole in it, the center of the cable, which looks like solid wire, goes through the hole and then it should be bent back and twisted to prevent coming out of the hole. If I were to guess, this is where the problem is. Might not have been secured properly and came out of the hole.

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[John303]

Got under the rig this morning. The wire was securely connected to the rod, but the cable had pulled out of the compression nut that was supposed to hold it. The first time I tried to put the cable back in and tightened the nut, it did not hold. The second time I used pliers on the plastic nut which made me a little nervous; pliers and plastic does not seeming like a good combination. But i ran the handle in and out 3 times and it held this time, so I hope it is good to go.

The silver lining in all this is I have more comfort with the mysteries of the underbelly.

Thanks for all the help and encouragement.