# Black Tank Topic Again



## Doxie-Doglover (Apr 19, 2006)

so the tank was cleaned out thouroughly when we left Montana 2 weeks ago. We filled and emptied 5 times and finally it ran clear and sensor said E. So that day I put about half gallon of water and some deodorizer in it. It still read E, as it should.We are leaving in the morning for Idaho, I went out tonight to do the Calgon thing, mixed the calgon in about gallon of water, and poured it in.Sensor now says two thirds full. Hmmm...either the black tank is size very very tiny or the sensor has a problem. We have to leave , I am assuming sensor is bad? what does the forum think? We have to leave, so all I can do is watch it I guess.
Tawnya


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## campmg (Dec 24, 2005)

Perhaps some Calgon has skewed the sensor. Many of us use it with good results. Throw a bag of ice in your tank just before you start driving. It will slosh around with the liquids already in there and help clean the sensor.


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## mountainlady56 (Feb 13, 2006)

Tawnya, 
I had problems with my black tank on my last trip. Emptied (I thought) at the RV park, sensor said 2/3 full when I stopped at a rest area and ran in to get a drink out of fridge. Pulled around to the dump station at rest area.........sure 'nuff, here came more poop...........LOTS of it. Got it home, and it's still saying there's poop in there. Filled it up with water hose/nozzle and put more chemicals in, and been letting it set. Gonna go to local RV park and empty, tomorrow........HOPEFULLY!! Good luck! I think Jimmy laid the golden egg in my black tank!!
Darlene action


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

The Black tank guage is simply a horrible design. they need to design something better for sure.

Get a light...shine it in...see how full the tank is. It isn't a real sexy way of doing this, but it works...


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Yes the sensors are cheesy they are only to give you a rough estimate on how much is in there
But I would do like campmg said put some ice in before you head out on your next trip

Don


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

Tank sensors are not the most accurate. Any bit of debris on the sensor will skew the reading. A quickie flush helps and you can purchase a clear elbow that attaches between your tt and sewer hose. It isn't really a sexy thing, however; you know when your tank is clean.

Thor


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## Doxie-Doglover (Apr 19, 2006)

sgalady said:


> Tawnya,
> I had problems with my black tank on my last trip. Emptied (I thought) at the RV park, sensor said 2/3 full when I stopped at a rest area and ran in to get a drink out of fridge. Pulled around to the dump station at rest area.........sure 'nuff, here came more poop...........LOTS of it. Got it home, and it's still saying there's poop in there. Filled it up with water hose/nozzle and put more chemicals in, and been letting it set. Gonna go to local RV park and empty, tomorrow........HOPEFULLY!! Good luck! I think Jimmy laid the golden egg in my black tank!!
> Darlene action
> [snapback]118723[/snapback]​


Hi Darlene,

all I can say is "Oh #*%&!"


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## W4DRR (May 17, 2005)

Those darn "Klingons" in the black tank will get you every time!


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## Doxie-Doglover (Apr 19, 2006)

Oregon_Camper said:


> The Black tank guage is simply a horrible design. they need to design something better for sure.
> 
> Get a light...shine it in...see how full the tank is. It isn't a real sexy way of doing this, but it works...
> 
> ...


you crack me up, not real sexy, but it works! ha!ha! I did shine the light, all I see is a black pipe mabye? or just plastic, anyway, I watched the water run over it and plop (the water) into the tank.I'll go look again this morning. I hope will all we saw come in Missoula that was so kindly left behind by the Fema worker that used the trailer for 3 months, was all there was. We filled 5 times and finally the 5th ran clear. 
Better finish packing.......


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## Doxie-Doglover (Apr 19, 2006)

Thor said:


> Tank sensors are not the most accurate. Any bit of debris on the sensor will skew the reading. A quickie flush helps and you can purchase a clear elbow that attaches between your tt and sewer hose. It isn't really a sexy thing, however; you know when your tank is clean.
> 
> Thor
> [snapback]118747[/snapback]​


I think that is what is on there, well there are jet thingies your turn that sends water into the tanks and then you open the other thingy and you can watch the "crap" go past the the little window, when we rinsed for the 5th time in Montana, it was running clear. This is so darn frustrating.....I think I'll suggest to Rick that we look for rv dump on the way to Idaho.


