RE: [A/S] Valterra adapter?

["Oliver Filippi" <ofilippi@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A few weeks ago, I was in Camping World and bought a clear flushing elbow
and gate valve to flush my holding tanks only to discover that it didn't fit
(3" vs. 3 1/4").

So I went back to Camping World to try to exchange it for the proper size.
They didn't have any Thetford size flushing devices, nor did they have the
Valterra adaptor.  I even asked in their parts department (which may not be
the greatest source of wisdom) and was asured that they did not carry such
an adaptor, nor did anyone make one.

So, I made my own, as follows:

I bought 1) a straight Thetford sewer hose male nipple (PN 02593  Camping
World # 00004180000)for $8.99 and 2) a 5" long clear plastic 3" diameter
sewer nipple Clearview 5" adapter (model T1021  Camping World # 00022172000)
for $ 8.99, President's Club prices, and a tube of slow drying epoxy glue at
Home Depot.

Then I sawed the clear sewer nipple off about two inches from the male end
and slipped this piece over the Thetford adapter (where the sewer hose would
have been installed).

For this to go together, I had to file a little off the outside of the "hose
nipple" part of the Thetford adapter. Once I got it to fit, I glued the two
components together.  My adapter works very well, and I felt quite proud of
myself, only to find a few days later that such an adapter really did exist.

Obviously, it would have been a lot cheaper and easier to buy the Valterra
adapter - if I had only known - The Airstream List came to my rescue a week
too late! I have subsequently checked an old (Master 2002) Camping World
catalog and found a listing but no picture for a Catalog #7131 Universal
Adapter - for use with Thetford fittings, price $3.98. I don't know if this
item is still available, but at least you can check Camping World with the
part number of hopefully the properly configured adapter.

If anyone is interested, or wants more information on my adapter they can
e-mail me off line and I could send or post some pictures of my version of
the adapter.

Oliver Filippi