Galley drain handle - Montana Owners Club

Imp · 07-19-2006, 09:14 PM

Our drain handle has come loose. Of course it is full!!!!! Any trick to getting it rethreaded or do we have to take off the bottom to locate the problem?
Myrna

Montana_1240 · 07-20-2006, 01:50 AM

I'm afraid that, unless you're a surgeon-type, skilled with doing arthroscopic surgery, you will most likely have to take down at least part of the belly to get that handle threaded back onto the rest of the works.

I've noted that mine is sometimes loose, and have been turning it back on at every drain. Though it tends to turn back up toward the belly when tightened, making it a semi-knuckle-buster to close fast. I'm wondering how long it might take for it to vibrate totally loose as we're riding along in our travels.

If I ever have to drop that part of the belly, I'm going to add a piece of duct tape to hold the handle part to the cable part. It seems like a problem just waiting to sneak past me.

Steve

jrgwdenner · 07-20-2006, 02:44 AM

Myrna, I can't believe you had this problem as it just happened to us but with better results. I think Glen caught it before it came unthreaded but the handle fell off while we were traveling. He's got a big washer or something on it so it won't come off inside the tank. It's not the same problem, but similar. Ours would have come apart, I guess.

Anyway, I hope you get an easy fix.

OntMont · 07-20-2006, 03:03 AM

As Gyro says, it is a bit akin to doing arthroscopic surgery, but it has been done by several people on this Forum, including me. If yours is like ours, the handle is a length of rod threaded at the end. The valve has a threaded opening that the rod has to enter. If you use the rod to feel around in the belly, you may be able to find the valve and the opening and get the rod threaded back in. You have to work blind and have a lot of patience, but it can be done.

Otherwise, you may just have to remove a few belly cover screws until you can see in enough to see the valve. If you go that route, I would put some thread locker on the threads while you are at it.

Now I always give the handles a few clockwise turns before I pull to open the valve.

Good Luck!

jrgwdenner · 07-20-2006, 03:18 AM

Glen told me that he had to get inside the belly to fix ours. He thinks the handle broke off causing the rod to drop into the tank as there were no threads left on the outside end of the rod. He inserted another rod and used a glue like weld to join it to the hollow rod. The handle itself is lying somewhere on the road in Indiana, Wisconsin, or Minn.

richfaa · 07-20-2006, 04:14 AM

Sounds like something that Keystone needs to address.This happens way to often and it is not a easy fix.I do note that we must make sure the handles are tight in the clockwise direction..I think that as we use them we tend to move them in the unwind direction and they will in time unscrew. We always make sure ours aere tight in the clockwise direction and reading many post on the forum.One of these days I am going to drop the belly and see what can be done to prevent the problem...

Glenn and Lorraine · 07-20-2006, 04:57 AM

Rich, While you are under there figure out the thread size on the end of the rod. Looks like it might be a 3/8" but not sure if it's coarse or fine thread. Back the rod all the way out and but a nut on the rod. Reattach the rod to the valve and tighten the nut against the valve. This should lock the rod in place and eliminate any possibility of the rod getting loose.

jrgwdenner · 07-20-2006, 05:06 AM

Sounds like a great owners' fix, Glenn. Thanks for the tip.

boat391 · 07-20-2006, 01:08 PM

Man am I glad I checked in on this one I just went outside and gave mine a check and guess what about one full turn from having the same problem I never would have thought of this one thanks guys

mobilrvn · 07-20-2006, 06:24 PM

Had the same problem. Now when I open any valve, I give it a half turn just to make sure it stays tight---at least all of them still working, so far.

Imp · 07-20-2006, 08:37 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions... Bob tried to drop that panel and it was near impossible to move with all the drains etc coming through it. One of the elderly gents camping near us came over and tried his hand at "trying to thread the needle". He won!!! Thank heaven. Finally got the kitchen sink drained and it was beginning to smell foul. You can bet we will tighten all the handles from now on. Thanks for your help.
Myrna

Parrothead · 07-21-2006, 06:17 AM

This is so weird. We lost our handle in Montana and totally forgot about it so here we are in Flagstaff with no handle. We just need to find a handle as the threads are still on the rod. And we had no idea ours was loose. Just fell off as we were traveling.
Happy trails...........................

jrgwdenner · 07-21-2006, 09:16 AM

Sue, you might want to put something on the rod so that you don't lose it in the tank.

simonsrf · 08-08-2006, 02:36 PM

Hope someone is still subscribed to this topic.

Today, I took the forums advice and turned the handles clockwise to tighten both the rod and the handle. The handles did tighten a bit, but what about the rods?......after turning the handles about 10 turns, they (rods) just didn't seem to be tightening. Am I doing something wrong?...or do they not tighten? I got a little spooked thinking I might be turning them the wrong way or something.

Thanks, Robbie

Robbie & Alice Simons
Seattle

2006 Dodge Ram 3500 4X4 (LNRNGR) SWB Laramie
2006 2980RL (TONTOW)
Line-X bed liner
Jacobs Exhaust Brake
Prodigy Brake Controller
Hijacker 24-UMS-21 Hitch
Start Fulltiming 10/2006

boylanag · 08-08-2006, 03:07 PM

Robbie - I am in the same position. The handle disappeared a long time ago. After seeing this thread, I checked and found the rod loose too. Turned it many times and had the same thoughts that you do. I too would appreciate some help. - Jim

Carol and Jim Boylan
2002 2850RK

jrgwdenner · 08-08-2006, 04:43 PM

There seems to be two problems with these galley rods. First our handle fell off due to the jiggling of the rod against the frame. It can easily be screwed back on the rod. Our most recent problem is that the vibration actually broke the threaded end of our rod. Glen used a bolt, washers, and liquid welding compounds to make a new "handle" that works fine. And he just went out and confirmed that none of the rods in the tanks can be tightened.

Erwin Heins (hamcamper) had the same problem with their galley tank handle where the rod comes through the frame so he enlarged the opening in the frame and put a rubber grommet in it to lessen the vibration.

Hope this is clear.

Judy
http://spaces.msn.com/bamatravelers/
http://bamatravelers.blogspot.com
Traveling with Glen and Greta in our 2004 Dodge dually and Montana 3380 RL

Ozz · 08-09-2006, 01:46 AM

I noticed that also, the attachment under the Monte swivels, won't tighten. I took lock washers and a nut and tightened the handles, you might want to do that.
Ozz

'07 3400RL 2nd RTU
2 Golf Cart batteries 1500 watt inverter
Honda 2000 Generator, 2nd one and twinning kit coming
Maytag's with 220 Dryer
Stationary domed Sat. dish
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LCD Tank Monitor
3 added 120 volt outlets
On Board Air; 12 Volt Viair 450C compressor
2006 Ford PSD 4x4 Off Road Lariat
Hadley Air Horns
Truck inverter with 110 volts for laptop
Color Backup Camera
Awning lock

simonsrf · 08-09-2006, 02:09 AM

My problem isn't with the handle, its with the rod. I can turn and turn, but the rod never gets tight.
Thanks Judy and Ozz.
Robbie

boylanag · 08-09-2006, 02:51 AM

Mine too. I can pull it to empty the tank but it turns loosly and does not tighten. Jim

Carol and Jim Boylan
2002 2850RK

jrgwdenner · 08-09-2006, 04:07 AM

It's not supposed to tighten. They all turn loosely.

Judy
http://spaces.msn.com/bamatravelers/
http://bamatravelers.blogspot.com
Traveling with Glen and Greta in our 2004 Dodge dually and Montana 3380 RL

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