Those Inaccurate Black and Gray Tank Sensors - Updated

Updated May 23, 2016

Both gray and black water tank levels now function reliably. The photo above was taken yesterday, after the cleaning of the gray tank. It now registers "empty" when empty, and with about four gallons in it shows 1/3 full.

After driving 250 miles with about 6 gallons of treated water in the gray tank I dumped it into a bucket.  I then added four gallons of fresh water and dumped the tank. I did so one more time until the macerator discharge was clear. I pumped the tank into a bucket so I could observe what came out of the tank.

Here is what came out of the gray tank after sloshing with the water/chemical mixture:

Before adding the chemical treatment, I dumped the tank, then added about eight gallons of fresh water and dumped it again. The water that came out was clear. I then put about 6 gallons of chemically treated water into the gray tank and let it sit for a couple of days, while driving about 250 miles.

The bucket shows what was pumped out after treating.

We've stopped using a popular dishwashing liquid and have switched to Dawn. G was resistant but she now sees the consequences.

DISCLAIMER - This information is provided as my amateur observations. It is not an endorsement or a recommendation for any product or method. Do your own research and follow all manufacturer's instructions for any product or procedure you may decide to use. I bear no responsibility for results or the lack of them.




Original Post May 18, 2016

Those point level gages on RVs are frequently inaccurate. For example, the gray tank in the photo is empty but the indicator displays two-thirds full. At the same time the black tank indicator was also non-responsive.

Our tank level gages have steadily worsened and after several months in an area with hard water they no longer respond to tank level changes. We dump, rinse the tanks and fill and the indicators never change.

We've read about a variety of treatments including rinsing with a solution of Dawn dishwashing liquid, using Borax, and even dumping ice cubes into the black tank via the toilet and letting it swish around for a while. I was convinced that hard water had fouled the sensors, leaving calcium deposits. So I tried several gallons of a 6% solution of vinegar. None of the things we tried worked.

I was told over at Facebook to give up. I decided more drastic measures were necessary.

I decided to try a chemical for the purpose. I followed the manufacturer's directions except I used a weaker solution. After putting about three gallons of a water/chemical mix into the empty black tank we continued on our trek and drove all day. About 12 hours later I dumped the tank, filled it with clear water and dumped it again.

After cleaning and dumping here is what the [black] tank indicator displays for an empty tank:

To test the tank sensor I again rinsed and dumped, It showed empt. I then poured two buckets of water into the toilet. That's about 3 to 4 gallons of water. The tank level indicator then showed two LEDs, or about one-third full.

I then pumped the contents of the black tank into a bucket. After dumping two buckets the tank was empty.

I then rechecked the tank level sensor and it again showed one LED which is an empty tank. Apparently the chemical cleaning had worked.

I'll next do the grey tank, but I'll have to wait until we have an all day trek so I can again let the mixture slosh around while we drive.

What Did I Use?
Before reading on I suggest you read the following disclaimer. I am neither promoting or recommending any treatment or product. I am reporting my personal experience. Yours might be different. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

DISCLAIMER
All content in this blog is provided for information purposes only. The information contained here should not be consider “expert” and not taken as specific advice. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information on this site or that is found by following any link. The information contained here and in the links may become outdated.The author will not be held liable for any errors or omissions in this information. The author will not be held liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the use or display of this information.

The product I used is "Happy Camper Extreme Holding Tank Cleaner." Note: Follow the manufacturer's directions.

More on Class B Extended Living

"We have a 5th wheel........We are considering a Roadtrek as an adjunct to our fifth wheel since there are a lot of spots in US and Mexico (particularly Yucatan) where a large fifth wheel will not go.......Reed and Elaine"   That's a reader's April 17 comment to my post of February 24, 2015.

We began with the Roadtrek, Reed and Elaine are taking the opposite approach. However, they know where they want to go. When we began our planning we weren't so sure. We wanted real experiences to validate our ideas and assumptions. We also wanted the possibility of setting up "bases" in several places in the U.S. where we could stretch our legs and relax, and use the Roadtrek for the explorations from these places. Because we had a nebulous plan, we really weren't sure of how it would turn out. But we decided the explorations would come first in the Roadtrek. We would learn from our experiences and discover the locations for our bases.

And so it has been. About 18,000 miles later we know where in the Midwest and where in the Southwest we will be. We are no longer tied to our sticks and bricks condo. Our bases provide mild summers and mild winters within short distance of so much to see and do. As one said "Getting there is all the fun" and there are a lot of choices in RVs and we researched just about all of the Class Bs and Cs out there. We decided that most important was to get something that would work for the intended purpose and our intended lifestyle. We wanted a 3-1/2 season exploration vehicle designed for use on paved or gravel roads. We intended to use it to create our future. Because we had so little practical experience we first rented a Sprinter based van and I've published some detailed information about that on my personal blog. However, these are all personal observations viewed from the lenses of our personal intentions.

We never expected to live in the RT for extended periods, although an Alaska trek is on our list of possibilities. Such a trek would require about 6 weeks. Our recent 90 day trek stretched to a 110 day experience which certainly tested our concept. There are "tiny homes" and the Roadtrek is miniscule by comparison. However we are still smiling after that 110 day experience.

On the Road

On the road again. Winter is receding and it is time to return to the Northland. Some of our plans did not come to fruition. We wanted to head east but getting the southwest base setup became more complicated than expected.

