WIRELESS RV WATER TANK SENSOR Mopeka Pro Check Water Monitor Install, Review & Test
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- Are you tired of inaccurate RV tank readings and always having to clean your fresh and grey water RV tank sensors? If you Dry Camp or Boondock, this can be VERY frustrating! Fortunately, we found a simple solution in the Mopeka Pro Check Wireless Water Tank Sensor with Bluetooth monitoring, through the Mopeka cell phone app. In today’s video, we’ll talk about why we chose this product, show you the installation of the sensor, review the details of the Mopeka cell phone app and we’ll show you how we tested the sensor to confirm it’s accuracy.
Intro: (0:00)
Why We Need This: (0:46)
Why We Chose This Sensor: (1:38)
Locating Our Tank: (3:11)
Preparing For The Install: (4:48)
Installation Of The Sensor: (6:15)
Reviewing The App: (11:57)
Testing The Sensor: (14:32)
Closing: (15:57)
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You can purchase the Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor at www.mopeka.com
About us: We are a full time RV couple traveling the United States while living in our RV for the past 2 1/2 years. We decided that it would be fun to share our adventures and RV DIY knowledge with you! So come along and join in the fun by subscribing to our channel.
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Glad to know I am not the only one that posts my screw ups in the videos... I was looking for input on the app. I am rebuilding a Class B motorhome and adding water tanks underslung instead of in the camper. These will really help...
Thanks for showing All the process for installation- even the mistakes - Good video Ed.
Great video thanks for all the detailed info!
Thanks for taking the time to show this.
You’re very welcome Mark! Stay tuned, we’re working on finalizing a video where we review & test both the original Mopeka propane sensor and the Mopeka Pro.
Great vid and info on this sensor. Thanks for your work.
Glad to share! 👍🏻
Thanks for creating this video! I think this may be our solution for our Airstream!
Awesome! Glad it was helpful!!
Great video. Thanks Don
What a great video. Thank you.😁
You’re most welcome! Glad you enjoyed. 😉
Thank you for that video. We'll be doing the same after this weekend.
Awesome! Glad our video was helpful. ✌🏻
Never had issues with the fresh water tank sensor - only the gray and black tank sensors. Love all the holes! Hope the desert grass grew with all the water!
Hey Susie! These are supposed to work on the grey tanks as well, however, they do not work on the black tanks. Thank goodness the 3rd hole worked out! There was a lizard that kept coming over to get a drink every time I emptied a bucket. I should have filmed him. 🦎
Great video. I’m going to have to give this a try. Hope I can get it in one shot. 😁
Thanks Michael! Even though it took a few extra try’s to find a good location, it was well worth it, much easier than installing a wired system. We’re at the end of our 2nd week with the sensor and it is so comforting knowing exactly how much water we have left in the tank. Makes boondocking that much more enjoyable. Let us know if you get the sensor and how it works out for you. 👍🏻
Great video. I hope Mopeka comes out with a black tank solution. I use the propane monitors- love them. Unfortunately I have all an fiberglass truck camper and can’t get to the fresh or grey tank bottoms but I can the black. Oye!
Great video for sure E! Extremely helpful for those that can. You show the potential issues you can run into and how perseverance wins. It seems like it always takes me 3-5 times to get something to work out, with plenty of unpleasant language. Thanks for sharing. Well done!AND…Nice cameo from Johnny Utah! Be safe out there.
Thanks E-Square! That would make it much more difficult with the truck camper. It’s too bad the manufacturers don’t install the monitors that use the ultrasonic technology. Yes, Mopeka needs to come out with a battery powered Bluetooth sensor strip for the black tank that sticks on the side of the tank like the See Level. I figured you would enjoy the Johnny U cameo. Believe it or not, that was totally unscripted. Lol.
I am running the Seelevel tank monitor system in my Arctic Fox truck camper. I have access to the side of the tanks, it was an easy upgrade. There's no need to ruin additional wiring tot he sensors. I used the original tank sensor wiring to adapt to the SeeLevel monitor.
Great video! I have been using the propane tank sensors since they came out. The only dislike I have about them is the short battery life.
Thanks DB! I believe the short battery life issue is resolved with the Pro sensor being that you can set the update rate to as high as 30.5 seconds. The original propane sensors can only be set at a max of 10.5 seconds for the update rate. And I just found out on my original propane sensor that this can be changed by holding down the Sync button for 5 seconds. I previously had it set at 3.5 seconds and the battery would die within 2 months. I’m guessing at 30.5 seconds, we should see the life extend out to possibly a year or more.