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## Highlander96 (Mar 1, 2005)

sgalady said:


> Tawnya,
> I had problems with my black tank on my last trip. Emptied (I thought) at the RV park, sensor said 2/3 full when I stopped at a rest area and ran in to get a drink out of fridge. Pulled around to the dump station at rest area.........sure 'nuff, here came more poop...........LOTS of it. Got it home, and it's still saying there's poop in there. Filled it up with water hose/nozzle and put more chemicals in, and been letting it set. Gonna go to local RV park and empty, tomorrow........HOPEFULLY!! Good luck! I think Jimmy laid the golden egg in my black tank!!
> Darlene action
> [snapback]118723[/snapback]​


Well....I was eating Coco Puffs with my kid......Unitl the milk turned brown.....









Tim


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## Doxie-Doglover (Apr 19, 2006)

UPDATE: went back out this morning to finish packing and now the monitor says E! and I didn't do anything! grrrrr.....................


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

Don't sweat it too much, our grey tank does that, reads 1/3, the sensor dries off and it reads empty, then a 1/3 again, you just can't trust them. Here's  an option, Click on the SEELEVEL, I've read these are supposed to work really well.

Mike


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## Humpty (Apr 20, 2005)

Those sensors are very frustrating. My Black tank has been reading 3/4 full since we dry camped 4 nights at Darlington.

I rinsed and rinsed with the QF - No improvement.

Added Calgon, Detergent, and about 5 gallons of water to the 'rinsed' tank, drove 4 hrs, dumped the tank. I was amazed at the amount of crud that came out of the rinsed tank. I use a clear elbow to 'see'







how effective the rinse is. Lots came out, but no improvement to the sensors.

Right now, the OB is in storage with a tank full of water / Calgon / detergent. I am going to let it stand for a week or 2 before dumping.

If this doesn't work I guess I will try ice as I drive to buy a 'down the toilet wand thingy'. If all this fails, guess I will just have to have a cold on, and get over it. We only camp 1 - 2 time a year without full hook ups anyway.


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## Highlander96 (Mar 1, 2005)

sometimes TP gets hung up on the sensor..............









You never know what is in that tank.........................

"I am the Great Cornholio................"

Like Mike said, I wouldn't sweat it...........

Happy Outbacking!

Tim


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## Doxie-Doglover (Apr 19, 2006)

camping479 said:


> Don't sweat it too much, our grey tank does that, reads 1/3, the sensor dries off and it reads empty, then a 1/3 again, you just can't trust them. Here's  an option, Click on the SEELEVEL, I've read these are supposed to work really well.
> 
> Mike
> [snapback]118832[/snapback]​


that's a great idea, but did you see the price? yikes!







thanks for the info.


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Doxie-Doglover said:


> UPDATE: went back out this morning to finish packing and now the monitor says E! and I didn't do anything! grrrrr.....................
> [snapback]118829[/snapback]​


Tawnya,

My guess is that you simply splashed a little water onto the sensor when you added the Calgon. All it takes is for it to be wet to turn the LED on on the panel.

As the others have said, the gauges are not the most accurate, but in my experience, they are not bad once the trailer has sat still - with no water movement - for 2-3 hours. Drive the trailer around the block and check, and the panel will probably read full. Come back in a couple of hours, and it will read empty. Just needs time to dry off.









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## Steve McNeil (Aug 30, 2004)

Doxie-Doglover said:


> so the tank was cleaned out thouroughly when we left Montana 2 weeks ago. We filled and emptied 5 times and finally it ran clear and sensor said E. So that day I put about half gallon of water and some deodorizer in it. It still read E, as it should.We are leaving in the morning for Idaho, I went out tonight to do the Calgon thing, mixed the calgon in about gallon of water, and poured it in.Sensor now says two thirds full. Hmmm...either the black tank is size very very tiny or the sensor has a problem. We have to leave , I am assuming sensor is bad? what does the forum think? We have to leave, so all I can do is watch it I guess.
> Tawnya
> 
> 
> ...


What is the calgon thing? I haven't heard of using calgon.

Thanks

Steve


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Steve McNeil said:


> Doxie-Doglover said:
> 
> 
> > so the tank was cleaned out thouroughly when we left Montana 2 weeks ago. We filled and emptied 5 times and finally it ran clear and sensor said E. So that day I put about half gallon of water and some deodorizer in it. It still read E, as it should.We are leaving in the morning for Idaho, I went out tonight to do the Calgon thing, mixed the calgon in about gallon of water, and poured it in.Sensor now says two thirds full. Hmmm...either the black tank is size very very tiny or the sensor has a problem. We have to leave , I am assuming sensor is bad? what does the forum think? We have to leave, so all I can do is watch it I guess.
> ...


http://www.geocities.com/ndjollymon/Outbac...l?1113254796803


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## Steve McNeil (Aug 30, 2004)

tdvffjohn said:


> Steve McNeil said:
> 
> 
> > Doxie-Doglover said:
> ...


