Hi Guys,This is my first post on this forum, thank you in advance for your help. I have a 2015 Montana 3610RL that we live in 10 months a year. I am starting to have trouble with the remote opening valves for the foreword grey water tank and for the black water tank. I will be pulling the undercarriage cover/insulation off this weekend to fix the issue, but I was hoping for a little advice first. So here are my questions:1) has anyone rebuilt one of these remote operated valves? I am guessing that the cable has just come loose so it won't close but I won't know till I get in there. So, are they simple to fix or should I order new ones?2) What diameter is the valve for the foreword grey water tank? My rear tank is 1-1/2" and I suspect it is the same in the front but I won't know till I pull off the insulation. At which point I would like to have all the parts.3) Does anyone have any experience with the electronic valves? I may be very interested in swapping over to these while I am in there provided that they are VERY reliable and as convenient as they seem.

On my last rig the valves were a nice straight shot from curb up to the tank. More inconvenient to reach down under the rig to pull...but opened with barely any force. Our current rig has a "wet bay" with all valves, plumbing, shower etc in a nylon compartment. Valves are quite stiff even after being replaced under warranty. Apparently the cables take a turn going from wet bay down to tanks. Much like the brake cable on a bicycle...the more twists and turns, the more friction in the cable. Im not sure you can do much except seek the straightest run possible in the cable. Hopefully you find a solution.Daryll

I had the same issue with the black tank on my rig a couple of months ago. I dropped the belly, pulled the valve, cleaned it, lubed with silicone spray, and replaced the seals. It is now very easy to operate. Both my forward grey and black tanks are 3" valves by Valterra. My rear grey (kitchen) is 1 1/2". I have no personal experience with electronic valves but I figure there is just more to go wrong with them so I'm sticking with manually operated valves.

I have a 2015 Montana, 3910. It has a bath and a half. All valves have been replaced due to the sticking, hard to pull, then cables breaking. My suggestion is replace them with nicer easier to pull valves. Fortunately mine were all under warranty.

Both of my remote cable operated valves are currently stuck partially open, I suppose I am going to have to pull the belly off just to find out what size they are. But I will order 2 3" ahead of time. Thanks for your help. If anyone has info on the electronic valves please let me know

I have had a similar problem with the black tank valve on my 2015 Montana 3402RL - stuck in open position after being difficult to operate for a while now. Though it is a work in progress, I have got it moving again with a combination of Thetford RV Drain Valve Lubricant and silicone spray on the exposed shaft. You might want to consider this before getting into the underbelly. Looking at the posts on this thread, this seems to be an underlying trend for recent Montanas with cable drain valves. Are you listening Keystone?The drain valve lubricant, generously applied per label directions, was what mainly did the trick. I ordered it from Amazon and used a good bit freeing up that one valve. I believe the intended usage is routine smaller amounts for preventative maintenance. I now have ordered and received 2 more bottles and intend to keep periodically applying it.

Having trouble with remote operated black tank valve

14 Replies

rkroll
Explorer
Dec 01, 2016
Both of my remote cable operated valves are currently stuck partially open, I suppose I am going to have to pull the belly off just to find out what size they are. But I will order 2 3" ahead of time. Thanks for your help. If anyone has info on the electronic valves please let me know
Campforever
Explorer
Dec 01, 2016
I have a 2015 Montana, 3910. It has a bath and a half. All valves have been replaced due to the sticking, hard to pull, then cables breaking. My suggestion is replace them with nicer easier to pull valves. Fortunately mine were all under warranty.
BobKrogstie
Explorer
Nov 30, 2016
I had the same issue with the black tank on my rig a couple of months ago. I dropped the belly, pulled the valve, cleaned it, lubed with silicone spray, and replaced the seals. It is now very easy to operate. Both my forward grey and black tanks are 3" valves by Valterra. My rear grey (kitchen) is 1 1/2". I have no personal experience with electronic valves but I figure there is just more to go wrong with them so I'm sticking with manually operated valves.
FLY_4_FUN
Explorer
Nov 30, 2016
On my last rig the valves were a nice straight shot from curb up to the tank. More inconvenient to reach down under the rig to pull...but opened with barely any force. Our current rig has a "wet bay" with all valves, plumbing, shower etc in a nylon compartment. Valves are quite stiff even after being replaced under warranty. Apparently the cables take a turn going from wet bay down to tanks. Much like the brake cable on a bicycle...the more twists and turns, the more friction in the cable. Im not sure you can do much except seek the straightest run possible in the cable. Hopefully you find a solution.

Daryll

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Having trouble with remote operated black tank valve

14 Replies

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