Love your how to vids. Our fresh water tank is fully exposed on our pacific coach works TT. So this sensor would be a easy install. Would be worried about washboard roads
and it staying on though. My drain on the fresh water tank is just like the drain on the black and grey water tank. You pull the lever and it dumps 50 gallons in 10 seconds.
I do like that feature when were leaving and dont want to carry the extra weight of water , it dumps super fast.
Thanks Rob! That would make the install much easier having the open tank. The sensor housing does seem very secure and I think as long as it is cleaned and prepped well with the primer, it would stay put even on the rough roads. I’m not sure why the manufacturer put that tiny shutoff on. It takes a full 50 minutes to drain our fresh tank when we fill and drain it for sanitizing. Let me know what you think of the sensor if you get one. I honestly am very happy with it so far. It’s great to know exactly what percentage of water we have left at all times. No more guessing!
Great vid. I have been wanting to install these sensors, but I couldn't find a good video. So I put it on the back burner. Then weeks later, when I am not searching, this vid comes up automagically. Go figure. But without a good video I was making some napkin notes without even using a napkin. And I thought the hatch access caps you used would work. Great minds think alike. Thanks for the other tips too
Oh cool! I just released a new how-to video after a long 6 month hiatus and it seems as though UA-cam decided to promote some of my other videos which is good to know. Glad this one helped you out! We are still loving the sensor and plan to pick up a few more for the grey tanks and will also be upgrading the sensors on the propane tanks to the pro version. Let me know how it works out for your install. Cheers! 🍻
Excellent video. Very well done.
We've been full timing for over 2 years with no sensors of any kind on 5 tanks. 1 fresh, 3 gray, and 2 black. I've gotten to know the system well enough to estimate, but it would be great to know for sure. Not sure the Mopeka sensor will work on the black tanks, but I'll buy a couple and see how it goes before buying for all the tanks. I can't imagine the gray tanks will be that much different than the fresh tank, so I'm not too worried about that.
Thanks for making this video. It's very useful information.
Thanks Patrick! Glad you found our video helpful. I’ll be installing a few sensors on our grey tanks in a few weeks as well. The fresh water sensor is still working great. 👍🏻
Great info! We recently rented our first class c, the black tank monitor was so off, so frustrating! Thanks for sharing! Great video!>Sue
Hi Sue! Glad our video was helpful. I didn't mention it in the video, but, yes, our black tank is always off. That's a tough one to deal with. We actually have a wand that we connect to our hose and it extends down through the toilet into the black tank then spins water throughout the tank. This cleans it pretty well, but, the sensors almost immediately get dirty again. The way we can tell if our black tank is getting full is that the toilet starts "gulping for air" when we flush it. That's because the tank is full enough that the water covers the opening for the vent pipe on the tank. Not sure if every RV tank is set up exactly the same way, but, it works for us. Unfortunately, the Mopeka sensor will not work on the black tank, but, it does work on both fresh and grey tanks. Hope that info helps you in your future RV travels. Thanks for watching and commenting! Ed.
So, I figured out the trick to increase longevity of the battery on the sensor.. Normally, bluetooth sensors operate in a low power mode unless connected to a device, like your phone. Then the battery usage increases as it transmits data at whatever intervals set. The phone app will keep the device awake as long as it's running. So, after you check your level, make sure you stop your app. Just going to the home screen won't stop it, you will need to swipe up to see all the recent apps, then swipe it off the screen. That will close the app. I have been successfully doing this for over six months now and the battery on my propane sensor still shows full.
Btw kudos for this video, I learned one, how to switch the update rate on my standard sensor (must've missed those instructions before) and two, using a kayak access port. I'm going to see how I can adapt that idea to my truck camper.
Btw, one comment on the video. Wouldn't it be more accurate to mount the sensor in the middle of the tank? If you're not perfectly level, the corner level can differ from the actual level of the tank, which is most accurate in the middle.
Hi Daniel. Glad you enjoyed the video! I do close out my app as well after I'm done checking the status and for whatever reason, my original propane sensor batteries still deplete about every 4 months. The battery on the new Pro sensor for the water tank, however, is still completely full. Might just be that my original sensors are about 3 years old now. I do also agree with mounting it in the middle of the tank if possible. Thanks for your input!
Thanks for the information! Wireless sensors sound great, but I'm not sure I like the idea of only being able to really monitor the fresh. I've installed several SeeLeveL System without needing to run wiring. It is pretty easy to use the existing wiring from the factory system. If I'm going to cut holes, I might as well cut one for the SeeLeveL system so I can monitor all of my tanks reliably and not have to worry about batteries.
