Quote:
Originally Posted by VictorPA
Hi There,
We had trouble with our tank monitor(Seelevel II) pretty much from the beginning. Calling Escape was NOT helpful at all but the monitor manufacturer was hugely helpful. It took a lot of work to retrace the wires, replace one of the senders etc but it is finally working. The parts were replaced under warranty.
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Hi all,
We picked up our 21 NE in May. We have the same optional tank monitor, SeeLevel 2, which is supposed to indicate the tank levels as a percentage of total capacity. The sensors have not proven to be reliable or accurate. There has been a lot of " back and forth" with Escape to determine what is wrong and what can be done to correct it. The matter has not been resolved. Here are the details of my experience with Escape.
My first email to Parts and Service, sent on May 16th during the first week we were using the trailer, included the following comment:
The SeeLevel monitor for the black tank does not work. I emptied a few gallons of fluid from it today. It read "0" percent before and after emptying it.
Dustin responded:
SeeLevel monitors are constantly learning and will take up to 10 times to be filled and emptied before it will accurately read the levels.
On May 17, I replied to Dustin:
Thanks Dustin. Black tank is beginning to work.
I then sent an email to Parts and Service on August 3rd:
Hello Escape,
We have been using our 21 NE at least every other weekend since we picked it up in Eugene, OR in early May and drove it home to Minnesota. We have had to remediate a number of electrical issues on our own. A significant issue remains unresolved. Our gray and black tank sensors are still not functioning properly. The gray tank sensor shows that the tank is between 17 and 33% full after it has been emptied completely. The black tank sensor shows 0% full after 3 days of constant use and 20% full after 6 days of constant use. These numbers are definitely not accurate. I did not find the explanation given by Dustin in his May 16th email to be helpful or adequate. I believe that the sensors should work from the "get-go" if they are installed properly and functioning properly.
I am following the Escape Trailer Owners Community Forum and I am aware that there are numerous concerns about the sensors/monitors that have been installed by Escape Trailer Industries recently. We opted for the optional SeeLevel system and paid for it. We require that the issue be resolved and look forward to a resolution. What are your recommendations? Please advise. I would appreciate a response from your "parts and service manager" rather than a response from Dustin.
Please note that I have not received a response from Karl, as requested, in regards to my previous email about the wiring issues I have encountered. I would appreciate a response from Karl.
Thank you.
Darrell
Dustin responded with this:
Hello Darrell,
I am sorry that you didn’t find my answer helpful; however, this is the case with the SeeLevel system, every single trailer has a calibration period. Installing a new sending unit simply restarts the calibration, we will not send replacement parts until the calibration period has been completed, any customer that has received parts has gone through the calibration period.
My After Sales manager is away from the office and will not be back for two weeks, I can assure you that they will confirm that above calibration period.
Karl doesn’t deal with the After Sales side of things; with that said I will send a note to Samuel that you would like to hear from the presales team regarding wiring.
Please get back to me with further questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Dustin@Escape, After Sales Support
My response, sent to Dustin on August 3rd:
Hi Dustin,
We have used the trailer many times in the past 3 months since we purchased it and have filled and dumped the tanks more than 10 times. During our trip home from Eugene to the Twin Cities, we used and dumped the tanks 6 times. We have had the trailer for 3 months.
I have also reviewed the manual for the SeeLevel 2 system. The testing regimen is clearly outlined. Based on this document, testing at the time of installation should be done to confirm accuracy.
15. "For the initial test, have the tank at least 1/4 full of water or sewage, and verify that the percent level reading looks correct (see the chapter entitled “OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS” and the section “To read a water or sewer tank level” for details). Check to see that the signal power is at least 20% (see the chapter entitled “TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE” and the section “To review the sender diagnostics” for details). If the signal power is too low, make sure that the sender(s) is well stuck to the side of the tank and that the tank is reasonably clean inside, as a large buildup will reduce signal strength. The gauge will work with maximum signal strengths as low as 20%, but it is good to have at least 50% to 60% at installation so that there is some margin available for buildup in the tank. Note that the system “learns” about the characteristics of the tank with use, so the readings may be inaccurate when the tank is empty or almost empty when the system is first tested. Once the tank has been filled at least 1/4 full the system will be properly “taught” and should read correctly after that."
Thank you. I will contact your manager.
Darrell
I then spoke with Samuel, who suggested I contact Dave Warren, Parts and Service Manager, who was out of the office until August 15th. I have not yet contacted Dave. I would appreciate any feedback from members of this forum before I contact him. Based on other posts I've read on this forum, issues with the tank monitors are not entirely "uncommon". From my perspective, a device that is designed to be reasonably accurate in measuring volume should be calibrated and tested prior to delivery. I will add that our fresh tank showed 13% full when we arrived home after our last trip. I drained the remaining water from the tank into a container. I emptied less than 1 gallon of water. I consider the matter of getting relatively accurate readings more than an "academic exercise" particularly when camping for 6 days in a given location with limited access to fresh water.
Given that we opted for the optional undercoating/foam insulation, we are left with a more complex situation. A lot more time and effort would be involved if we were required to remove the undercoating/insulation in order to expose wires and sensors. We would then have to troubleshoot, do the work to get the monitor working properly and then replace the insulation that we purchased when we ordered the trailer. The parts may be covered under warranty. The labor involved would be onerous.
Cheers,
Darrell