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Old 08-16-2016, 12:51 PM   #21
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The fresh water tank can be viewed to check the level The black tank can viewed with a flashlight. I know It's gross but it works and my sensor always says half full so I've been forced to.
So if the grey water tank was see through like the fresh water tank, you would have a fool proof monitoring system. Just don't forget the flashlight.
Won 't work for those of us who have the spray foam . I really like to just check with a moniter on my 30,000 trailer . Pat
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Old 08-16-2016, 12:58 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by craiginpetaluma View Post
The fresh water tank can be viewed to check the level The black tank can viewed with a flashlight. I know It's gross but it works and my sensor always says half full so I've been forced to.
So if the grey water tank was see through like the fresh water tank, you would have a fool proof monitoring system. Just don't forget the flashlight.
The grey tank will tell you that it is full when the shower backs up.
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Old 08-16-2016, 01:34 PM   #23
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The grey tank will tell you that it is full when the shower backs up.
See...... many way's to overcome. And if you plug the shower drain you can get a little more capacity till the sinks back up
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Old 08-16-2016, 01:46 PM   #24
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Won 't work for those of us who have the spray foam . I really like to just check with a moniter on my 30,000 trailer . Pat
I agree, and I want a monitor which reliably works. That isn't my impression with the current design including the Horst Probes.

I do think it's the tank chemistry that's a major issue and not necessarily the probes themselves or the monitor. tanktechsrx.com has an interesting site and is a product I will start out using when I get mine in a year.
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Old 08-16-2016, 02:03 PM   #25
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I agree, and I want a monitor which reliably works. That isn't my impression with the current design including the Horst Probes.

I do think it's the tank chemistry that's a major issue and not necessarily the probes themselves or the monitor. tanktechsrx.com has an interesting site and is a product I will start out using when I get mine in a year.
You may be on to something . So far as long as I take care of it right away . Tank sensors are working . Luckily with the opening bath window we have ,can get the hose with that sprayer you can put on the end into jon. Completely clean the black and gray tanks ,have a different sprayer end for grey . We have been using a product , recommended years ago by a old timer called Orderless . We have the best luck with that chemical . Also especially for black tank chemical needs time to work . When we get home wait maybe a couple weeks before emptying , then every thing is liquid . Have a clean out at home . If for whatever reason we can't really clean the black tank until we get home that seems to be when the readings are not very good . Pat
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Old 08-16-2016, 02:08 PM   #26
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You may be on to something . So far as long as I take care of it right away . Tank sensors are working . Luckily with the opening bath window we have ,can get the hose with that sprayer you can put on the end into jon. Completely clean the black and gray tanks ,have a different sprayer end for grey . We have been using a product , recommended years ago by a old timer called Orderless . We have the best luck with that chemical . Also especially for black tank chemical needs time to work . When we get home wait maybe a couple weeks before emptying , then every thing is liquid . Have a clean out at home . If for whatever reason we can't really clean the black tank until we get home that seems to be when the readings are not very good . Pat
this is not a good thread to read while eating...
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Old 08-16-2016, 02:12 PM   #27
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this is not a good thread to read while eating...
Maybe don't hit on a thread with this topic then . Pat
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Old 08-16-2016, 02:30 PM   #28
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Old 08-16-2016, 04:11 PM   #29
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We pretty much know in any situation or combination of campers how long in days the tanks go, so we don't really use the monitoring much at all. Lot's of areas now you can dump grey legally and that is the tank that needs dumping more often if one is showering.
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Old 08-16-2016, 05:59 PM   #30
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Of course you can visually check the tank levels. The point of the tank monitor and sensors is that you don't have to. Since there's a monitor and probes, I like them to work. The Horst probes are one solution.

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Old 08-16-2016, 06:03 PM   #31
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Of course you can visually check the tank levels. The point of the tank monitor and sensors is that you don't have to. Since there's a monitor and probes, I like them to work. The Horst probes are one solution.

