water tank

[k99bbb]

My 2011 autotrail apache water gauge nevers seems to work properly it nearley

always says full when it is empty any answers please

[Derek Uzzell]

To some extent the accuracy of a motorhome’s fresh-water tank contents gauge (I assume you are referring to the fresh-water tank not the waste-water tank) will depend on the measuring system used and the shape of the tank, but inaccuracy can also be caused by ‘scale’ forming on the probes of a ‘probe-type’ sensor-unit.

 

As will be evident from the forum entries listed here

 

https://tinyurl.com/y7nlural

 

issues with with water contents gauges are pretty common.

 

[Ninian]

Hi, The waste water level sensor on my 2014 Dakota has never worked properly. It’s probably a cheap fitting.

[Zafira]

Afternoon

Given the inaccuracy of the freshwater tank level indicator set-up I now use a water flow meter between the cold tap& my food-grade hose to easily keep an eye on how much I'm putting into the tank - I use a Gardena one but others available............

[Derek Uzzell]

It’s not beyond the wit of man (or even of a motorhome manufacturer) to fit a gauge-system that’s adequate for motorcaravenners to obtain ‘good enough’ information about the contents-level of a motorhome’s fresh-water tank and when the waste-water tank is approaching full.

 

From on-line comments it seems that Auto-Trail has generally used ’studs’ fitted into the fresh-water tank’s side as sensors, and a ‘float sensor’ in the waste-water tank. The 1st system should be able to provide a useful and reasonably accurate contents-level read-out range and a ‘float sensor’ is a simple and reliable approach.

 

However, whatever approach is taken, there’s a strong possibility that the system will malfunction after a while if sensors become affected by ’scale’ (fresh-water sensors) or muck (waste-water sensors). Such problems may be simple to cure if the sensors are easily accessible, but (as indicated in this example relating to a 1-year-old motorhome)

 

https://www.motorhomefacts.com/forum-printtopic-1-111053-0-0-asc-viewresult-1.html

 

accessing the sensors on an Auto-Trail motorhome evidently requires some work.

 

The fresh and waste water-gauges of my three motohomes - across a 20-year period - have all been adequate and accurate enough to be useful. The probe-type sensor on my 2005 Hobby motorhome’s fresh-water tank needed the occasional clean to remove ’scale’, but this was easy to do and took just a few minutes. (My 2015 Rapido’s probe-type sensor is still reading OK, but it would be equally easy to clean if it starts to misread.) All of the waste tank warning systems (float or ’stud’) have remained accurate and functional.

 

I’m unsure about the logic of using a water flow-meter other than to initially establish the accuracy of a motorhome’s fresh-water tank contents-gauge. If the tank’s capacity were (say) 100 litres and the gauge read 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 full when, respectively, 25 litres, 50 litres and 75 litres had been put in, you’d know that the gauge was really accurate. And, if the gauge’s read-out varied from the amount of water put in the tank, you’d know what the variation was and be able to compensate for this when reading the gauge in future. (I’ve always known when my motorhome’s fresh-water tank was full as I fill it until it overflows. After that I’m comfortable relying on the gauge.) Even if a gauge’s read-outs were totally haywire and untrustworthy, I can’t see the value of a flow-meter unless the water tank were first completely emptied and then a particular quantity of water put in.

[chas]

A few years back I had occasion to remove my water tank from the van because the drain tap had broken off and had to be replaced. An involved job to remove the tank but fitting the new tap was no problem. I to had suffered inaccurate water level readings from new so was able to remove and inspect the electrical rods from the tank.

I gave them a gentle cleaning enough to know there was no scale deposits left on them, however when everything was reinstalled and the tank was filled, after a few uses and refills the wretched readouts were still inaccurate :'( ,so it would appear that it is beyond the scope of manufactures to provide a foolproof instrument to do an accurate job.

 

Many years ago when I built a campervan I installed the water tank behind the wardrobe wall, and to get an idea of the water level I fitted a clear water hose from the tanks base out through the wall and up to the height of the tank. this allowed a dead accurate reading of how much water was still left in the tank, so simple really. How I miss that old van with its foot operated water pump to provide water to the tap.

 

Hot water was provided by boiling a kettle.

 

 

 

:-D :-D :-D