Grey tank handle

[2018rsts]

We have a reflection 2018rsts. The black & grey handles have always been very difficult to open and close. Today the grey handle broke in the open position. How do you change/fix the cable.
Jeff O'Connor

[ncitro]

We have a reflection 2018rsts. The black & grey handles have always been very difficult to open and close. Today the grey handle broke in the open position. How do you change/fix the cable.
Jeff O'Connor

You have to drop the coroplast to replace the cable, and depending how much you need to replace you may need to replace the entire valve. If just the handle is broken, it can be replaced separate from the cable though. There is a screw in the end of the handle you remove and the handle comes off and you can reinstall another handle.

[2018rsts]

The cable broke. By the Coroplast you mean the underbelly cover? Do you know the cable length? Or if I replace the whole valve is there a certain size/diameter...
pipe size, etc? Thank you for your help. I have never had this happen to me.

[Cate&Rob]

2018rsts
Hi Jeff

The “coroplast” is another name for the plastic sheet that covers the bottom of the trailer. This has to be removed (or “dropped”) to get at the cable and gate valve. Part of the repair should be figuring out why the cable broke. This could be a faulty valve or poor cable routing. The gate valve will be 3” (or in the case of some grey valves, 1 1/2”) diameter, but the cable length is almost impossible to guess at. You will have to remove the cable and measure it before getting a replacement. Optimum routing might indicate that a shorter or longer cable would be better. While you are at this, you might as well solve the other problem cables and valves at the same time.

Rob

[JBill9694]

2018rsts , the good news is that the cable broke with the valve open so you don't have to worry about an overflowing gray tank. If you're not someplace where you can work on this repair/replacement task look for a twist on waste gate valve (make sure to get the correct size) so that you can travel without leaking gray water every time you go around a corner.

Dropping the corrugated plastic (coroplast) is not too bad; Getting it back up is a bear. Some people use 2x4s and jacks to help wrestle it back in place. A helper or two can make this an easier experience.

There are several videos on replacing the cable on the internet, but here is a quick run down:
- Remove the Phillip's head screw holding the plastic block into the end of the valve stem guide. This screw should be on the bottom but may also be on the top.
- Pull the cable sheath and plastic block free of the valve stem guide. Pull until the gate stem is tight to end of the guide and the valve is open.
- Look for a round coupler at the end of the gate stem that the wire from the cable feeds into. On the side of the coupler there is a small (small meaning easy to loose) tap screw that should be accessible through the slot on the top or bottom of the stem guide. You may have to twist the wire or perform other feats of ingenuity to get the tap screw to where you can access it with a hex key wrench (Sorry, I don't remember what size). Once the tap screw is removed the wire should pull free of the coupler.
- Back to the plastic block on the end of the cable sheath. On the end of the block facing the stem guide there is another tap screw that takes a 3/32" hex key. Remove the screw and the plastic block should slide off the sheath and then the wire.

You are now ready to measure and cut the new cable to fit using the old cable as a guide, or if you want to try a different routing of the cable for (hopefully) easier operation, then you can still use the old cable to determine how much wire you need to have exposed. The installation of the cable to the valve is the reverse of the removal. I actually like to leave my wire long, install the new cable and make sure it closes and opens the valve, and then remove the wire from the coupler and make my final trim.

One caution. If you want to check the operation of the valve reinstall a length of wire (couple of feet) in the coupler before closing the valve. This will give you something to pull on to get the valve open and coupler back out to the end of the stem guide where you can work on it.

Good luck

[Yoda]

From the parts look up (link above under red banner) you have this on your gray tank https://www.granddesignrv.com/owner-...ts/detail/1044
Cable length appears to be 96". However best to get eyes on it and measure.

Hope this helps

[ThePowells]

2018rsts Welcome to the family and the forum!

My gray valve refused to open the morning that I was going back to the dealer for a bit of warranty work. As with almost every dealer service department, this didn't come out well. Since that problem wasn't on the list, they refused to address it. I stood in the service department and called Grand Design and had a new cable and valve waiting for me at home.