[jcasey]

I checked with DRV and got this reply from Tom Peck.

RE: Gray & Black Water Tank Gate Valve Lubrication

It is very important to keep the gray and black valves well lubricated. Keeping the valves lubricated will prolong the life of the valve and will also help to keep the valve moving freely.

To lubricate follow these steps:

1. Empty both the gray and black water tanks and close the valves.
2. Pour a half gallon of coconut oil down the kitchen sink drains.
(as a replacement for the coconut oil, a biodegradable lubricant liquid can be used.)
3. Pour a half gallon of coconut oil down the toilet.
4. Allow the oil to sit in the tanks for 48 hours.
5. Allow the oil to penetrate the valves through vehicle motion.
6. Resume use of the tanks--do not empty or flush the tanks.

Tom Peck also said: This is basically the same thing we are telling DRV customers with the vegetable oil. This should probably be done every so often instead of waiting until it gets hard to operate the gray and black tank valves.