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Steve McNeil said:


> What is the calgon thing? I haven't heard of using calgon.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> ...


Calgon...take "them" away...


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## dwciardi (Mar 3, 2006)

camping479 said:


> Here's  an option, Click on the SEELEVEL, I've read these are supposed to work really well.
> 
> Mike
> [snapback]118832[/snapback]​


These sound too good to be true!! AND - they paste on the outside of the tanks. $299 to monitor 3 tanks - but, boy, if it works, it would be worth the one-time investment!

Any one have this? Does it work??

The SeeLeveL RV Gauge
The SeeLeveL RV Holding Tank Gauge represents a massive leap forward in level measurement technology for the Recreational Vehicle industry. The SeeLeveL has a combination of features, accuracy, reliability, and diagnostic capability that have never been available before.
The SeeLeveL will monitor up to 4 holding tanks, showing the percent water or sewage level on a digital LED display with an accuracy of +/-2%. If the RV has an electrical LPG sender the SeeLeveL can be calibrated to show the percent level of the LP Gas. Battery voltage is displayed with an accuracy of +/-0.1 volts, and the display contains a switch to control the fresh water pump, making the SeeLeveL a drop in replacement for existing systems. In addition, the system can display the operating characteristics of each of the tank sending units, giving it unsurpassed diagnostic capability.
The SeeLeveL consists of display unit that mounts inside the RV where it can be easily viewed, and a sender panel that is mounted to the side of the holding tank. Existing 2-conductor wiring can be used to connect each sender panel to the display.

The Sender: Each sender panel is a flexible self adhesive printed circuit board which is mounted to the side of the holding tank. The sender scans the water level through the tank wall using patented digital techniques programmed into the sender microprocessor. When the sender transmits the water level information to the display, it sends a digital code that has built in error detection, making it impossible for the display to read an incorrect level, even if the wiring is bad. In addition to the level, the sender also transmits information about the tank height and signal levels. The signal levels can be used to determine if there is buildup of sludge on the inside of the tank. If sludge buildup in the tank becomes extreme, the gauge will cease to operate, so by monitoring the signal level the tank can be cleaned before the buildup gets excessive.

The Display: The display receives the information from up to four sender panels via two wire cables, which are existing equipment in virtually all RVs. The display is attached to a black plastic panel, with only one button on the front panel for all operations. When the front panel button is pressed, the display powers up and sequentially displays the battery voltage, the four holding tanks levels, and the LPG level (if the RV is equipped with an electrical sender). Each level is shown for 2.5 seconds. The tank being displayed is indicated by one of four LED's (black water, grey water, fresh water, and LPG) and the level is shown on a 3-digital LED display. After all levels are shown, the display then automatically powers down, drawing virtually no power so that the RV battery is not drained. By pressing the front panel button at the appropriate time during the cycle, different features can be activated. The optional fresh water pump can be controlled by a rocker switch on the front panel, and an LED indicates when the pump is on.

If a sender is operating properly and connected to the display with good wiring, then the display will show the level normally. If the wiring is disconnected or cut, or if the sender panel is dead, then the display will show "OPn" indicating an open circuit. If the wiring is shorted together, or if the signal conductor is grounded out, then the display will show "Sht" indicating a short circuit. If the display receives corrupted data, then it will show "Err" indicating that an error occurred.

With these diagnostic features programmed into the display microprocessor, and the digital nature of the tank level sensing technology, it is almost impossible for the system to indicate an incorrect water level, and in the very unlikely event it does occur, the user can verify what is happening with the diagnostic information.

Installation is a snap!

1) Cut the flexible tank sensor circuit board to the length you need.
2) Attach the self-adhesive sensor to the outside of your tank.
3) Connect the wires and mount the front panel.
4) You can use your existing wiring from the tank to the indicator panel.


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## Doxie-Doglover (Apr 19, 2006)

update to my original post before leaving for dry camp:

grrr!!!!!! there, that says it all! the morning we left it was on e again. Got to camp, and on one third. We are fairly confident after the incident in Montana , it was empty when the water ran clear after 5 full fill ups. It then read E. Anway, was at camp one day and it said two thirds! now keep in mind, only I used it, put most of the paper in a bag instead of toilet. So my mom and I decided to take a look. Turned off the pump and looked in toilet, we could already see the water level! WHAT THE???????????????????







