Holding Tank Valves?

Jim-Linda wrote:
If you hate the manual pull, wait until the electric valve craps out.

Jim

X2 on that
Its possible to manually overide the electric motor,
BUT
Doing it at a dumpstation would be really bad. Our tanks are enclosed with 2 panels to remove then reach into the space...

I would stay away from Drainmaster valves, they really are a P.I.T.A. and I have to deal with them annually and the next problem I have with them I'm gonna' toss them and go to the manual pull valves! The concept is nice and makes the rig all "hot-falloy" n' such but the grief they bring just aint worth it.

That's exactly why I changed mine to electric-I think 2 of my cables were shot-put a choke cable or something like it to operate my black tank valve. I was pushed over the edge one night when the shower pan started filling just after I turned the water on-of course it was 40 and pouring out. I don't mind leaving the shower grey open but always have closed it the day before dumping the black to have the water to flush with-and the kitchen grey I think it just makes sense to keep closed considering pushing our food waste and such. Anyhow-I highly recommend electric valves...

Larry-make sure you specify you want inside controls-typically that involves an extra set of switches, additional wiring, and may limit your options when it comes to choosing the valves you want.

Well Larry, if you have already decided on the electric valves, why ask others their opinion?

Jim

Thank you everyone for your responses; its’ good to hear the pro and con experiences.

Some of the con issues I have is that my warranty will not cover electric valves as they are not original equipment and they are more expensive than the manual valves. Some of the pro issues are that, as SuperDutyFiver stated, I will have a control panel inside my 5’er and do not have to go outside to dump my tanks, and Camping World, whom I’ve made an appointment with to install 3-electric valves and the panels, offers a 4-year extended warranty on parts and labor at $20/valve. They are also right now offering a $29 installment special.

I have a 2012 Heartland Prowler 5th Wheel and if it was much older I probably would not upgrade the valves; not wanting to spend the money, etc., but all 3 of my manual pull cable type valves, 1-black & 2-gray, went out only after having this brand new 5’er for about 15-months. My warranty will cover replacement of the pull-type cable valves but this is the first RV I’ve had with pull-type cable valves and I have very quickly grown to not like them.

I installed Barker Auto-Drains on my old fiver-loved them and miss them tremendously-they installed over the existing dump valve so no messing with plumbing-and if one did fail you could open it up and manually dump(I did have one fail-I tried closing it when there was ice in it and chewed up a gear-had parts overnighted to me for quick repair.

I've been thinking about the Valterra for the Carriage because I like the remote control panel and want to have a set of switches in my wet compartment as well as at the main control panel in the coach-on of my principal reasons for going to electric valves(besides the sticky remote cables) was to be able to open and close my grey valves at will from inside the coach.

Several years ago I installed Drainmaster electric valve on my black tank. It worked fine, as long as there was not any water against it. Once the tank had waste in it, it would not open. Talk about a fun time. I would never install electric valves again.

If you hate the manual pull, wait until the electric valve craps out.

Jim

I looked at them and stayed with the manual. I don't need another connection that goes bad.