Broke Gray Water Valve

The gray water dump valve to the shower/bathroom tank has stopped functioning (since I'm a fulltimer, luckily it broke in the open position). My best guess at this point is that the cable broke and the valve is still good.

It appears getting to everything will be a major hassle. My unit has a full length belly cover. Hanging beneath the belly cover is all the propane piping.

I have considered installing an additional valve in the exposed dump lines and not repairing the problem. My real desire is to fix the problem though.

Does anyone have any insight to dealing with this problem.

Dennis
2007 Big Horn 3055RL
There is life after retirement !!

Dennis,

There is a chance that the cable has come lose from the back side of the valve handle. The actual cable runs inside the cable shield. The Cable Shield is attached to the back side of the valve handle that is bolted to the frame of your BigHorn. The Valve cable needs to move back and forth through the cable shield. If the Cable shield has come apart, where it is attached to the back side of the handle... when you push or pull the handle it will cause the whole cable shield to move back and forth, and not allow the valve to open. Think Bike Brake Cables... these work the same.

I believe your 3055RL dump valve location is like our 3400RL Bighorn. IF this is the case, what you can do is cut a flap in the plastic belly directly under the valves. This will give you a view of the back side of all the valve handles. Make (3) three cut, leaving one side uncut so it acts like a hinge. Look for the cable shield that may have come out of the valve body... it is crimped in place. Not glued but only crimped. Which is why they can work lose from the movement of the valve back and forth. IF You find the shield has come apart...

You can make a good repair using a short length of threaded rod or a bolt with the head cut off... and (2) two small stainless steel draw bands 3/4 inch or 1 inch should do. IF you cut the flap large enough, you can get your hand inside with a wrench to loosen the nut holding the valve handle to the frame should you need too. The cable should have enough slack in it to allow you to Pull out the valve body away from the RV frame. Careful not to let the nut siide too far back on the cable or it may end up out of reach in the belly of the beast. Now work the cable shield back into the valve bodys proper place then install it back in its proper place and tighen the nut.

Once the valve body is secured to the frame it's time to and lay the threaded rod along the side of the cable shield and the valve body... use the two stainless steel clamps, one over the cable shield, the other over the end of the valve body where the shield is attached. The threaded rod helps to "Grip" the rubber cable shield as well as bite into the metal of the valve body and keep the cable from moving back and forth when you operate the valve. This should finish the repair. Just tape the flap back in place using "Gorilla Tape".

Marv--good info for us all... Thanks.

I hope this will help you. Replacing Gray Water #2 gate valve.

About the bottom cover. When my valve was replaced you just cut the cover an area of about 2 sq ft. Don't take out the full square. Cut only 3 sides leaving a flap. The side you do not cut should be toward the front of the trailer. There is a tape, that the person repairing my valve used, that works very well. Not sure how to get it but duct tape won't work. He said he got his rolls from a manufacturer.

Hope this helps.
BC

depme said:

I have considered installing an additional valve in the exposed dump lines and not repairing the problem. My real desire is to fix the problem though.

Click to expand...

This is how I resolved our leaking black water valve.

CS

Thanks to all of you.

I had decided before coming back to my post NOT to install a second valve. I spent this last winter in Montana at 5000'. To say it was chilly at times is an understatement. Having the dump valves covered up was a real plus. An exposed valve could of caused me a real problem. Having the exposed low-point water drain was bad enough.

Now a couple of follow-up questions.

SmokeyBare said:

...what you can do is cut a flap in the plastic belly directly under the valves.

Click to expand...

The question that comes to mine is, just where are the valves? There seems to be no relationship between the location of the valve handles and the exposed plumbing. The valve handles (from left to right) are black, gray, & gray while the exposed plumbing is gray, black, and gray (the two gray pipes are plumbed into the center black pipe). And of course, even if the they were in order, that would not guarantee where the valves were located.

SmokeyBare said:

Just tape the flap back in place using "Gorilla Tape".

Click to expand...

I know duct tape will not work (been there, done that) and from other posts you guys pointed me to, they talked about a $100 a roll tape. Will the Gorilla Tape be secure over a long term basis?

