After a short weekend of camping, and after dumping all tanks the black tank is still reading 3/4 full, I know it is empty... it is reading the same as it was when we started and it wasnt reading right to begin with...ugh!
Pretty new to the TT world wonding if any one has experinced this before...is there a float valve in there that is stuck? Any tips to getting it to read right...any insight would be great.
The black tank sensor is notoriously inaccurate. I USED to be anal about keeping it functioning properly. IMHO, it just isn't worth the time, aggravation, and expense. I've learned to ignore the light and have developed a good sense for when the tank needs attention, ie, dumped.
I quit paying any attention to those tank sensors 6 months after we bought the trailer new. The OEM sensors are junk and prone to clogging or being shorted out with gunk. U really don't need them. Just dump regularly and use a tank flusher and you should be fine. There will be those who ascribe to different tank chemicals, or bagged ice, or other solutions but IMHO they are just as big a PITA as having inaccurate readouts.
2005 Dutchmen 35SRV, Pergo floor, 5th Airborne, JT Strong Arm, Kodiak Disk Brakes, Backup camera
2006 Dodge CTD RAM QC 3500 LWB 4WD, Reese 16k, Airlift, Pacbrake, Britebox, 60g aux fuel tank
04 HD Ultra, CanAM 400MAX Quad
Guessing your camper is a regular run of the mill camper, your black tank has a couple of tab sensors which are merely metal sensors installed at various heights in your tank. When liquid hits the sensors at progressive heights, electrically grounding the sensor, your gauge will light up. High-end RVs will have gauges that tend to work most of the time.
Unfortunately with a run of the mill camper, just like the rest of us, the tabs get gooped/corroded up quickly and short, thereby showing you a false read.
Sometimes, back flushing your tank will help wash off the tabs, some even go as far as dumping a few pounds of ice in a partially filled black tank and drive around a bit to slosh the ice around as a scrubber. But in the long run, your gauge just will not read properly.
The best method I use is sight (ewww) and sound. When you flush, if your tank is a straight shot down, you will be able to see when it is getting near the top. If your pipe takes a bend and you don't have sight of the black water tank, you will eventually learn to hear how the water is landing when flushing which will become your hint that the tank is getting full.
ZipT
07 Sprinter 380BWS (previously a ROO 233)
04 Chev TrailBlazer, 4.2 Inline 6 which can't even think of towing the 380BWS. It just sneers at this camper.
My black tank sensor was reading 2/3 to full most of the time. I recently purchased a Flush King and back flushed several times. I could not believe how much gunk came out! I then spent time using a swivel stik and really cleaned the tank. Now my black tank reads empty after dumping. I will be using the Flush King before leaving each camp ground.
Tank sensors aren't known to be reliable. There is probably some TP stuck on the sensor, which is causing it to say it's full. Put a bag of ice and some chemicals down the toilet and drive around some. That should do the trick!
2006 Hornet 28BHDS-Bunk House, Dual Slides
2006 Dodge Ram 2500 HD
5.7L Hemi, Factory Towing Package
Reese Brake Controller, WD Hitch and Sway Bar
I too have a Flush King but unfortunately, after a few years, you can back flush till the cows call collect, and the sensors will still not report properly. But the Flush King sure does a grand job of cleaning out the chunkies from the black water tank. Especially good for end of season/winterization prep.
Eycom wrote: The black tank sensor is notoriously inaccurate. I USED to be anal about keeping it functioning properly. IMHO, it just isn't worth the time, aggravation, and expense. I've learned to ignore the light and have developed a good sense for when the tank needs attention, ie, dumped.
agree aint worth the time or trouble, get a sense of how long you can go and empty accordingly.
2007 Forest River Sierra 31fkd (37') dual slides
chevy suburban 2003 2500-8.1 L.4.10's
prodogy/reese dual cam
rollgard springs
We had the same problem with our black tank sensors. Purchase a flush king or used a wand to rinse the tank. And after you dump the tank add the chemicals of your choice and about 10 gals of water before leaving for home. That way the chemicals and water can help clean the tank. Also make sure that the tank is full before you empty it, if you need to add more water to fill it up. This helps make sure all the solids are flushed out of the tank.
Offline
Online