Anytime Pete! These can also be installed on the grey tanks. Just not the black. They were out of stock for a while, but, they’re back now, so, I’m going to be getting a few more to install on my 2 greys. The battery life is amazing on the new Pro sensor as well. We installed the sensor about 10 months ago and it’s still showing a full charge on the app. I have heard good things about the See Level though too. Just thought we’d have to run the wire and didn’t realize we could use the existing. Our underbelly is secured with pop rivets and pulling it down for access isn’t a great option. I’d assume we’d have to cut a larger access hole to install the See Level?
I installed the Mopekas on our propane tanks and they worked great until I needed to change the batteries on them. It seemed they would slide around as I reinstalled the tanks. I did try using some tape, but it still seemed off. We purchased one Pro sensor to see if that was better than the oval cheaper sensors. It definitely seemed to work better.
With all the rough bouncing roads we’ve been on, I would definitely recommend taping them in place.
We recently purchased one actual analog gauge for our propane tanks just for double checking.
I can see why you got this for your potable water tank. That looked like a terrible original system. When the Mopekas work, they work great! As a few others mentioned, it would be nice if they worked on the black water tanks.
Cutting three times seemed like something I would have done! 😉
I like your traveling videos, but I think your instruction videos are some of the best out there. 👍🏼
Very funny beginning cameo with Marc!!
Wow! You weren’t kidding when you said that there was no one around initially.
We would like to go back there in the future when it is not a holiday.
Sure was nice seeing you all you folks in person.
Thanks,
Ram
Hey Ram! Curious, how did the analog match up to the Mopeka for your propane tank? Glad you are enjoying the How To videos. We plan on doing a lot more of those in the near future. Stay tuned. Nice meeting you out here as well. Some of the crowd has dispersed, but, there are still a ton of folks hanging out. Nice to see after the past few years of Covid lockdowns... ✌🏻
The one with the Pro Mopeka is okay. The other one with the less expensive oval style was reading 80% and the next morning it was reading empty. I know that even when we are running the furnace all night it will only go down 20%. Also it showed poor signal and dead battery, but I had just installed a new battery. Possibly with all the jostling around on the rough roads (Like the south end of Lahontan Reservoir looking for Beach 9 😉)
When I plugged in the analog gauge it indicated almost full and by the end of the trip, it was reading about 2/3.
I will probably end up buying another Pro and replace the oval type.
I really do like being able to look on my phone and check my propane levels and battery levels.
Your first shot of your bluetooth showed both of your propane tanks were empty! Fortunately, the second shot showed them both full.
Ram
Good catch Ram! Yes, the one propane sensor battery was dead and that was causing it to read empty when it was actually full. The other tank actually was empty. I replaced the battery and then the tank that was full began reading full again as seen in the 2nd screen shot. I didn’t realize it, but, the propane sensor update rate was set at 3.5 seconds. This was causing the battery to get used up in only a few months. I just changed the update rate to 10.5 seconds by holding down the sync button for 5 seconds. That’s the nice thing about the pro version. You can change the update rate right through the app AND it can be set all the way up to every 30.5 seconds. That will make a big difference!
I didn’t realize that my PRO is also set at 3.5 second updates. I will probably change that to all the way up to 30 seconds.
My other one is standard 10.5 seconds.
Not sure why the battery died so fast.
Also, I want to get some good tape and tape them to the bottles.
Is there anything we are suppose to do when we change the battery? Is it just synchronizing and that’s it?
I ended up deleting the device and installed it as a new device for the PRO.
Ram
I usually don’t have to do anything when I change the battery. It usually just automatically pairs back up on its own. If you hit the sync button, it may be changing the update rate.
Topargee are also a good option as it is installed in your pump line and is a flow meter and counts down the litres telling you how many litres are left.
Hey, that’s pretty cool. Never heard of it before. Over twice the price for the Bluetooth version though.
What are you using on your propane tank to elevate it? Thanks for your videos.
Hi Kim. We aren’t using anything to raise up the tank. Our tank bases sit high enough with the integrated base rim so that the sensors do not touch the metal support. Mopeka sells a base “halo” that will elevate your tank if needed. Hope that’s what you were referring to! If not, feel free to clarify.
Thanks for the informative video...
So, it's been about a year, how has the water sensor been doing?
