Thank goodness it broke in the open position and with the Valterra gate valve in place, we could still use the facilities. DH ordered the replacement part and when trying to install it, discovered it was too short. He had to order a new one. That one came in and he noted one big difference. The new one has a solid and smooth steel core in it. The old one had a twisted multi thread core. Which normally would not be a problem but in this case was probably one reason for the failure. The main reason was because of a design flaw in the cable placement itself. Now we have the first 360IBL that came out and maybe this issue was resolved on later models, but on ours there was not enough clearance out of the valve to the black tank before it had to make a "turn" to be connected to the pull handle. With the twisted cord center, there was more friction and wear on the steel cable part than would have occurred with one of either a solid core or definitely with the correct spacing before the "turn". DH said the replacement instructions were very specific on how much clearance was needed for a safe turn or "bend" to the cable. He had to do a minor mod to remove that quick turn out of the valve leading to the black tank. He spent quite a few hours on it and said it was not a fun job. I am so proud of this handyman I was fortunate enough to marry!
We are just out of our one year warranty and although we bought an extended warranty, were just not in the position to leave it at a dealership for weeks on end to be fixed.
Also found two other issues that will be addressed in other threads. And yes, we are STILL happy with our 360IBL, despite these issues that have cropped up. Hoping that these threads will help somebody else out there.
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2015 Coachmen Chaparral 360 IBL
2014 Ram 3500 Turbo Diesel 6.7 4wd Crew Cab Dually
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