NorCal Dan
BAFB FamCamp (California)
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Joined: 03/28/2007
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I just went through the same problem with my gray tank. When my sensors start giving false readings I use a product from Thetford called Level Gauge Cleaner. There are other products out there but I have had good luck with Thetford. I wait until we are moving someplace then dump the tank, fill at least half full with clean water then add the cleaner. Drive to the new location and dump and rinse the tank again. Best to do this during warm weather, above 75 degrees if possible.
If your black tank has a sprayer, make sure you let the sprayer run when dumping and continue until the tank reads empty. If you do this everytime you dump the tank you should not have any more problems.
'08 Monaco Diplomat SFT being pushed by '07 Jeep Wrangler
-- USAF Retired --
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BobR
Aurora, Illinois
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Joined: 12/07/2001
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Ice and water or a spray wand. I flush out the tank every day or two which solves the problem of tissue getting on the sensors.
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tahiti16
Camarillo, CA
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Joined: 06/23/2008
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I bought one of the clear elbows too, I thought I had been doing a good job of rinsing the tank. We have one of the built in flushers that you hook up to with a hose. However after getting the elbow I tried closing the valve to the black tank while the flusher was running and started draining the grey, on a Dolphin this is slooowwwww don't ask, after a few minutes I opened the black valve and wow, definitiely NOT clear water. Did this a couple more times and finally started getting clear water.
Now others have stated in the past if your black isn't full before you dump fill it! through the toilet or flusher doesn't matter but volume helps a lot clearing out the "stuff" that is in there! If we are using the coach to run around in I don't dump at the site and if it is a weekend trip I don't have a problem with not having sewer since I would drive through the campground and "stir stuff up" before dumping at the dump station anyways.
Ray, Cheryl, Cory & of course Miss Molly the four-legged child
2006 Dolphin 36' F53 V10 5 speed auto 2 slides 7.5 KW genset
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wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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Joined: 07/04/2006
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That is very very very common, like 100% common, Now I"ve seen (And tried) products guaranteed to "clean the sensors" and.. Well.. it's good that they were used in the black tank cause they worked like.... what goes in the black tank (I like talking about stuff like that in RV forums cause you can say it without saying ..it, as it were)
What I have found that works is a power wash,, I use a special rinse want, the one I use is a 1/2 inch PVC wand with a cap on the bottom end, a 1/4 inch hole in the side of the cap. I feed it via a vacuum breaker and check valve (Belt and suspenders approach to preventing backflow) and "aim" it at the sensor wall, jet wash most of the wall, works well
The other thing that worked (once so far) was the "GEO" method (NOTE: I've only done it once) Last time I was out and about I finished by dumping, rinsing (Regular rinse, not the jet wand) dumping, adding 1/2 cup Dawn Dishwashing liquid, 1/2 cup Calgon water softener (I used powder but it don't matter) and 5 gallons of water.. Drove 70 miles, hooked to home sewer connection and dumped again, Guage read "Full" and visual confirmed, Full of soap bubbles.
A few days later (no use) gauge read "Empty" (I did not visual)
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
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Rangerdave
Austin Texas
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Joined: 07/04/2008
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I had that problem till I let the coach take me to school. The sensors I have get wet and hold a reading. I don't care what chemical you put it, as long as they are wet, they peg the meter. If you want to see them dry, wait some 10 days with a 100% empty tank.
Learn your rv. Get a flush system/device (I have the no fuss flush) that will fit your rig either on the piping or the tank itself. Some dishwashing soap with the flusher works really well.
In the mean time, a good spot beam flashlight may be a good learner for you by watching the tank level-through the tiolet..
RD
2002 Gulf Stream Ultra Supreme-Demco Kaddy SS Toader Camry
2 peeps 2 poops and lots bbq!
No Fuss Flush
Before you give someone a piece of your mind, be sure you can do with what you will have left.
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mooreadventures
Del Rio, TX
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Joined: 03/22/2004
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A couple bags of ice before traveling will do the job.
Mark & Tammy
'01 Excursion Limited, 4x4, V10, RoadMaster Active Suspension
'01 Prowler 31G
Equal-i-zer Hitch - Prodigy Brake Controller
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dbates
Marion, Indiana
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Joined: 02/05/2006
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I didn't like the colored light gauges system that came with my Itasca & they were always incorrect. I replaced them with a SeeLevel exterior system 2.5 years ago. With that & by using the GEO method about every 3rd dump I've had absolutely no gauge reading problems since. It's a little expensive but if you have access to a side of each tank they do work.
Dave
Plus New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island & Nova Scotia
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alcolby
yuma az.
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Joined: 09/20/2004
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The problem with this is... the black tank fitting is about twice as big as the gray tank fittings, and of course the bigger fittings win the race.
Al C
I booought a clear elbow for my dump hose and keep track of how long it takes to dump the black, then how long it takes to dump the gray. I find it is usually somewhere between 3 qnd 4 times as long to dump the gray (not counting rinsing), so I assume there is 3 - 4 times as much in the gray as there is in the black. (Who says dumping is boring?)
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dezertcamper
San Diego
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Joined: 03/26/2009
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I have some friends that own a highly regarded RV shop in San Diego. Here is what they do to help clean off the sensors. BTW Toilet paper is the #1 reason the sensors read incorrectly. The toilet paper sticks to the floats and sending units. I have not had to do this to my RV yet, but we did do this to my Grandparents and it worked.
Go to the grocery store and buy the big bottle of Downy liquid fabric softener. Pour the whole bottle in you toilet and fill the black tank till its almost full. Drive the RV around the block a few times to mix the Downy and water really good. Then let it sit for a few days. The Downy breaks down the Toilet paper and when you go to flush it a few days later most of the TP should be dissolved or broke down. You might want to refill and flush the tank with fresh water 1 or 2 times while your at the dump station to make sure it all comes out.
They have done this trick to $10 grand travel trailers all the way up to the top of the line $500 grand Diesel pushers. It works 90% of the time. This also helps kill some of those odors too.
Good Luck!
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Hikerdogs
Wisconsin
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Joined: 08/23/2004
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We've had a similar problem with our 01 Winnebago Adventurer for the last couple years. I tried several tank cleaners to no avail. We took it to the factory service center in Forest City IA to have a few things looked at and also mentioned the tank readings were inaccurate.
The service tech said rather than spend lots of bucks on cleaners he would just replace the probes. He showed me the locations and gave me a price for new sensors. They were each a whopping $2.20 and could be replaced with a screw driver in less than 5 minutes each.
The probes consist of a sensor imbedded in a rubber well nut. All you do to replace them is remove a single screw (that anchors the wire and also squeezes the rubber against the tank to form a seal). Then you push the old sensor/nut assembly in the tank. When installing the new sensor connect the wire (with the screw) to the back side before you push it into the hole. Then hold the nut in place and tighten the screw. When you tighten the screw it secures the wire and seals the sensor to the tank.
NOTE of CAUTION: The rubber nut will rotate unless you initially hold it place with your hand. Once there is some friction between the expanding nut and the tank you can fully tighten the screw without fear of further rotation.
Also: make sure you flush out the old sensors before you use a mascerator system. They don't grind up very well.
Another interesting bit of information he passed along was the fact that they were now starting to see similar problems with the non-contact sensors such as the SEE Level and TRUE Level. It seems they have a tendency to give false readings when a film develops on the inside of the tanks. I'm not sure if cleaning the tanks will restore the accuracy of te non-contact sensors, but replacing the probes for less than $20.00 (for both gray and black tanks) every 5 years or so is fairly cheap maintenance to keep the gauges accurate.
Hikerdogs
2001 Winnebago Adventurer
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