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I know how to check the black on an Escape 21 (look down toilet with flashlight) but is the grey tank (level) visible somewhere?

thanks.
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Old 08-16-2016, 06:09 PM   #32
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I know how to check the black on an Escape 21 (look down toilet with flashlight) but is the grey tank (level) visible somewhere?

thanks.
The tank is literally grey and it's not translucent like the fresh water tank. There's no visual check, except the "visual" of seeing grey water back up on the bathroom floor. No biggie however. The more you camp the more you get a feel for when the grey tank is full, and you can legally dump the gray tank in many places. You can also add a sewer cap that has a garden hose connection, and simply drain some grey water into a bucket and pour it down a regular drain.

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Old 08-16-2016, 06:13 PM   #33
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You can also add a sewer cap that has a garden hose connection, and simply drain some grey water into a bucket and pour it down a regular drain.
Yes, and "regular drain" means a sink or toilet, not a storm drain.
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Old 08-16-2016, 06:14 PM   #34
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I know how to check the black on an Escape 21 (look down toilet with flashlight) but is the grey tank (level) visible somewhere?

thanks.
As far as I know for the grey tank , you are out of luck . Once was standing in spagetti water in shower . Why do you think it is OK to have to look down your toilet or crawl under your trailer to check levels ? Didn't we move up to some comfort and niceties for a huge price ? I want to use tank moniters and expect them to work .Pat
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Old 08-16-2016, 06:43 PM   #35
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The tank is literally grey and it's not translucent like the fresh water tank. There's no visual check, except the "visual" of seeing grey water back up on the bathroom floor. No biggie however. The more you camp the more you get a feel for when the grey tank is full, and you can legally dump the gray tank in many places. You can also add a sewer cap that has a garden hose connection, and simply drain some grey water into a bucket and pour it down a regular drain.

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Robert changed out sewer plug to one with hose connection 30 years ago on every RV have owned . Because of grey tank filling pretty fast , easy way to empty , only for grey water . Pat
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Old 08-16-2016, 07:24 PM   #36
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As far as I know for the grey tank , you are out of luck . Once was standing in spagetti water in shower . Why do you think it is OK to have to look down your toilet or crawl under your trailer to check levels ? Didn't we move up to some comfort and niceties for a huge price ? I want to use tank moniters and expect them to work .Pat
If I want to stand in nasty water while taking a shower I can just use the shower at some of the lower cost RV parks I have used when the campgrounds were full.

I started this thread because the SeeLeveL II 709 P3 Tank Monitoring System seems like a much better tank monitoring system for me as a new buyer of an Escape 5.0 TA due next July/August (2017).

The cost seems reasonable at $239.00 (Canadian or US, I don't really know) and much cheaper at Amazon.com.
Sticking the sensor strips to the tanks is far simpler than drilling 4 holes in three tanks, inserting probes and making sure there aren't any leaks.
Fewer wires dangling from the tanks, instructions to coat the sensor strips and wires on the exterior tanks with rubberized (3M) rock guard type undercoating, (which I would consider doing on existing dangling wires.)
It also includes the pump switch, so as far as I can tell, the product is simpler to install and far more functional and useful.
Also, it monitors the signal strength of the sensors and gives a readout, so if you have a baseline reading from a clean tank you can spot a buildup of gunk (Struvite) on the tank walls and clean it before it becomes a problem.

As far as I can tell from this thread a lot of people are living with tank sensors which don't work but they are OK with it. On a new trailer I want something which will be more accurate and I'm willing to pay an option price for it although it looks like a cheaper product from an overall total cost of manufacturing standpoint. And it is a Canadian company so Excape wouldn't have to import it.

