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Cargo tray removal and fresh water gate dump valve

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Bill Johnson:
We have an 02 Patriot.  The fresh water gate dump valve (located in the passenger side, front cargo bay) is leaking and I would like to replace it.  To get to it I would like to remove the Kwikee cargo slide that is adjacent to the valve.  I cannot find a release lever on the side of the glides that will allow me to pull the tray out.  Suggestions related to either of these issues would be appreciated.
bill

Bruce Benson:
My read, although I have never done it, is that you will need to lift the front edge of the slide slightly as you pull the release lever as you pull the slide outward.  Now, that is a two or three person job in my mind!  Buy some beer and invite young strong ones.  You may have to remove the forward slide rail from the floor as well.  You will have to see if you need the room and if you can take it off without removing the whole rail frame (front and back).  

I would cut off the pipe about three inches above the valve, hopefully after draining the tank well.  You might even move the coach about a bit with the valve open to make sure the tank is pretty dry.  Mark it using a piece of heavy paper wrapped around it with the top edge lined up as a guide for your mark.  Cut it straight, a miter saw would be good for this.  Buy a cheap one at Home Depot and take your time with it.  Remove the old valve and lower pipes.  Put together a new valve with two new pieces of pipe properly cemented into it.  Be sure and use a cleaner as well as the proper cement and do not allow the cleaner nor the cement to contact the ball in the valve.  Use just enough but not too much.  Use a connector to cement this to the existing stub where you cut the old one off.  Reseal around the hole in the floor.  Hold your breath and refill the tank.    

Bill Johnson:
Bruce, thanks for the suggestions.  I think I will replace your suggested beer with Scotch!  I did try lifting the front while pulling the tray -- it did not lift even a fraction of an inch.  Perhaps I need more Scotch!
For the gate valve, there are four bolts that appear to hold the valve in between the upper and lower pvc and I was hoping I could simply remove those four bolts and then pull the gate mechanism out.  Did I miss something here (although I know Johnson's Law states that anything that appears easy will in fact be 10 times more difficult - - but only after you start the project!).

Bruce Benson:
Bill,

Perhaps that will not work on the slide out tray.  I am just looking at the installation instructions and assuming that taking it out would be the opposite of putting it in,  I see no reference to any stops being added so I would think that it would come apart like it slides together.  

http://www.kwikee.com/PDFDocuments/SSInstall.pdf

I do not see a good way to get a look at the latch bearing.  Perhaps you could lift it with a long screw driver inserted in the back inside of the forward edge of the slide.

My drain is different from yours.  After looking at mine, I might do it differently but it would have no bearing on the way you need to do yours.  You gotta love the way they threw these things together.  Kind'a looks like what ever hardware store was on the way to work for the guy that drew the short straw for parts duty the day before supplied the parts that day.

Bill Johnson:
Bruce, thanks for the link.  I reviewed the diagram/illustrations but can see nothing about a latch, as you noted.  Perhaps I need to take a Sawzall to it.  I  figure I will phone Kwikee tomorrow -- I did try phoning them this afternoon.  What I found is that they have merged with another company and none of their former numbers work -- not even a listing of a forwarded number.  God, but you just gotta love this.

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