Firstly, after 90 days of looking for a "permanent" abode so we could move out of the Roadtrek we found ourselves in the Roadtrek. Secondly, my business travel delayed things a bit. Thirdly, finding a suitable "home" was not easy. We'd been looking at all kinds of rigs for over a year. However, we had great difficulty finding a floor plan and dimensions for the site. We wanted to minimize rear sun load on the rig. That meant no or minimum rear windows.

The most popular 5th wheel floor plan seems to be the front bedroom, center kitchen and rear living with lots of windows. We looked at alternatives including front living and even front kitchens. We decided that opposing slides for the living space would provide the largest living space. But our experiments in living in a TT and visits to many neighbors in the 5th wheels convinced us to keep looking.

Finally, we were in the situation where we either suspend until fall or leap. We decided we didn't want to begin this process all over again in the fall.

Of course, making a decision leads to another series of steps. There would be the the financial stuff, checking out the rig, getting a rig into place and that requires additional coordination, getting all of the accessories including power protection device, fresh water hose, regulator, additional filter and dump hose and fittings. Etc.

It was all a press, and as usual there were some issues to be resolved. Then the mad scramble to pack and head down the road.  There were last minute good-byes and other things to do.

But we did head on down the road (or was it up?).

Setting up the southwest base

We've spent the better part of 90 days attempting to complete the creation of our southwest living base. It hasn't been easy.

However, this week it came to pass. We had the Redwood Cypress put into position on our location. This is something that we began in 2002, declared in 2007 and today 14 years after those tentative steps. we have achieved this goal.

The Redwood is now added to our living possibilities. 

Here is the way it looked a short time ago:

It has been a long journey/

A Former Mining Town Gone Eclectic

What happens to a turn of the century mining town when the mines are depleted and a century passes? I'm talking about a town founded about 1890.

To find out, go to Bisbee, AZ. It is currently a tourist site, includes hippies and other free living spirits. I say that based on some of the people we met and the posters in the windows of some of the artsy shops and other windows. Recently posters included "Vote for Bernie" and "Overthrow the Establishment."

The town promotes itself as having "a thriving art scene."  However, that's merely the tip of the iceberg. I suggest that the visitor look deeper. We did and we found a lot to like and to enjoy.

Frankly I find this "art scene" promotion interesting because the town was founded on the sweat of thousands of hard working copper miners. Today, the hippies sit outside the local mining museum playing their drums and hoping for handouts, while the tourists go into the local museum to discover the hard reality of mining ca 1912. What a change a century can make!

This window sign is one of several which sums up the attitude of some of the local proprietors. However, we found many to be friendly and the service at the restaurant we visited was great as was the food:

We walked past quite a few motel/hotel/BNB establishments. Here is the sign posted in the front door of one at about 5:30pm. I asked G what she thought of this. She said "I wouldn't stay there," The front door was locked and so this signage wasn't tongue in cheek. I've deleted the personal info contained in the original notice:

Not everyone has the same view. Here's one shopkeeper's perspective about shoplifters:

Worth Walking
The town is worth walking from the entry point all the way up to the Copper Miner statue and St. Patrick's Catholic Church. The church has outstanding stained glass. I also suggest taking some of the side streets. On a typical weekend walking is an absolute necessity. Parking is non-existent after 11:00am, so I suggest arriving at the town early and finding a good street parking site. These are free. But do check the posted parking times. If you find yourself in a less desirable spot wait until after 6pm. At that time many people leave the town and parking frees up. However, attempting to find a parking spot on the street at 2pm on a Saturday in late February is just about impossible That observation is based on our experience.

Some parking sites are taken by local vagabonds. Most notably the old Citroen which I understand is home to one of the local residents.

The Local Fly
If you walk and look at some of the buildings,etc. you will notice the reference to a fly.  I guess wherever humans go and dump their garbage or detritus, the flies will thrive. This was apparently the situation in 1912. The consequences live on today. BTW, back in 1912, for $10 one could purchase the equivalent of $240 in goods by 2015 standards. We found the hornets to be more of a concern in 2016. However, they weren't aggressive and didn't bother us.

The Mining Museum, etc. 
If one goes to a former mining town which thrived with tens of thousands of miners, then one should see what this was all about. The mining museum was wonderful. Worth stepping around the hippies at the door. But this is now a service economy, isn't it?

This is called "brass." For more information about it I suggest the reader visit the mining museum. I can say this. When I began working in heavy industrial plants under construction in the late 1960s we used this. I was an engineer. Thanks to the mandates of the US Government, I am also today a registered miner:

There is also a bona fide mine tour, complete with hard hats. One can drive to the nearby open pit copper mine:

Don't Delay 
What we discovered is that there are a lot of hotels in town, but in this "just do it " society a lot of people visit and then decide "Gee, this would be a nice place to spend the night." That's a mistake. Rooms are gone by 6pm.

On arrival in the morning we walked the length of the town, stopped by a place G had checked out on line and at about noon we made our reservation. By 6pm they were full and were turning away visitors. That's Bisbee on a Saturday night.

We decided to stay away from the hubbub of the Copper Queen and the center of town. We prefer to walk into the melee and then walk out. "The Road Less Travelled."

Pleased With Our Decisions
We were pleased with our decisions. We spent the night in a historic 1895 hotel, Had a private fire place to ourselves and the upper party room. All in all, an enjoyable evening.

Various views of the town

Cooking with heat

Tonight's dinner included jalapeno cheeseburgers. WaHoo!

Desert Blooms

Here in the southwest, with the arrival of Spring we are experiencing "desert blooms," It really is amazing. We have cacti, small trees and shrubbery breaking into flowers.