Stupid Tank Gauges
- Thread starter imchud
- Start date
HRAI
Member
Mine were always giving strange readings. One day when I took the belly off, i noticed how all of the wiring under there was just laying around. Being anal, I tied everything up properly just because that's how I like things. When I went to use the trailer after that, the gauges seemed to work great. They have been working fine since. I think that the sensor wires get exposed to moisture sometimes when they lay on top of the underbelly. This moisture in turn gives strange readings.
Guy
Guy
There are severale methodes to clean your tank and sensorse, not sure if any of then really work all that well. I have been told to poor a bag of ice in the tank while traveling and let it slosh around, then drain tank when you arrive at destination. DW has her own methode to clean the tank and sensorses, she adds abount 3 to 5 gallons of water THEN adds a cup of tide detergent just before we travel, then I drian the tank when we arrive at destination. Can't speak to the ice methode but the tide methode seems to work fo us. We do the tide thing everytime we move the BH.
The 2 times I have noticed erroneous readings in the black tank I just stick a hose in the toilet let it fill and dump, seems to do the trick better than the flush. I also noticed that traveling with stuff in the tank keeps the sensors accurate longer than draining before leaving. I know its a bunch of extra weight, but it works for me. Plus, I know the "chunks" are broken up from the sloshing during travel.
Edit: I am fairly new at the whole RVing thing so take this at face value. Just my observations to date.
Edit: I am fairly new at the whole RVing thing so take this at face value. Just my observations to date.
BruteForce
Well-known member
My black tank gauge is always showing 3/4 full. The only cure is to dump 40 gals of water and cleaner, let it sit -- then drain. Seems some "stuff" probably builds up where the gauge is located and needs to be cleaned off before it starts working normally again. As I type this, I have the black tanks (I have two of them) full of fresh water to clean them out after my latest 1440 mile trip.
Gauges as provided are basically hit or miss. Ours worked for a bit then eventually all read incorrectly now. Hopefully you have enough experience in yours to know when a tank is either full or empty enough that it needs attention. We have found that no amount of flushing corrects this anomaly for the Black or Gray.
RULES OF THUMB: 1) When the black begins to emit a foul odor: EMPTY IT! 2) When the gray shows up in your shower floor: EMPTY IT! 3) When you run out of water you have possibly two options: Go outside to see if some prankster has turned-off the spigot, or you need to fill your on-board tanks.
Sure you have to be a little more pro-active on monitoring or "when in doubt top it off" but that is part of the experience.
Don't worry, be happy: Go RV'g and enjoy the experience, not the mundane!
RULES OF THUMB: 1) When the black begins to emit a foul odor: EMPTY IT! 2) When the gray shows up in your shower floor: EMPTY IT! 3) When you run out of water you have possibly two options: Go outside to see if some prankster has turned-off the spigot, or you need to fill your on-board tanks.
Sure you have to be a little more pro-active on monitoring or "when in doubt top it off" but that is part of the experience.
Don't worry, be happy: Go RV'g and enjoy the experience, not the mundane!
Well said Rockerga, By the way thanks for your service to our country. HAPPY CAMPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bozo
Brian & Sheila Ellijay GA
2004 GMC 4x4 Z71 ext. cab
2011 North Trail 21 FBS
