Big horn 3160 black water meter not reading properly

scottknight1

Well-known member
Bought a 2016 5th wheel
Meter shows 2/3 full for black water tank
Drained 30 gallons and tank empty - no more coming out
Meter shows 2/3 full

Any suggestions how to get the meter to read right?
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
The tank monitors are notoriously inaccurate.
My method of monitoring when to dump is when the toilet kinda burps when flushing its time to dump. When the water is up to my ankles in the shower it's time to dump that gray tank and when my wife yells at me when the kitchen sink doesn't drain its time to drain that gray tank.

Peace
Dave
 

rhodies1

Well-known member
These gauges are notoriously inaccurate. No doubt there is a piece of toilet paper stuck on the sensor. You can buy a Valletta Flush King and completely clean it out. It will show full the first time you use the toilet the best way to know when your tank is full is when you flush the toilet and if burps back at you. Then the tank is full and needs to be dumped. Make sure you use enough water when using the toilet in order to prevent getting a poop pyramid build up in your tank.
 

FL-JOE

Well-known member
X3 on these tanks not being accurate. Just ignore them and keep track of your usage and develop a schedule for dumping/rinsing.
 

FL-JOE

Well-known member
Your next camping trip try leaving 5 to 8 gallons w/solution in all your tanks as you travel during the day. Maybe at the end of the day when you set up and dump those tanks they will read correctly.

Otherwise I would just ignore them.
 

CoveredWagon

Well-known member
Never understood this. Everyone says to add Dawn to your tanks to clean the sensors. The only soap that goes in our kitchen sink (grey tank 2) is Dawn. That tank sensor is the worst one, if it's even that good.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
In the 3670 we had, the gray and fresh water tank sensors worked OK. Only the black tank sensor was a problem, no matter how I tried to clean it. Used the tone of the toilet flush and the “burp” to know when it was time to dump it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

FL-JOE

Well-known member
I have never tried Dawn, but on travel days when I dump the grays after they have been sloshing around all day a lot of darker water comes out. The gray tanks can get pretty nasty and have to be washed out.
 

travelin2

Pennsylvania Chapter Leaders-retired
Interestingly the sensors in our’17 BH all work, relatively speaking. However, if you’ve ever been underneath you might see, as mine are, and understand their inaccuracy. The 3 sensors are installed so closely on our grey #2 it’ll read 2/3 full before it’s even half full
As to the black tank, I add 3-4 minutes of water after each dump & flush. If it’s a travel day in addition to the Happy Camper treatment I throw in a couple detergent pods to splash around. If we’re setting up on a FHU site it’s another dump & flush. Water will be quite brown
A further note…these tanks do not have a flat bottom therefore they’re never really empty. When I winterize I raise the camper using the door side jacks to ensure they are as empty as can be
 
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