You’re most welcome Richard. The water sensor has been great! A real game changer for our boondocking lifestyle. We actually just got a couple more to try out on the grey tanks and will be posting a video on those as well.
Thanks for the video! I have a mopeka propane tank monitor and it works great. I'm camping in sub zero temps this weekend and I don't know if I'm loosing water or if my fresh tank sensor is completely off. So I'm looking for an alternative. I wonder if this mopeka water sensor will work when it's 21° f. Anyone know?
Hi Cynthia, glad you enjoyed our video! The Mopeka Pro sensors have an operating range between-55F and 140F, so, you’re definitely good as I can’t imagine you’ll ever be camping in those extreme temps! I’m guessing your RV sensor is not reading correctly. You would typically see water dripping from somewhere under the rig if your tank was losing water. Hope that info helps!
Hi Eddie- I have a very small pop up camper ( A liner) with an 11 gallon fresh water tank. Do you think this sensor would be accurate with such a small volume? Of course I would have to accurately measure the height of the plastic tank, and hopefully the sensor would still work? Thank you for your help!
Hi Polly! Good news, I do think it would work for your tank as well. I looked online a bit for pop up camper fresh water tanks and they look to be similar in height to what we have. Our tank is most likely a lot longer and wider for the extra capacity. You are correct, accurate height measurement will be the key. Hope that makes sense. Please feel free to let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi... i don't have access to the bottom of the tank... could it work from the top? I have a trunk camper and all the tank on sitting on the floor.... i am hoping i could your this my adding the sensor on the top... Do you think it could be possible?
Hi Andre, unfortunately it will only work from the bottom of the tank.
I see you installed the sensor at the bottom of the water tank. My fresh water tanks are inside my tv, resting on the ground inside a bench, so I would only be able to install it on the side of the water tank. Would it still work?
Unfortunately, it would need to be installed on the bottom of the tank and would not work on the side or top.
Hey Ed! When you cut the third hole, I thought I was going to see a sticker that said "No sensors here".
Lol! No kidding! Fortunately, third time was a charm…
I have a Class B RV (Majestic Tourer II) and the water sensors are horrible. My method of knowing what my water level is at is getting under my van and just looking at the tank which can be hard unless you use a flashlight aimed into the tank, and you should do this at night. I will have to check this sensor out, thx for the video. My tank is exposed so installation should be easy for me. One thing I think I missed was how hard was it to change the battery or how is that done once the monitor is permanently attached to the tank?
Hey James, isn't it amazing that these RV companies can't install decent sensors? How you check you tank is both funny and not funny at the same time! 😉 Yes, do check it out. We are loving this Mopeka sensor. At the end of our week of boondocking here in Nevada and we are so relaxed now just because we know exactly how much water we have left by looking at our phone app. If you do end up getting it, come back to let us know how it's working out for you. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@EddieAtLarge Looks like it will not work out for me. My tank is bulging too much and i cannot find a flat area that would support this device. Too bad, it would have been very easy otherwise since i have no cover below my water tank.
@@jamescabaniss5857 Hey James. My tank bulges quite a bit as well and the monitor is still working great. It is not sitting perfectly level, still no problem.
@@EddieAtLarge Is this monitor super flexible? This would be like mounting the monitor to a round ball. I placed a 3" flat disk (similar to the monitor) on the tank where I would mount the monitor and it had .5" gaps on each side of the disk (on the underneath where it would mount) so I am not sure how I would be able to mount this on such a large bulge.
@@jamescabaniss5857 Oh wow, that’s much worse than what I would have suspected. No, unfortunately it’s not flexible and sounds like it would not work for your tank. Sorry it won’t out for you.
never had issue with freshwater now if they could come out with one for black tank I would get one
Also wish they had one for the black tank…
I can't find this on your Amazon store or on Amazon at all, where did you get this?
Hey Travis, they have never sold it on Amazon. I originally ordered mine directly from Mooeka’s website. They took it off of there now. I did find it here though: approducts.net/product/024-6002-mopeka-pro-check-water-sensor/
True Epoxy does not stick to plastic at all. That inspection port should of been done like any other RV sealant procedure. Pick your choice.
It’s still holding strong after a year of full time Rv traveling.
I can only get to the inside of the tank. Not the outside. Will it work underwater?
Hi Michael, unfortunately this will not work underwater.
Did they discontinue this? Weird I can't find it on their website..
They now have it listed here: approducts.net/product/024-6002-mopeka-pro-check-water-sensor/
Unfortunately, they are changing a flat rate of $25 for shipping anywhere in the US.
