Cheap upgrade of the faulty tank sensors on your RV.
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- One of the universally cheap (and semi-working) components of the typical RV is the holding and fresh-water tank monitoring system. Typically these systems just about last for the length of the warranty... or less.
One major problem as to why they do not work is the use of well-nuts or other uber cheap sensors.
The Horst Miracle Probes are an upgrade to the sensors that will not foul (at least not as easy).
Amazon (black tank): amzn.to/1ZTmWhu
Amazon (grey tank): amzn.to/27oHST3
A companion website for this projec is at: www.rv-project....
I have to tell you, you do an awesome job on these videos. in fact, IMO they are some of the best mod or upgrade RV videos on UA-cam. please keep them coming.
Thank you for your kind words. Earlier this month we sold our motorhome and purchased a 5th wheel, so look for new videos in the coming weeks and months.
RVProject he
Very nice video. Appreciate how you mentioned why you had to drill new holes and was able to use existing on black tank.
Thank you for supporting the channel.
FYI. if one makes a mistake in drilling a hole say to large an easy fix for these poly tanks is to drill the next larger hole that will take a brass pipe plug and tap the hole with a NPT tap. i had to do this on a brand new fire truck (pumper ) when one of our guys drilled 12 holes into the poly booster tank which was just behind the outside compartments he was mounting equipment brackets and the tank was about 3/4 of an inch behind the compartment wall. you should have heard the station capt. when they filled the booster tank with water and is starting raining underneath the rig. this repair method came from the tank manufacturer because it happens a lot.
Ha Re You can also buy plastic welding kits for some tanks, depending on the tank material.
awboater plastic welders work great as long as you use the same base material. i have one i have used to repair motorcycle luggage boxes and fairings.
I agree with previous comments. Will be doing the same with my RV. Great video!!!
So what is the orange/red thing called that all the wires are going into? I have one the wires are broke off to short to repair?
Put these in my old RV . they changed the Gray tank pin it Used to be like a coil on the end (Original ones ) also put them in the Black tank. the Gray Tank Worked Excellent but the Black was Hit or Miss also I used a #5 Center Drill to avoid Cork screwing into the Plastic when Drilling and it leaves a perfect hole they are available at any industrial supply
AW, I didn't know what they called them, capacitive huh? There is a video of the tape on ones on UA-cam and I think Chris Travels is also selling an entire system. Yeah I can see why I would want to keep the original displays, maybe you could invent some sort of interface? Keep up the great work, we like your videos, Bill
If you do a lot of drilling I recommend you get a deburring tool used a lot in aircraft and other metal working. It will remove the rough edges and can reach into the new hole and remove the burrs where that rubber needs a clean surface to seal against..
I do hope you came back and wrapped that birds nest of wires in either wire wrapping or taped neatly so mud or ice can't start to weaken the wiring by having small stuff to hang from.
George Purdy Good ideas,
Thanks! One from working in aircraft the other from having to fix birds nests on road tractors and trailers while on the road! I HATE a messy wire job! I always carried a small roll of wire wrap and of course that electrical tape and connectors and crimps as you never know when Murphy will strike! Of course tie wraps work wonders in the wiring world also!
Blue Sky's and Safe no repair Journeys!
I could imagine you drilling the black tank and it was full!😱 Because the sensors didn't register! You would get a surprise!
It would be prudent to dump the tank prior to installing the sensors...
I use the SeeLevel it does it by percentage and tapes onto the outside. It comes with a display too.
See my video on installing the SeeLevel monitor in my RV: studio.ua-cam.com/users/videoH1UVyPn6YWg/edit?Fdashboard
I produced the video on the Horst probes for those DIY'ers that don't want to replace their systems.
Thank you for the informative video's! This one in particularly interests me. The accuracy of your tank capacities is especially important when dry camping.
Since you've had these installed for a while now, are they still consistently accurate? I need to replace my sensors.
While I would not quite call it a long term test, they performed flawlessly for the 2015 camping season.
What is the material used for the probes? If they are NOT stainless steel the sensing probe will either corrode off after a period of time, a few years.
They should work on any KiB type monitor systems.
It has been 2 years do you have an update on these probes?
I wonder if u could use dielectric grease on the electrical connections to protect from corrosion? Great job.
The issue isn't corrosion on the external connections, it is on the inside of the tank where the well nuts become fouled.
@@RVProject I realize that but u sprayed a protectant on the outside connectors. I figured dielectric grease would work on the connections where u put the wires on.
Grease would work I suppose, but the connections were exposed to the underbelly, and I think the grease would attract dirt and road debris.
Would you please clarify the name of the special cone shaped drill bit and what size of it to use for this installation? Is it a common and easy to find bit for purchase?
