2024 View 24D Grey Tank Valve Leak

[BlakeM]

Our grey waste tank drain valve is leaking...I get a nice surprise every time I take off the cap We have a 2024 View and I plan on getting under it this weekend to see what's going on.... so happy it's not the black tank!

 

[creativepart]

The simple answer is that your gate valve on the grey tank is not closing all the way. Something, even something small has gotten in the way of the gate valve. OR there is a problem with the bowden cable that opens and closes the gate valve and it's not able to make a solid closure.

Empty the tank then and get under there. It's a pretty simple device with a sliding gate and a couple of seals on either side.

 

[Morich]

I've not looked close at how your drains are set up, but one semi-easy thing to try is an idea. The valve is like a slice of plastic that slides into a groove when closed. That groove can get something stuck in it. One way that can happen is if we have the black water draining and also have the grey open. Tissue and yuck from the black can get over into the groove on the grey and get caught in that groove to keep the blade from going in fully!
If t has a cable, not a straight rod, that cable can get loose something like the controls on mowers or tillers? Sometimes we have to get into where that cableis attached and tighten it up to move the valve plate better!
If you can get both black and grey tanks drained, it can sometimes help if you stick a hose in to try to blast anything out of those grooves?? Might work, might not but a cheap try just in case. I like trying to do all the cheap stuff before I voluteer for the hard stuff!!
EDIT?
Looking closer and going to the parts drawings here:

Winnebago Cortona Portal

cortona.winnebago.com

I'm afraid I have to back off and think there is a problem with the cable not moving the valve slide as it should. Any experience with adjusting the throttle cable on mowers, etc. ? As they get slack, wear, or get loose, the wire that is supposed to slide inside an outer layer stops moving like it should and we often find the outer layer is loose at some clamps. That lets the outside move instead of moving the inner wire that moves the valves.

 

[Keith_6a]

I'll be watching this -- I am also finding a surprise when I remove the sewer cap. '21 View with the cable valve actuation.

 

[Morich]

Yes, appears to be very near the same drain system and that is not good!
drawing here:

Winnebago Cortona Portal

cortona.winnebago.com

The only "fix" I have seen on these is cutting the underside open and locating what should be holding the cable outside solid to let the handle movement force the inside wire that is connected to the valve make it move!
Ugly suggestion and not one I would like to do but the only other idea I can see is sorting out how to cut out those drain valves and invent a different one that did not have curved cables to move them.
There are motorized valve openers but that is a whole different issue and likely to have some major headachesinvolved as well. If I were going that far, I might alos consider redo on the black tank valve as it has the same layout.

 

[Keith_6a]

If I had to replace my valves, I'd go with the electric valves. Saw them at an RV dealer and they looked nice and the display allowed me to operate them. Can't recall if they were Valterra or Thetford.

 

[Rick Hershberger]

I got a 2025 Navion 24D last year. The first or second time I tried to drain the tanks, I was surprised by about a half-gallon of waste water that had leaked past one of the gate valves and spilled the moment I removed the end cap, before pulling either cable. This happened several times in my first year, though less each time. My first "fix" was to add a 5-quart Rubbermaid Commercial Heavy-Duty Cleaning Pail to my grey/black water kit, which I would place under the cap as I was removing it to catch anything that leaked past either gate valve. Next I replaced my cap with a Valterra F02-3106BK EZ Coupler Valve Cap with Handle, which has a small screw cap that I could open first to allow any leakage to come out slowly into the bucket. My final fix was to add a Valterra clear 90-degree elbow and a Valterra T58 Twist-On Waste Valve to the end of the plumbing. These both attached just as your hose does, locking onto the four pins. I needed the elbow because the waste water outlet is positioned on my RV too close to the water compartment door to fit the additional gate valve. Now that leaves me with an additional "last resort" gate valve at the very end of the drain plumbing, and a clear view of any liquid that has leaked down the system into the added elbow. I open the end cap, attach the hose, open the added downstream gate valve to release any leakage, then finally open the RV's black tank valve, then the grey tank valve. Yes, it's rather the kludge, but at least it didn't involve fiddling with or replacing the RV's original black and grey gate valves. I have found that those two upstream valves do seem to be working better now (less frequent and lower volume leakage downstream) so maybe something was sticking in one of them, but I like the added security of a second downstream valve.