I wonder if this would work on the Side of the Tank at the Bottom??
Unfortunately, it will only work on the bottom of the tank.
@@EddieAtLarge I figured , but thought I'd ask to be sure. Thanks.
I'm curious as to what the readings would like like while the rig is in motion on a bumpy road. LOL
Guessing it would look a lot like the stock market these days. 😂
The only issue I have with the Mopeka sensors (I have the propane tank sensors) is it seems stupid to have the sensor refresh every 3.5 or 10.5 seconds. If there was an option for 1 minute, that would mean 6-20 times fewer sonar pings and bluetooth updates it would have to send, greatly extending the life of the battery. I see your water sensor has an option with a slider to change the sensor updates, not the case in the propane sensors I got. As for the tank sensors, I've never had issue with the fresh or gray tank sensors. They need some way to come up with something for the black tank. That's the sensor that NEVER works after the first time the tank is filled.
I agree Brian. Our original propane sensors work great other than the battery dying off after only a few months due to the high refresh rate. The new Pro Water Tank Sensor though still shows a completely full battery after being installed for 6 months now. I have it set at the 30 second refresh rate. I do believe the new Pro Propane Sensors would have the same 30 second refresh rate option which in turn would greatly extend the life of the battery. I'm most likely going to replace my 2 original sensors with the Pro Check Propane sensors just for this reason alone. One big tip for this would be to make sure you close your Mopeka App after every use otherwise if you leave it open, it will continue to connect to the sensor and drain the battery. I also agree, it would be nice if they came out with a sensor for the black tank, however, these definitely won't work due to the solids in the tank.
@Homie At Large for the black tank, I bet three or four sensors like this mounted to the sides, with a learning mode, would work. Put them in the SIDE of the black tank at 25 percent intervals and the top and hit a program button. The sensors now know what the signal return looks like when empty. Now as the tank fills with the random blend of solids and liquids, when the level gets to the level of each sensor the return would change. Now the sensor knows that level is no longer empty.
I wonder if this would work on your black tank if you put on top of your tank? Hmmm
It actually may work installed on the bottom of the black tank as shown in this video from the RV Project channel: ua-cam.com/video/9p4MRrxTuO4/v-deo.html He has not done a follow up video to confirm though.
Nor will he as he unfortunately passed.
@@alrude2847 Oh no. Sorry to hear this.
Our Mcluois motorhome also has a water tank monitor measuring in thirds. just useless. When 32% full it shows empty! 90% full shows 66%
It’s a shame these manufacturers don’t install better monitors…. 😕
Dont think its a good idea I have heaters on all of my tanks and that cant be good for the sensor?
We've used the heaters quite a few times now to keep the tanks from freezing during extremely cold weather. We only turn them on when the temps get below 32F for extended periods and they have worked well. This has not damaged the sensor.
Can’t find this water level sensor item. Only find LP version.
Could you point me in the right direction?
Dick Hollister
You can purchase the Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor at www.mopeka.com
@@EddieAtLarge do you have a direct link? I can't find them on their site anywhere.
Sure. Here is is: www.mopekaiot.com/product/mopeka-pro-check-water-sensor-bottom-mount-w-collar
@@EddieAtLarge thank you!
@@EddieAtLarge I think I am 3 weeks too late, I'm getting "So sorry, we can't find this page" error :(
never cut a hole in the underbelly just pull down one side
We would have, however, the sides had pop rivets instead of self tapping screws. We also wanted easy access to change the battery when needed.
bruh how hard is it to just look before you cut
Pretty hard. The corrugated underbelly is pop riveted to the steel beam and I didn’t want to remove it.
A garden hose water meter is how I know how much water is going into my tank, it maybe something you could use instead of buckets 🪣 😉
Good idea! I’ve looked at those on Amazon and just haven’t bought one yet. That would be easier… 😀
@@EddieAtLarge do you know if this will work on the black tank??
@@camperbum This guy says it does, however, he never followed up with another video to confirm. ua-cam.com/video/9p4MRrxTuO4/v-deo.html
@@EddieAtLarge thanks, I have seen that video, and like others have asked him about if he has a update to this, he's has not responded to anyone yet.
@@camperbum Hmmm. Mopeka currently has the Pro-Check Water Sensors on backorder, however, they told me they would be getting more in stock by the end of this month. I'll be ordering a few more for my 2 grey tanks and I think I'll use one of them to test it out on the black tank before I install it on the grey. So, stay tuned, more videos to come on these!