It is an Irwin #1 Unibit.
amzn.to/24OJl2T
good job, nice install.
What about the fresh water tank? Does the model for the Gray tank work correctly in the Fresh water tank? Please advise. Thank you.
I didn’t need them for the fresh water tank.
That bottom one, the white one. It's at the same level as the yellow one. Is the white one a ground?
The white wire is the "low-point" reference, and is ground/negative side of the battery. It should connect to the ground/negative terminal of the display panel.
www.rv-project.com/projects/horst.php
Thank you .
it looked like the empty and 1/3 full sensors were on the same level. was that just the camera angle or something?
I used the existing holes the RV mfg did when replacing the old sensors for the new ones. You are correct that the empty and 1/3rd sensor levels are close, but not enough of a problem to warrant sealing and re-drilling a new hole. Afterall, the most important sensor is the one that says full.
The empty "sensor" isn't a sensor at all. It's there to complete the circuit as a ground. If power can pass through the sensor (1/3, 2/3, full), through the liquid/tank contents, to the ground, then the light for that sensor illuminates. The empty light always lights up when you push the button.
While you are putting new sensors on your tank you should install a tank heater mat and insulate the tanks and lines
That's always an option.
Sir... Could i used the black tank horst sensors on my grey tank? I like the "tent" design the blank tank sensors have....
Currently my factory sensors work.. I let rid-x sit in both tanks when i am camping... When i empty them... I fill both tanks with. 3-5 gallons... In the black tank i put in a cup of dawn dishwashing soap... In the grey tank i put in up to 1/2 gal of vinegar... I occasionally flush both tanks with hot water...
Your youtube channel and website have been a treasure of information... THANK YOU
There is no reason you cannot use the black tank sensors for the gray tanks.
@@RVProject Thank you.... I am overwhelmed with all the useful information/tutorials you share... I have to watch them 3x-4x ...
Can you clarify what you mean by “keep the notch down”? Thank you.
The Horst Black Tank probes (but not the Grey Tank or Water Tank probes) have (or at least had at the time of the video) a notch in the sleeve protecting the actual probe. You can see the notch from this photo:
amzn.to/2BE3ReO
The notch is the missing part of the long tube that exposes the probe. It should face down when installing. Further, there is a corresponding notch on the end of the screw threads so you can properly orient the probe after installing into the tank.
Would these work on a Roadtrek?
Great job on the video.
Thank you for supporting the channel.
After four years are the new sensors still working?
I no longer have that RV so I don't know. But they worked for the two years I owned the RV, which is a lot better than the stock ones.
awesome brother thank you.
What is the Max Lenght for Wiring?
You use the existing wiring to the tanks. But given the wire has resistance, a longer wire (and/or smaller gauge wire) would certainly have more resistance.
The sensors are just a resistor ladder, so the resistance in the wiring will affect the reading.
However, since the resistor ladder is 187K ohms from full to empty, and a wire even 100ft long would only have a ohm or two at best, It wouldn't make a noticeable difference in the reading.
I would be more concerned with electrical interface in the wiring though, which could significantly change the reading, or in the worst case scenario damage the display. So I would at least want a grounded/shielded wiring jacket if the sensors are a significant distance from the display.
This is OLD TECH!!! The newest type reads through the tank and just tape on!
The capacitive systems have also been around for some time. I installed one in my boat 15 years ago.
Unfortunately RV manufacturers are too cheap to buy and install them.
The primary reason to go with the Horst probes is you can keep your existing display and wiring.
However an acquaintance of mine and I have been prototyping a system that would use capacitive sensors (analog) but still allow the use of the LED display in the monitor panel. We would flash tbe LEDs for the intermediate steps.
For example 1 LED flashing = 1/6 full. One solid LED = 1/3 full, one solid and flashing LED = 1/2 full, and so on.
As this will take a bit of time to design and prototype, the Horst Probes are a good interim system.
I have theses, they worked great at first, but stuff get stuck up under the tents 💩
Thanks for your input.
@RVProject I've figured out running down the road with about 5 gallons of water seems to clean them out...
Jeez, he sprays the waterproofing sealint in only one direction, leavig the top uncoated
So how do you know I didn't edit that part out to keep the video short?
The purpose of my videos is to provide a catalyst for thinking about ideas, not to provide an exhaustive step-by-step project. I give my subscribers the benefit that they can figure a few things out.
You only sprayed half of the probe.
When t dont flush, its time to dump
Never needed a black tank sensor. I can tell when my black tank is full.
I like to know the level of the tanks because my tote is smaller than the tank.
@@RVProject my humor my be a bit off. Love your videos sir
@@jackmehoffer1037 POTFLMAO (seems more appropriate than ROTFLMAO)