gray dump handle hard to open/close

[allentx1]

I bought a 2011 Avalanche 340TG and right away noticed the rear tank gray handle was difficult to pull and push. I took it to the dealer who moved the handle location back towards the tires by about 2 feet. I still did not notice improvement and the dealer says it is "just tight". After reading the other posts about handle breakage, I feel I am primed to snap that assembly off. The valve is inside the enclosed portion so I cannot troubleshoot or repair easily. Should I remove a portion of the underbelly to swap that valve out? Is that advisable?

[SteveC7010]

If I were in your shoes with this problem, I'd drop part of the coroplast belly pan and at least eyeball the entire mechanism from the handle to the valve. If there is a rub point or the arm is not pointed well, these are relatively easy to remedy.

I don't know if your setup is a cable attached to a long rod attached to the handle, or the handle is attached direct to the cable, or the long rod extends all the way to the valve. Regardless, it is a simple mechanical system and should be easy to figure out if there is a problem.

If you can disconnect the cable or rod from the valve and work the valve by hand, you can immediately know if the problem is in the valve or the push-pull mechanism.

If the valve is sticking, you can try pouring some coconut oil in the tank. That will lube up the gate and the seals a bit and should show a near immediate improvement.

Actually swapping out the valve is pretty straight-forward. There are 4 bolts holding the whole thing together and on a fairly new trailer, they should not be rusted up so disassembly is easy. The worst part of the job is getting the tank and drain pipes cleaned out enough that working on them is not too messy. Gray is much, much easier than black.

If the handle mechanism is not the problem, I'd be inclined to then pull the valve and look it over first. Unless there has been actual damage to it, you may just need to lube it up and reassemble rather than replace it. I believe Valterra offers seal kits for rebuilding the valves and that may be an option for you.

[chuck&gail]

I would try simple things first. Dump tanks. Then spray a bit of silicon spray on handle. Then spray about half a can up the outlet pipe while working the handle. Now do same with other tank, can't hurt. I've used that method for years on various TT's with great success.

[hankaye]

chuck&gail, Howdy;

If it's sat for awhile the seals may have dryed out and become stiff.
what SteveC7010 said about the coconut oil may help. But anything you do to the inside will generally only help the inside 1/2 of the seal.
As I full time in mine 12 months outta 12 months (so, I'm dumping about every 7 to 14 days), I always pour 2 cap fulls of Downey Fabric softner in the dumped/flushed/rinsed tank and follow it with 3 bowlesful of water. The downey helps keep the seals slippery as well as the inside of the tank. Smells good too.

Hope you find the root of the problem.

hankaye

[allentx1]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I will try the downy this week but I have to wonder how the seals were already that dry when I bought it new. either way, worth a shot. I'll also pull down the coroplast if that doesn't work. I am curious as to what is under there anyway.

[hankaye]

allentx1, Howdy;

Having some time to re think your problem...
one of the halves of the seal (inside or outside),
may have 'rolled' (twisted), or installed improperly
which would also cause it to bind.
Looks like your're going to get dirty and have some fun ...

Please let us know what ya find out.

hankaye

[allentx1]

Thanks Hankaye, it was a rolled seal. I pulled the coroplast down around the handle and the cable disappeared over by the axles. I crawled under there and there was already a tape job around the 1 1/2 pipe for the gray tank. I eyeballed the cable and it was fine, even wiggled the cable while daughter pulled handle. Once I got the 4 bolts off and dodged the remaining gray water, I noticed one side of the vale seals was rolled inward. It looks like it is permanently deformed so I will order a new set of Bladex 3" seals. Should be about $5. Well worth the fighting I do with the handle... Thanks for the help!

[hankaye]

allentx1, Howdy;

Glad it was an easy fix. Might be a good idea to use some sort of compatiable lube when you install them so they won't roll anytime soon.

Reminds me of an old song;
"Getting to Know You', can't remember who wrote it but I feel it applies to
how we look at and treat our investments...

hankaye