195 RBW - Install a Garnet See Level Tank Monitor

[MrKABC]

Here I am again, with another mod thread for the Jay Flight SLX 195. I think the KIB "Systems Monitor" doesn't really monitor much and it seemed to be straight out of the 1980s. When I cracked it open it seemed to be more modern than I gave it credit for - just very minimalist. I found a panel from Garnet Industries called the "See Level" that promised inductive tank readouts that actually tell you your tank capacity in percentages rather than using the in-tank sensors. Having read forum discussions about bad or clogged sensors this sounded like the thing to have!

I don't need to bring it up that the 195 only has 20/20/20 gallon capacities for each tank - this makes it especially critical to know what the tank levels really are when boondocking.

THE PANEL: SEE LEVEL 709P31003 Tank Monitoring System . Included is the panel and three flexible circuit board looking sensors (12 inch "710 SS" are included, if you can order one 12" and two "710 JS" 7" sensor strips).

TOOLS NEEDED:

• Soldering Iron
• Heatshrink tubing and gun, otherwise use electrical tape
• Wire Cutters/Wire Stripper
• Acetone (for cleaning the tank surfaces)
• Masking Tape
• Phillips/Slotted screwdrivers
• Box Cutter (sharp!)
• Optional: 1/4" wire loom, rubberized spray coating

INSTALLING THE PANEL:

1. Press the tab on the top of the KIB and pull the sensor panel cover off. You'll see four phillips screws holding the panel to the wall. Remove the panel and pull the wiring from out of the wall as much as you can - there is a lot (see photo) so you should be able to get good clearance.
2. Pull the three wires from the water pump switch and attach in the same sequence to the new one. Note that the purple wire is the switched output to the water pump. You'll need to tie in the white wire from the See Level harness here as well.
3. Now locate the distribution clips for +/- 12v. Red is +, white is -. They have little orange clips on top. Pull the orange clips to release the thin wires going to the KIB and replace them with the red (+) and black (-) wires from the See Level Harness. Click the orange release tab closed to secure the wires.
4. Now locate three wires in the wall (they pull out, trust me!) - red (fresh), green (gray) and brown (black tank, how appropriate). They are connected to the KIB. Solder all three of them to the blue wire on the See Level harness.
5. Test the operation of your water pump by using the switch. The green LED above the switch should light up and your pump should activate.
6. Your See Level panel is now active - use the box cutter to cut out a square in the wall luan to accommodate the panel, push the wiring back in, then screw it into the wall with the four supplied screws.

INSTALLING THE SENSORS:

1. Fresh water: Underneath the water tank you'll find a thick red wire that is tied to three thinner wires that go to the tank sensors. This is your (+) wire - disconnect the red wire and solder it to the blue wire on the sensor strip. You'll find the bottom tank sensor is connected to a white wire that goes through the floor - disconnect that from the tank, it's your (-) sensor wire. Solder it to your sensor strip's black wire. Now mount the sensor strip to the water tank using masking tape to test. Press the "Fresh" button on the control panel to verify a percentage appears. If the wires aren't connected properly, you'll get an "OPN" error message.
2. Gray water: From underneath the trailer, locate the thick green wire that splits to three thinner tank sensor wires. I had to add an extension to this wire to accommodate mounting the sensor strip between the lowest and intermediate tank sensors to the right of the drain. If you got the 710 SS sensor strip, cut it down to three sensor arrays (picture). Clip the top of the strip to identify it as the "gray water" tank. Solder green wire to the blue sensor wire, and solder the black sensor wire to the white (lowest) tank sensor wire. Use masking tape to mount your sensor temporarily for testing.
3. Black water: Same as step 2 above, but look for the thick brown wire and connect it accordingly. Clip the "black water" tank piece on the sensor strip to identify the sensor.
4. Now go to the panel and test, preferably with varying levels of water in the black and gray tanks. If the test works out (you see percentages), then clean the tank surfaces with acetone, let dry, then permanently mount the sensor strips using the adhesive backing. It's a one shot process, so be sure that you have the mounting right the first time.
5. I added 1/4" split loom tubing to protect the wiring. Also, consider spraying the sensor strips with rubberized undercoating to protect them from exposure to the elements.

Overall I think this is a worthy mod. As you can see in my photos, the sensor panel is a lot more useful than what came stock, and the built in volt meter is a welcome addition. Just take your time, follow my steps, and you too can have a modern tank monitoring system!

[MrKABC]

Old and new!