Fresh Water tank gauge accuracy

[cjd10]

Am on first trip out with new 2014 Georgetown 351ds. Four days dry camping and fresh water tank already showing empty after just filling it yesterday. I know it was totally full as I was able to fill it at entrance to location we are staying at. (Actually overfilled and had water running out of overflow)

Grey tank shows full which makes since but find it hard to believe after only four quick showers we have used 50 gallons of water.


Guess my question is how accurate are the sensors? I know on both of my previous motorhomes even after reading empty I still had a quarter to a third of water still in the tank

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by cjd10

Am on first trip out with new 2014 Georgetown 351ds. Four days dry camping and fresh water tank already showing empty after just filling it yesterday. I know it was totally full as I was able to fill it at entrance to location we are staying at. (Actually overfilled and had water running out of overflow)

Grey tank shows full which makes since but find it hard to believe after only four quick showers we have used 50 gallons of water.


Guess my question is how accurate are the sensors? I know on both of my previous motorhomes even after reading empty I still had a quarter to a third of water still in the tank

Pretty accurate. You never mentioned how many people... Males and females. That makes a big difference trust me. LOL
You should be able to look at the sensors on the side of the tank and you will see them. It doesn't magically drain so I think you need to make sure you are actually full and how you use the sinks, toilet and showers.

These are not meant to be full time dry camping rigs.
I'm sure you figure it out for yourself.

[Ford Idaho]

Did you have all of the lines and water heater full, just askin.

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

Did you have all of the lines and water heater full, just askin.

Good point. Hot water heater is 10 gallons.

[cjd10]

Believe me I realize difference between sexes in amount of water used. However, This is our third rig and these same family members have stayed with us at this event on numorous occasions and know the importance of water conservation.Hot water heater was full before filling. No leaky faucets.
Is there any way to actually see the water level? Have located tank but don't see any way to.


I know it was crazy to make a trip like this on first time out but couldn't be avoided

[Ford Idaho]

Could it be that this TT has more "flow" than past TT's and people used more water than they thought.

One thing I did was leave the outside shower water faucet on, when I fired up the water pump it pumped water outside for sometime before I saw it.

[cjd10]

Good point on water flow. Was beginning to wonder about that myself. Doesn't seem like a lot more but that's about the only other thing I can think of.

Guess Ill find out how accurate gauges are when tank goes dry

[Iggy]

You have a 50 gallon fresh water tank and a full 41 gallon gray water tank and a 41 gallon black water tank.
Do the math.
You used the water or you never really filled your fresh water tank and hot water heater full.
Thats all I can say.

[00buck]

I have a Flagstaff 21FRBS with 36 gal tanks all around. We ran out of water the second night we used it. Water flow was the problem. We enjoyed the water pressure but the flow rate was about twice that of our previous TTs and MHs. (It was around 2.5 gal per minute – I measured it.) I put an adjustable shower head in the shower, lowered the flow, and problem solved.

I’ve come to believe that accurate gauges are purely accidental. At least, I’ve never had any that were accurate. With my TT as level as I can make it, I checked the gauges on the 21 FBRS by running water from the shower into a five gal bucket. Then I dumped it down the shower drain. Results below are obviously not precise measurements but close enough for camping. The only way to know how to read your gauges is to do something similar.

Gray Tank:

Reads 1/3 after about 1 gal.
Reads 2/3 after about 13 gal
Reads Full after about 29 gal. It took another 6 gal after than.

Fresh Tank:
Reads 2/3 after about 6 gal used
Reads 1/3 after about 21 gal used
Reads Empty at 31 but had about 5-6 gal more left.

Good luck!

[raycyn778]

Originally Posted by cjd10

Good point on water flow. Was beginning to wonder about that myself. Doesn't seem like a lot more but that's about the only other thing I can think of.

Guess Ill find out how accurate gauges are when tank goes dry

I fill the fresh tank until it flows out the overflow, no harm done and I know it's full

[chiefly1]

When we first headed out to dry camp I filled the rig with water until it ran out so I thought it was full... Then drove up the mountain climbing 5000 feet and left a trail of water spilling out from the overflow and arrived with half a tank... So now I plan a water stop before I reach my final destination. Running out of water and my DW are not a great combination...