For those of you with tanks full of crap and grey water goo on your toes I strongly recommend going to TanktechsRX.com and reading their material, watching the you tube videos and thinking about what all the chemical products actually do to the gunk and paper. Some detergents make great suds so all that driving around will create a foam which can stick to the top of the tank and grow mold. HE type laundry detergents are low suds types. Dishwasher detergents don't create suds but they have chlorine which kills the good bacteria as well as the bad.
TanktechRx is a bacterial product so chlorine, lysol and other disinfectants will kill it. You probably can mix it with HE laundry detergent and Calgon water softener but not with disinfectants. I plan to use it alone and see how it all works. They say it is probiotic but to me that just means friendly bacteria
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Old 08-16-2016, 07:39 PM   #37
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We pretty much know in any situ ation or combination of campers how long in days the tanks go, so we don't really use the monitoring much at all.
I don't use them either. More than a dozen years of owning an all-molded-towable that didn't have monitors, frankly I forget Ten Forward has them. I can tell when the tanks are getting full by the sound.
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Old 08-16-2016, 09:12 PM   #38
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I don't use them either. More than a dozen years of owning an all-molded-towable that didn't have monitors, frankly I forget Ten Forward has them. I can tell when the tanks are getting full by the sound.
My 1980 class C did not come with a moniter panel so I purchased the Sea level system and installed it . It was very easy and that is where the spagetti water came up in shower and why I installed the Sea level system . We like and use the moniter system . Wish we had a better system but for now have figured out to deal with this one on the trailer . Someday may get a better system or not . There are a lot of things we have to just deal with and wish we know what we know now . If I was buying today I would want a better system which works great and would push to get it . Pat
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Old 08-16-2016, 09:20 PM   #39
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If I want to stand in nasty water while taking a shower I can just use the shower at some of the lower cost RV parks I have used when the campgrounds were full.

I started this thread because the SeeLeveL II 709 P3 Tank Monitoring System seems like a much better tank monitoring system for me as a new buyer of an Escape 5.0 TA due next July/August (2017).

The cost seems reasonable at $239.00 (Canadian or US, I don't really know) and much cheaper at Amazon.com.
Sticking the sensor strips to the tanks is far simpler than drilling 4 holes in three tanks, inserting probes and making sure there aren't any leaks.
Fewer wires dangling from the tanks, instructions to coat the sensor strips and wires on the exterior tanks with rubberized (3M) rock guard type undercoating, (which I would consider doing on existing dangling wires.)
It also includes the pump switch, so as far as I can tell, the product is simpler to install and far more functional and useful.
Also, it monitors the signal strength of the sensors and gives a readout, so if you have a baseline reading from a clean tank you can spot a buildup of gunk (Struvite) on the tank walls and clean it before it becomes a problem.

As far as I can tell from this thread a lot of people are living with tank sensors which don't work but they are OK with it. On a new trailer I want something which will be more accurate and I'm willing to pay an option price for it although it looks like a cheaper product from an overall total cost of manufacturing standpoint. And it is a Canadian company so Excape wouldn't have to import it.

For those of you with tanks full of crap and grey water goo on your toes I strongly recommend going to TanktechsRX.com and reading their material, watching the you tube videos and thinking about what all the chemical products actually do to the gunk and paper. Some detergents make great suds so all that driving around will create a foam which can stick to the top of the tank and grow mold. HE type laundry detergents are low suds types. Dishwasher detergents don't create suds but they have chlorine which kills the good bacteria as well as the bad.
TanktechRx is a bacterial product so chlorine, lysol and other disinfectants will kill it. You probably can mix it with HE laundry detergent and Calgon water softener but not with disinfectants. I plan to use it alone and see how it all works. They say it is probiotic but to me that just means friendly bacteria
Read my post here #38 . I am agreeing with you and have previously installed their system . Pat
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Old 08-16-2016, 11:50 PM   #40
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Read my post here #38 . I am agreeing with you and have previously installed their system . Pat
Sorry. I quoted you because I agree with what you said. I meant no criticism.

Most of my tent camping has me looking for somewhere to go to get a shower in the evening and most of the commercial campgrounds which have paid showers were marginal. When the kids were smaller we went to swimming pools in the evening, Estes Park YMCA, the town pool and Snow Mountain Ranch YMCA. Or we camped near Steamboat Springs, Pagosa Springs, Ouray Hot Springs and Hot Springs South Dakota.

I have stood in many showers with blocked drains. My biggest reason for buying an Escape trailer is for the bathroom and bed so I plan to frequently fill up the Grey tank, and others.
I'm also trying to generate interest among the people who currently have Escape trailers on order so that I am not the only kook asking for a completely different kind of tank monitor system.

Since I have my first and probably last trailer (5.0 TA) on order I have been obsessively looking into the systems I'll be using.
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