 

[Tillie]

I get a very small amount from the gray, sometimes. I use a cap with a garden hose attachment on it. I leave a short hose on it, about a foot long and put the garden hose cap on the output. Before removing the big cap I put the hose down, allow the 1/2 pint or so of water to drain into the stinky slinky or bucket and then remove the cap. If either valve leaks I don’t get a surprise.

 

[dickb46]

On our Journey I did petty much the same as Tillie, but in place of a short hose I put a 1/4 turn garden hose shut off valve then the garden hose cap.

 

[Tillie]

I used a short garden hose because I also use it to dump gray water into my tote so it was convenient. I do have an inline shut off I can put on the hose.

 

[BlakeM]

I got a 2025 Navion 24D last year. The first or second time I tried to drain the tanks, I was surprised by about a half-gallon of waste water that had leaked past one of the gate valves and spilled the moment I removed the end cap, before pulling either cable. This happened several times in my first year, though less each time. My first "fix" was to add a 5-quart Rubbermaid Commercial Heavy-Duty Cleaning Pail to my grey/black water kit, which I would place under the cap as I was removing it to catch anything that leaked past either gate valve. Next I replaced my cap with a Valterra F02-3106BK EZ Coupler Valve Cap with Handle, which has a small screw cap that I could open first to allow any leakage to come out slowly into the bucket. My final fix was to add a Valterra clear 90-degree elbow and a Valterra T58 Twist-On Waste Valve to the end of the plumbing. These both attached just as your hose does, locking onto the four pins. I needed the elbow because the waste water outlet is positioned on my RV too close to the water compartment door to fit the additional gate valve. Now that leaves me with an additional "last resort" gate valve at the very end of the drain plumbing, and a clear view of any liquid that has leaked down the system into the added elbow. I open the end cap, attach the hose, open the added downstream gate valve to release any leakage, then finally open the RV's black tank valve, then the grey tank valve. Yes, it's rather the kludge, but at least it didn't involve fiddling with or replacing the RV's original black and grey gate valves. I have found that those two upstream valves do seem to be working better now (less frequent and lower volume leakage downstream) so maybe something was sticking in one of them, but I like the added security of a second downstream valve.

Do you have pictures of this setup?

 

[BlakeM]

The simple answer is that your gate valve on the grey tank is not closing all the way. Something, even something small has gotten in the way of the gate valve. OR there is a problem with the bowden cable that opens and closes the gate valve and it's not able to make a solid closure.

Empty the tank then and get under there. It's a pretty simple device with a sliding gate and a couple of seals on either side.

I'm going to take the valve apart this weekend and see if something is blocking it. The handle itself is quite difficult to open/close, which leads me to believe something is blocking...

 

[RVL895540]

Our black valve was leaking just slightly and consequently there was a cup or so of nasty liquid released when the cap was removed. In addition to that, the cap took quite a bit of force to twist it off.

My first solution was to put another valve with pull handle on the pipe in place of the cap. That allowed me to attach the hose before opening the new valve. That solved the mess.

Somewhere, I found a recommendation to empty the black tank, then fill it with water using the flush inlet. Then, pull the handle just a bit to let the water start flowing through the small slit of an opening, then close the valve and repeat. Doing that a few times with a couple of tanks of water cleaned out the valve to the point that it no longer leaks.

I still like having the third valve on the outlet as it is much easier to open it with the handle than it was to take the cap off.

 

[BlakeM]

I'm going to take the valve apart this weekend and see if something is blocking it. The handle itself is quite difficult to open/close, which leads me to believe something is blocking...

Replying to my own thread.......this process was a challenge. Difficult to get to and remove the grey tank valve. Manged to get it off, clean it, then attempt to put it back on. What a nightmare. I could not get the rubber gaskets to line up correctly even after diconnecting the black tank valve. 1 1/2 hours later I was able to get it reconnected, but still difficult to open/close and water now leaks out through the valve itself. Lastly, a nice pulled pec muscle wrapped up my fun :-(

Got an appoitment at Camping World on Tuesday to have them fix it...