Access Covered Underbelly

[Riverdogrj]

I have a leaky black tank waste valve I need to replace. Easy enough as I have done this job before, however the trailer I am currently working on has an insulated underbelly. The valve is covered so I need to access the enclosed area. Does anyone have any experience where you could shoot me some pointers?

[93Cobra2771]

camperforlife wrote:
If you have the Coroplast and it is in one piece like mine, the easiest way to access it is cut a three sided flap with the uncut side facing the front side of the trailer so when you close it back up it won't catch the wind.

When it is time to seal it back up poke a couple holes on the loose end of the flap and a couple opposite of the flap on the uncut section. Loop a couple zip ties from the holes in the flap to the holes you punched in the uncut Coroplast. Now that the flap is solid and won't try to spring down you can seal the cut with Gorilla tape.

Exactly what I did, but used black duct tape. I actually did flaps on either side of the valve. Opened up kind of a like a bomb bay on an airplane.

[Riverdogrj]

Thanks all for your comments. I think I can get it from your suggestions.

[camperforlife]

donn0128 wrote:
Plastic? Take the screws out and it will drop down quite easily.

Not always possible. Mine is between the main frame and cross frame members and is one piece. Is is screwed only in the middle to keep it from drooping. Mine is impossible to remove screws and allow it to drop. On trailers that it is simply screwed, removing the screws would of course be the best solution.

[camperforlife]

If you have the Coroplast and it is in one piece like mine, the easiest way to access it is cut a three sided flap with the uncut side facing the front side of the trailer so when you close it back up it won't catch the wind.

When it is time to seal it back up poke a couple holes on the loose end of the flap and a couple opposite of the flap on the uncut section. Loop a couple zip ties from the holes in the flap to the holes you punched in the uncut Coroplast. Now that the flap is solid and won't try to spring down you can seal the cut with Gorilla tape.

[donn0128]

Plastic? Take the screws out and it will drop down quite easily.

[downtheroad]

On a previous trailer I just cut an opening in the Coroplast at the valve location, replaced the valve and then re-secured the cut out piece with Gorilla Tape.

[DutchmenSport]

If the underbelly is the fabric type, you probably have no choice but to cut it. When done, tape it back together with some really strong tape.

If it is the cardboard (black) stuff, it is screwed on in sections. Simply unscrew a section and remove. When done, screw it back on.

I had the fabric type and had to make an access once. I used the aluminum tape, used for taping aluminum stove piping to seam it back together. It held for years and was still going good when we traded campers. Since then, they've come out with different brands of equally strong tape that would serve for years and years.