have you used any kind of flushing device?
i use the spinning tank wand.
also, have you not read about how inaccurate the stock tank sensors are?
just do a search on any RV forum and you'll get lots of info on not relying on those idiot lights.
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Dan-Retired California Firefighter/EMT
Shawn-Musician/Entrepreneur/Wine Expert
and Zoe the Wonder Dog(R.I.P.)
2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255, pushing a 2014 Ford F150 SCREW XTR 4x4 3.5 Ecoboost w/Max Tow Package
4pt Equal-i-zer WDH and 1828lbs of payload capacity
Anytime I get strange readings on my old Shasta I would add a little bleach, Dawn dish detergent, fill the Black tank with water (we had a black water flush) let it sit for couple of hours if you can, then rinse. The bleach helps clean the tank and the Dawn dish detergent cleans the sensors since it is designed to cut grease and other crud. I learned about it somewhere on here, they used Dishwasher detergent, because when you think about it, DW detergent or Dawn is designed to clean grease an gunk off of pots and pans, so it works well cleaning your sensors as well.
Anytime I get strange readings on my old Shasta I would add a little bleach, Dawn dish detergent, fill the Black tank with water (we had a black water flush) let it sit for couple of hours if you can, then rinse. The bleach helps clean the tank and the Dawn dish detergent cleans the sensors since it is designed to cut grease and other crud. I leaded about it somewhere on here, they used Dishwasher detergent, because when you think about it, DW detergent or Dawn is designed to clean grease an gunk off of pots and pans, so it works well cleaning your sensors as well.
I always pre-fill my black tank with 1 capful of laundry detergent and 1 capful of Calgon Liquid (or solid) Water SOFTENER (NOT SALT) and about 5 gallons of water.
The Calgon softens the water so the laundry soap works better to wash the tank walls (THE source of inaccurate readings). Always pre-adding water to the tank prevents "the tower of doom" from forming under the toilet drop pipe. The tower of doom will block your drain valve preventing complete dumps.
If you already have a tower of doom. the only thing short of a tank replacement is a 72-96 hour soak of warm water and a septic tank agent like RV-Digest-It or RID-X. Then flush heavily with a wand or turboflush. Repeat entire treatment as required (at least once per year!) I do mine when I winterize.
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
Those black water sensors are probably good for the first three or four tank fulls. After that you can forget it. I have tried several cleaning methods and none seemed to work for more than 1-2 fills and I know the tank is empty. Just use good judgement.
We had the external sensors installed on our last RV and never had any issues. My new Coachmen has the same issue with the internal sensors. After a while, I know when to dump. Keep history on my iPhone notepad.
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Bob & Sue Rowan
Okeechobee, FL
2012 Coachmen Mirada 29DS (SOLD)
2015 Keystone Bullet Travel Trailer
2016 F-150 Lariat with Auto Trailer Backup
Dog = Morki (Yorkie-Maltese) - Zoe
Look for the toilet to burp(make an air bubble) when you flush. That tells you that the tank is getting close to being full. Personally, after many years of trailering, I never depend on those idiot lights. I also use RV Digest-It, calgon and liquid laundry detergent to help clean the tank. The calgon & detergent is part of the GEO method. Google it.
My 2010 stopped working around the 2nd use. Always said 2/3 full. Fortunately that trailer sat right over the tank. So, you could always get an "eye" check on level. You could try after emptying it, a couple bags of ice. That way, while you're traveling, the ice would bang around the sides and knock down any debris.
I just throw in a cup of wash detergent and 6 gallons of water just before a short move and then let it swish around on the move. It seems to do the trick. All of the other suggestions are good.
I camp without hookups and since my fresh water tank is 30 gal. and the black and gray are 30 gal. so without adding water I don't have enough water to fill up one of the tanks!
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2015 Rockwood Roo 23IKSS
2015 GMC Sierra 1500
I camp without hookups and since my fresh water tank is 30 gal. and the black and gray are 30 gal. so without adding water I don't have enough water to fill up one of the tanks!
True, but if you were to somehow measure what you finally dump; it will well exceed 30 gallons. Solids and bottled water/soda/beer/wine also adds to black and gray tank waste.
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
True, but if you were to somehow measure what you finally dump; it will well exceed 30 gallons. Solids and bottled water/soda/beer/wine also adds to black and gray tank waste.
Very true! I drink the water from the tank but I sure accounting for all the beer would definitely make a difference!
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2015 Rockwood Roo 23IKSS
2015 GMC Sierra 1500
LOVE mine. However when our long haired DD spent a few weeks camping with us I had to replace the gray tank spiral probes with black tank probes due to "hair".
The bottom ones are the OEM probes.
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
You may just have a tower of doom blocking the drain. I have a forty five degree elbow with a hose hook up to shoot a jet of water back into the tank. Backfilling the tank may break up the blockage and allow everything to drain out.
Sorry if that is a little to graphic.
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Eric F.
2015 Flagstaff Shamrock 233S
2012 Ford F250
You may just have a tower of doom blocking the drain. I have a forty five degree elbow with a hose hook up to shoot a jet of water back into the tank. Backfilling the tank may break up the blockage and allow everything to drain out.
Sorry if that is a little to graphic.
The trouble with the "back flush" method is that once the drain valve is partially blocked, the incoming water from the hose pressure has no force. By the time it turns the corner at the valve and gets into the tank; it just can't break anything up.
It is more effective to use a turboflush or toilet wand and work from the top.
The best way is to use bacteria and enzymes over time to eat away at that mess; then turboflush or wand the tank.
Always use a clear elbow in order to look for clear running water when turboflushing and don't worry if it suddenly stops. Keep flushing because when a clump hits the valve body water needs to build up a back pressure to push out the TP/solid that has been knocked loose.
Professionals will use a special wand on a pressure washer to get in there and blast stuff loose. If that does not work, tank replacement is the last resort.
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
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