So for the rest of the 9 days I made most trips to outhouse, saved my convenience for night time ( afraid of the boogey man and bears and won't go to outhouse in the dark without a body guard). By the time we actually left, it was so close to the top and still read two thirds. The only place to empty was at gas station that didn't have end on hose to use our cleaner outer thing. So empty the old fashion way and drug hose thru window for 2 complete fills. Without the window thingie we couldn't see the activity coming down the tube. Anyway, The Outback Inn goes to dealer tomorrow (yes , I found a diffferent local dealer that I didn't even know carried Keystones, not OUtbacks, but Keystones and we bought Coachmen from them in past, we have a history with them so they are willing to do our service work. Kudos to Mike at Chief's RV in Pasco, Wa.) we are having them of course look into the black tank issue, fix wrap around shower, hoping they will order replacement (skirting?) on bottom outside that is broken,it's almost off, the broken wheel cover areas and a couple other things. IN the fall they will have it longer for the other things.When Lake shore rv installed the 3rd awning arm, they drilled the hole wrong, then attempted to fill the hole with something and re drill. Of course it's crappy,doesn't fit snugly as it should in the hole, and Rick wanted to drill into their heads to see what they are thinking when they send a trailer away with the obvious issues. I won't go into all of them. The price was right by all means, but they DID NOT address such obvious issues and they had it for a month after we bought it. DANG! They could have dealt with Keystone and had it all done before we got it. Ok, I am done ranting. Funny, this started as a follow up to blacktank and I went off! yikes! oh, one more thing: the hotwater tank kept going off. Andy in Cdln had showed me to unplug and replug a thingy in there and I did it every day because it went off everyday and the water was cold.I got to thinking one day about the thermocoupler and wondered if it needed nudged toward the flame, perhaps it wasn't in contact enough. Well, after I nudged it,it worked perfect but will have it checked anyway. I remembered having to do that to my propane heat system at home one year. 
One last thing if you have read all this you might as well read more! The lp tank cover is the 2 piece kind and of course broken. We asked for new one (one piece like Andy said) and they said they'd send it right away. It's 2 weeks later and NOW THEY SAY THEY NEED PIX TO REPLACE IT. Hmmmm.....considering delivering those pix in person........















Tawnya


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

Doxie-Doglover said:


> update to my original post before leaving for dry camp:
> 
> grrr!!!!!! there, that says it all! the morning we left it was on e again. Got to camp, and on one third. We are fairly confident after the incident in Montana , it was empty when the water ran clear after 5 full fill ups. It then read E. Anway, was at camp one day and it said two thirds! now keep in mind, only I used it, put most of the paper in a bag instead of toilet. So my mom and I decided to take a look. Turned off the pump and looked in toilet, we could already see the water level! WHAT THE???????????????????
> 
> ...


Keep in mind the tanks in the outbacks are long and shallow, you will see water in there as soon as you start using it. I know it looks like it's getting full quickly but the tank is about 5 feet wide and maybe 8-10 inches high, it takes a long time to get filled to the very top, it may very well have been only two thirds full.

Good luck getting things straightened out.

Mike


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## Doxie-Doglover (Apr 19, 2006)

I am glad you pointed the size out, that helps get a visual. I am going to sound crazy tomorrow but I want them to tell me when they are getting to the btank and I want to go over there myself and see it and SEE IN IT, or I will go crazy over this whole think. To actually see inside and out will help me. Thanks for input! 
(ps) any suggestions on being afraid of the boogey man and bears???









the bear thing was always something I was teased about, I am terrified of them and of course no one actually sees them, right? wrong! 2 years ago in Yellowstone, going to the showers in campground-without my body guard, and what do I see by the shower door?????????????







wanna know how fast a 45 year old woman can run ? my husband to this day says he'll never forget the sound of my feet peeling gravel as I ran to the trailer. NOT funny......
ok, a little funny, but only a little


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## Kyoutbacker (Apr 26, 2006)

Before there were black tank sensors, there were wood yardsticks. Cheap and effective, don't lie. Just a little messy.


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## Doxie-Doglover (Apr 19, 2006)

took the OB to dealer for some service work. He showed me a black tank, it did help me understand the visible water level. Anway, they will check the tank and fix things over next 3 weeks, but while there I noticed a product called Thetford Level Gauge Cleaner so grabbed a bottle. It's claim is it cleans and repairs level sensors. So will add it with 40 gals of water when we pick up tt, drive around town and out the hiway to gas station and dump and rinse, etc. Will be interesting to see if it changes things. If not, I only dry camp couple times a year.
Anyone tried this product?
Tawnya


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## Doxie-Doglover (Apr 19, 2006)

got the OB back today.Amongst the several items under warraty repair was the black tank sensors and were they working? anyway, they checked and it seemed they were off to them too, so they replaced them.We leave Wednesday so we'll see how it goes. (no pun intended)


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