[raycyn778]

Originally Posted by chiefly1

When we first headed out to dry camp I filled the rig with water until it ran out so I thought it was full... Then drove up the mountain climbing 5000 feet and left a trail of water spilling out from the overflow and arrived with half a tank... So now I plan a water stop before I reach my final destination. Running out of water and my DW are not a great combination...

LOL, I know exactly what you mean! Clamp the overflow hose until you arrive at your destination. the hose is very easy to get to so I use a small pair of vice grips. you could use a hose clamp after inserting a bolt into the hose but the vice grip is easy to use. Water wont leak out and then allow enough room to slosh around losing even more. Planning for a water stop is a good idea as long as you KNOW there is one on the way close to destination..good luck out there!!

[cjd10]

Actually no mystery at all. Water level indicators are actually pretty accurate.
(Good to know)
Simply a matter of much higher water flow and 8 adults in an RV.
Had to find way to refill. This time put leveling jacks down to make sure the tank got completely full. Everybody now knows that when that indicator shows empty that's it so they better use the water sparingly .

Thanks for the advise

[Newellri]

Some Georgetowns will siphon water out the overflow if you fill to overflow. I put. T in to break the siphon works good.

[Ford Idaho]

Originally Posted by cjd10

Actually no mystery at all. Water level indicators are actually pretty accurate.
(Good to know)
Simply a matter of much higher water flow and 8 adults in an RV.
Had to find way to refill. This time put leveling jacks down to make sure the tank got completely full. Everybody now knows that when that indicator shows empty that's it so they better use the water sparingly .

Thanks for the advise

So your flow rate was/is higher...
Now you know.

[Patches]

IMHO, the tank sensors even on their best days are suspect. Also, the longer they are in use, the more suspect they become. My rig has 4, 37 gallon tanks. None of them have ever read 100% accurate. 70%-80% might be more accurate. The only one I really care about is the black tank. I now use a flash light, and a "story pole" when I think it is getting close to full. Takes about 10 seconds longer than pushing a button on the sensor panel. The two grey tanks get emptied when they read 2/3 full. My fresh water tank, when in use, gets topped off at 1/3 and even sooner when fresh water is available. All this said, I don't think the sensors are bad. I think they get covered with dried on debris, and can't help but give faulty readings. Also once I switched to the Geo method on my black tank 2 years ago, it has been more accurate. I top it off before the initial dumping. Then, if time, and water are available I will fill it up, and dump it two more times.

[Jim G]

The shower nozzle normally has a shutoff valve on it to turn the flow off. Get wet, lather up, and turn the shower off. Then turn it back on when rinsing is needed.
If someone takes a shower like at home, the tanks will fill up quick. And like stated before, a hot water tank should be full when the fresh water tank is filled.

[copsuno]

There was some info on here a while back that when you fill fresh water to overflow, driving creates a suction and actually pulls water out as you travel down hwy. Just a thought.

[sherman12]

I used to think my tank on my 2011 330TS ran out real fast with just DW and I using the rig. Then I realized that when I filled the tank with the faucet on hi, especially at CG's that have a ton of pressure the overflow would drain out for several long minutes. I think what the high fill pressure did was create a back pressure in the fresh tank and half of what I put in siphoned out of the overflow. Now I fill at a much slower rate and my fresh tank lasts days with the two of us

[Cornelius]

I did a few minor modifications on the fresh water tank of my 2010 Georgetown to avoid (or at least reduce) problems. The first was to remove the black plastic panel that covered the fresh tank so I could see the actual water level. It also makes it easier to check the mesh filter on the water pump. During the factory tour, I was told they no longer install this panel.

Next, I added a valve on the overflow line to prevent siphoning when driving with a full tank. I just have to be sure to remember to have the valve open when the tank is being filled or used. I also drilled a small hole in the top of the overflow tube to act as a vacuum breaker. So far, no more problems...