Moen T2606ORB Vestige Moentrol Tub and Shower Trim Kit without Valve in Oil Rubbed Bronze - Perfect for Bathroom Renovation and Modern Shower Upgrades

I purchased this unit to replace an older Chateua trim in polished brass. First, I had to buy an adaptor ring( Moen #145058 - about $10 or so) because the Vestige escutcheon plate is attached with screws at 7:00 and 1:00 but my older valve has the screw holes at 7:00 and 5:00. When I went to attach the escutcheon to the adaptor ring, the escutcheon screw at the 7:00 position would not go in because it was hitting the ear on the old valve. I had to file down the edge of the ear. Ok, with this done I then attached the new escutcheon plate and what happened is that the handle sat 2" from the plate because the shaft on the exisitng value sticks out too far (not only does this ruin the whole look, the handle is wobbly). So Moen suggested I replace the old valve with a new model. So I purchased a new Moentrol valve and then cut out a large piece of wall behind the shower (far too costly to remove any of the ceramic tile in the shower). I then measured the new Moentrol valve and guess what: same problem - it sticks out too far from the shwoer wall. The technical folks at Moen then advised me to purchase a Moen #162 1/2" Single Handle Shower Escutcheon Extension (about $100). This is a round ring that fits behind the more oval and decorative shape "Vestige" escutcheon. So now I bought the Vestige trim plate, a new valve, an adptor plate, an escutceon extender and need a plumber and taper and it looks like crap! If this unit was installed in a 2x6 studded wall, the valve could be positioned far enough back in the wall to make this work. But interior walls made with 2x6 or larger studs is not common. One last gripe about this particular model is that they designed the handle such that it attaches to a plastic componenet by an allen screw on the bottom of the handle (similar to the way a tub spout is attached). Since this unit controls water volume by pulling the handle in and out, this design is simply problematic. The other Moen models are not designed this way; most other handles are attached by screwing them directly to the shaft. I returned all the items and bought a Kingsley model trim kit and it works just fine (even on the old valve). And interestingly, Moen doesn't sell matching toe-kick drain plugs like the original that was used with my 20 year old Chateau model. So now I have to get underneath the tub and replace the whole drain assembly and overflow plate - I thought that part would be easy - just buy a new toe kick plug in oil rubbed bronze and screw it in the center hole of the existing drain. I have another tub in the house that uses this pop-up drain plug and I now know that if it ever breaks, I'll have a major repair on my hands.