SeeLevel install

[RVhiker]

I installed a SeeLevel tank monitor system on my fiver recently. The hardest part of the job was gaining access to the tanks. My trailer belly is covered in Coroplast (the corrugated plastic stuff). I had to remove a black pipe propane line, the spare tire, and the Coroplast itself which is attached with many screws. I started at the front basement, and removed all the Coroplast up to the axles. The fresh tank (which is in front of the axles) could be accessed through a small cut that Jayco left in the Coroplast. Had I known, I would only have had to remove about 18 inches of the Coroplast on the "passenger side" of the trailer, from the front basement to the axles. The Coroplast was not nearly as difficult to re-attach as I thought it might be. Filling in the many "holes" (for various piping and other reasons) in the Coroplast with expanding foam was messy to do.

The SeeLevel system install instructions are quite detailed, and must be followed carefully - the system is a bit finicky - but the install itself is not hard. Each sensor attaches to a ground and to the original sensor wire. All the sensor wires are connected just before the monitor, with one lead going to the monitor. In addition to the sensor wires, the monitor just needs positive and ground. All the sensors send data on the same wire, and the monitor figures out which sensor is which.

Here's some pictures.

I removed the led tank displays of the old KIB system, and re-used the switch section. The remaining switch section is not pretty, but it works. I'll probably get a better switch panel sometime:

All of the waste tanks were the same size and had this label on them:


This is the black tank. You can see the long aluminum rod that comes from the handle, and the white hose that attaches to the tank washer. Also, the galley tank valve is visible:


Here's the installed black tank sensor. The sensors have to be cut to the proper length, and then you cut a specific circuit on each to tell the monitor what tank that sensor is attached to:


(continued in next post due to image limit rule)

[RVhiker]

Continued from above...

This shows the galley tank 2 inch line, the Coroplast, and one of the basement heater hoses - it's just an open ended short 2 inch hose. The yellow mark on the Coroplast marks the location of one of the screw holes, to make it easier to get it all back together. You can see in this picture one of the "cogged" wheels that drives the slide room.


The only insulation is some about 2 feet by 4 feet of 2 inch thick fiberglas. It was placed under each waste tank. I think its main purpose is to keep the Coroplast from touching the bottom of the tanks, increasing the insulation value:


So far, the system works well. We'll see what happens.

[Terry]

I like that! Very nice.

Couple of quick questions --

1. I see the sensors have a circuit on them, but do not appear to be waterproof...do you see any long term issues?

2. If you dont mind - how much did it set you back? $$$

[RVhiker]

I think the sensors are reasonably waterproof; there seems to be a coating on the exterior of each sensor. The directions say that sensors exposed to road debris and road spray should be coated with a rubberized undercoating; they recommend one made by 3M. I believe that the Coroplast belly on mine will keep them relatively dry, especially after I sealed up a bunch of holes that Jayco did not bother to fill.

I thought a bit before I bought the system ($240). We boon dock quite a bit, and always have an issue figuring out how full our tanks are, especially the grey tanks. This system should eliminate this issue. I know that others have been able to judge how full their tanks are because they are just used to how they fill up; this never worked very well for me. Keep in mind that this system on my tanks only measure the upper 6 inches of an about 8 inch high tank, so there is quite a "puddle" of effluent before the sensor registers above 0. (The tanks slope from the ends down to the middle, where the drain lines are installed) From that point on, however, I believe that the system measures accurately every 8% or 9%; full seems to actually be full at 100%.

SeeLevel has a new sensor which is supposed to have more reading "spots" on the sensor, making smaller jumps in the percent reading. I didn't know about the newer sensors until after I had my system installed.