Replace the Gray and Black Water Waste Valves on a Winnebago Travato 59kl - DIY!

Every time I dumped the black and gray water waste tanks in our Travato, at least six times since we bought it, about two cups of stinky sewer water flowed out of the sewer pipe connector when I removed the cap. Although manageable using a small catch bucket, this was unacceptable! So, I made an appointment with Eric’s Performance RV Center for repairs and was told that both the black and gray wastewater tank valves needed to be replaced. Fast forward four months later, they had not yet received the parts. So, I contacted Winnebago Customer Service and was informed that our Travato was still under warranty and that I could order replacement partes myself, from Lichtsinn RV, a dealer in Iowa. I ordered OEM replacement waste tank valves from Lichtsinn RV for a total cost of $88.19 and when I received the order, I asked myself, “can I replace these valves myself?” The answer is in this video.
Background:
During the inspection at Poulsbo RV of our used 2022 Winnebago Travato 59KL, I decided to remove the bayonet cap of the waste outlet. BIG MISTAKE! Raw sewage began to flow out, so I quickly twisted the cap back on. I mentioned this smelly experience to the technician who was inspecting our Travato, and he said that they don’t inspect the waste tanks on used RVs. Well, this seemed rather strange to me, but the Travato was only a year old, so what could possibly be wrong with the waste tanks? Maybe someone had opened a waste tank valve unintentionally or it wasn’t fully closed. Anyway, I was so excited about owning this camper van, I dismissed this as being a nonissue and we continued with the inspection.
Flushing out an RV's waste tank is a rather unpleasant chore, especially when it is not connected to a RV sewer dump. But for this situation, a visual inspection of the black water waste tank and valve was essential for troubleshooting the cause of the slow leak of sewer into the waste outlet tube. And as you will see in this sometimes-graphic video, the visual inspection followed by manual extraction of stubborn waste debris was necessary. Unfortunately, our thorough flushing of the waste tanks did not solve the problem. Clearly, the black water valve is compromised and must be replaced. But, getting it replaced is another big headache. In our short time of owning a Travato, getting any Winnebago RV replacement parts from the manufacturer through a certified Winnebago dealer is a very slow process. It has been four months since Eric’s RV Performance Center has ordered replacement waste tank valves from Winnebago for our RV, which still under warranty, and they have not yet received them! This is incredibly frustrating!

[@Bobs-Wrigles5555]

A suggestion, maybe try looking for a local source of the same product(by brand name not supplier) and see if you can go look at the larger gate to see if all of these come with the slit top and bottom, maybe there are slightly different types and you have the wrong part installed from new.
The only other idea I can come up with is seal up the bottom slit only with plastics glue( the stuff they use to join PVC pipes permanently together), leaving the top slit to vent air if it has to, maybe this is why those slits are there, you don't want any pressure build up forcing gray or black water back up into the RV.
This would of course mean dismantling the gates again and laying them on a flat surface so you don't get any glue in the wrong place, like along the slides, or you could experiment on the removed ones.
Good Luck
P.S. A personal opinion, if the RV Center hadn't received parts for your warranty job and You could order them directly, I think they are playing games with the warranty, as in they never ordered the parts in the first place.

[@randallwingett]

Thanks for your suggestions and opinion! Before I investigate this potential flaw, I'm going to fill up the black and gray water waste tanks with fresh water, drive around for a few days then check for any leaks.

[@Bobs-Wrigles5555]

@@randallwingett 👍