I think what was to be said is "cut a flap behind the valve handles" Should be easy to determine. I use Nasha Deluxe Flashing Tape to seal the bottom cuts. It can be found at HD or Lowes for about $20. It is 7 inches wide and ?? long. I would put a termination valve on anyway. You never know when you may have an emergency. They just fit on the bayonet fittings so they are easy to take off and on.

depme said:

I know duct tape will not work (been there, done that) and from other posts you guys pointed me to, they talked about a $100 a roll tape. Will the Gorilla Tape be secure over a long term basis?

Click to expand...

I used Gorilla tape to tape up a couple holes I cut in the under belly last year. I wiped the area to be taped with a rag and then sprayed the area to be taped with a light coat of 3M aerosol glue (you have to wait a minute or two for the glue to tack up before applying the tape). I then taped the coroplast underbelly with the Gorilla tape. You couldn't remove it with a hammer, chisel and a bad attitude.

John

Dennis,

To answer... The valves are in three locations. The Black tank valve is on the larger 3 inch pipe. In my 3400-RL, the kitchen gray tank is to the rear of the 3 inch pipe. There is little distance between the kitchen gray tank and the 3 inch pipe coming out of the underside of the RV. Again on my BigHorn the bathroom/Shower Gray tank is to the front side of the RV, with the 1 1/2 inch pipe running under the Corplastic belly pan, going back to the 3 inch pipe hanging out of the underside. The Bathroom/shower gray tank's valve is above the belly pan and close to the gray tank it self. So... all that means is the valves are in different locations.

As for Gorilla Tape. Its been working fine for me as well. I also cleaned the road film off the plastic belly pan, cut off a strip of tape and firmly attached taped it in place. I over lapped the edges some, covering all edges. Want more security? Try screwing a small piece of thin wood above and bridging the hole you've cut. Holding it in place with screws with washers first beyond the hole you've cut... then on the flap you have made. That along with the Gorilla tape should make you feel better about if it will hold or not.

Reason I suggested cutting the flap directly below and behind the frame where the valve handles are... Was a guess based on my problem with my own valve. I am Guessing you might have the very same problem of the Cable Shield coming detached from the back side of the valve handle. If you don't feel this is where your problem is located, then maybe it's time to peal off the belly pan and have a good look see.

Note: Heartland has changed the location of the Black & Gray water tank valve handles. This recommendation is for those RV's who's valve handles are not Inside the Docking Station. The valve location on my 3400-RL are inside a small door and are going through the frame. This door is half way between the Docking Station and the RV's wheels.

Marv

The exact same thing happened to my 2007 Bighorn 3055RL, only it was the kitchen valve. I cut the under belly as explained before and re-crimped the valve body with a big set of pliers and taped the connection with Gorilla tape. Still works after a year, but I like the threaded rod and two clamps solution better. Sounds more permanent. I've used Gorilla tape on several access holes I've cut in the underbelly and so far so good.

The piece of all thread and worm gear clamps are a good temporary fix. I found it to make opening and closing the valve very stiff. If you go to the point where the 3" Black water tubing enters the bottom of the trailer I found all there valves in the same area. The cable for these valves are the same length. About 8-10 ft and if you bend it around from the UDC they don't have a long way to connect to the gate valve. It is not real hard to replace the valve. You will probably have to cut the tubing and install a rubber coupling from HD or Lowes. It could take you all day but it can be done. If you look at the tubing in the photos I show in the above post you will see the tubing from the Kitchen gray water comes out of the tank bends 180* and goes along the frame up to where the dump tubing is located. This is where all three gate valves are located. Cut the underbelly and take a look. Gorilla tape it back if your off, but you should be real close.

FWIW
BC

Just a quick follow-up post.

Thanks to all of you. The problem was at the T-handle end of the dump cable. The all-thread, clamps and Gorilla tape were the fix I used. Since there were a number of cables and wires laying on the cable, I did add some addition padding to cable to help protect the wiring.

It's amazing how many people I have talked to since then that have had the same problem.