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Old 05-27-2018, 02:31 AM   #1
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Fresh water tank indicator not indicating correctly

/The fresh water tank indicated showed that I had 3/4 tank full for a good portion of a recent trip. Then it went to 1/2 (2 lights). Then, I ran out of water. And the indicator still noted 1/2 full. With all the sputtering, I’m pretty sure there’s no water left in the tank. So, it would appear that the indicator is wrong. Is this a common problem? Is it a fixable problem? Camper is less than a year old.
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Old 05-27-2018, 05:30 AM   #2
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Yes, a very common problem with the type of sensors used. I understand there are other sensors or metering systems available but most of us just learn to not depend on them.
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Old 05-27-2018, 04:08 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody View Post
Yes, a very common problem with the type of sensors used. I understand there are other sensors or metering systems available but most of us just learn to not depend on them.
So I guess I’ll need to devise some creative way of estimating water usage. Thanks for the info.
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Old 05-27-2018, 04:33 PM   #4
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So I guess I’ll need to devise some creative way of estimating water usage. Thanks for the info.
I like the old school tank gauge. The one that uses a clear tube attached to top and bottom of tank and you can see the actual water level. They can even be installed remotely as long as the top and bottom of the tube is in line with the top and bottom of the tank.
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Old 05-27-2018, 07:01 PM   #5
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is this a new trailer still under warranty? if so i would take it the dealer and show him a tank that is supposedly 1/2 full and won't pump water. it is entirely possible that the sensors are bad. but it could be something else. you could the fresh water tank drain and see how much water comes out. if the tank is empty and the sensors are bad there shouldn't be much water come out. but if you get a lot of water coming out perhaps the sensors are correct and you have another problem. it could be things like kink in pick-up tube, pick up tube located to high in tank, pump sucking air.
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Old 05-28-2018, 01:23 PM   #6
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The pump does not draw water from the bottom of the tank. The suction is from the side and so you will never empty the tank with the pump.
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Old 05-28-2018, 02:03 PM   #7
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When my rig was new we went to a no hookup CG for 5 days.
I filled my fresh tank upon arrival at the spigot and then we camped.
We both took 2 navy showers and did dishes, washed hands, teeth etc....
on the last day we started sucking air.

I was curious so I put a 5 gallon bucket under the fresh tank drain and opened the drain. I got a whopping 9 gallons of water out of the fresh tank even tho the water pump was sucking air!

When I got home I crawled under there and cut a flap in the belly cover so I could see what was going on.
My pump suction line came out of the side sort of near the bottom. The drain came out of the bottom. I bought plastic T and nipple and plug. I removed the pump suction line from the side.
I plugged the side.
I removed the drain valve and put in a nipple and a T with the T "sideways".
I put the drain valve in the bottom of the T.
I put the pump suction line (it was long enough to just pull it down and re-connect) on the side of the T.

Now my pump draws water from the bottom of the tank and we can use it all if we need to.

This is a common factory installation.

Lots of us have changed the plumbing like I described.

AND lots of us have learned to ignore the lights for tank levels as they are notoriously in-accurate!!

Oh yeah, I used aluminum duct tape to tape the flap in my belly cover back in place. It's still holding after 3 years, many thousand miles and many hours of driving in the rain.

Good luck!
Happy Trails!!
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Old 05-28-2018, 03:59 PM   #8
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Common problem, if you don't have an enclosed underbelly just crawl under and look.
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Old 05-28-2018, 06:23 PM   #9
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It’s a new camper, still under warranty. And, the underbelly is sealed. Guess I’ll take it in for “treatment.” Thanks everyone for your help/suggestions with this annoying issue.
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Old 05-28-2018, 06:40 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KyDan View Post
My pump suction line came out of the side sort of near the bottom. The drain came out of the bottom. I bought plastic T and nipple and plug. I removed the pump suction line from the side.
I plugged the side.
I removed the drain valve and put in a nipple and a T with the T "sideways".
I put the drain valve in the bottom of the T.
I put the pump suction line (it was long enough to just pull it down and re-connect) on the side of the T.

Now my pump draws water from the bottom of the tank and we can use it all if we need to.

This is a common factory installation.

Lots of us have changed the plumbing like I described.

AND lots of us have learned to ignore the lights for tank levels as they are notoriously in-accurate!!

Oh yeah, I used aluminum duct tape to tape the flap in my belly cover back in place. It's still holding after 3 years, many thousand miles and many hours of driving in the rain.

Good luck!
Happy Trails!!
Maybe the design engineers thought it best that the fresh water not be drawn off the bottom of the tank given that many tanks are refilled from streams, etc. Putting the suction inlet just above the bottom of the tank gives room for undesirable "stuff" to settle and not end up in your drinking glass. Yes, a lot of people don't drink from the tank but many do.

Regardless, if you want the last drop out of your tank your method is great.

Haven't checked mine but so far I haven't run out of water during week long runs. Then again, there's just one of me aboard and the dog doesn't drink much or shower every day.


FWIW, people would be amazed if they knew where their "City Water" actually came from. I heard once that the water in the New Orleans water lines had already been through 3 digestive tracts (having been drawn from the Mississippi, treated, then treated again before being discharged by several cities upstream).

I believe that more illnesses are transmitted by unwashed hands than through the various water sources.
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Old 05-28-2018, 06:49 PM   #11
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I filter my water as I fill the tank. Leaving nearly 20% of my water in the tank was not acceptable.
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