I just had a valve problem last week when we went to leave. Went to drain the tanks and one of the handles and associated rod came unscrewed from the valve so it would not open. While I did not know that was the problem at the time when I got home and cut open the coroplast or whatever it is that encloses the underside of our trailer to try to gain access to the valve I found the rod was unattached and had just come unscrewed from the valve. That rod was a good 36 inches long. The rod attached to a stud coming out of the valve assembly. All this to say that just lubing the rod at least on my trailer wouldn't do much at all if anything. However trailers are different and may not be the same.