SeeLevel Monitor Upgrade 72Gal 32Gal

I am currently researching (Pre install)( I am upgrading to the Garnet SeeLevel sensors) and pulling tank sizes before removing the tank cover AGAIN.  My unit was April 2008, build 2009 Carri-Lite 36Max1 (build sheet shows sold to customer 0001), so it may be pre-production.  I have gone through all my pics and unable to find the tank sensor wire location. I did not see them while doing the black tank weld and replacing the manual valves back to the Drainmaster electric valves. ALL pics I find of  drawings of the tanks show the sensors on the low drain side (street) and on my unit the tank size of the 72gal gray is 44W x 64L x 8.5D which is the same as on my factory sticker on the tank. Shows a HT525 but the replacement is a HT499.

https://jazzsales.com/product/holding-tank-model-ht499-44w-x-64l-x-8-5d-recessed-right-hand-drain-76-ga

Black looks like the ICON Ht387Re – 64 X 22 X 8.5 is a reasonable replacement for the HT-386

So I’m getting the Garnet 709P-3 System (I do propane through the Victron Cerbo)  with 2ea 710-AR 9in black and Gray tank sensors and the 710-ES2 with an additional ES2 for the 25 in tall fresh water holding tank.

 

 

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[ramseyjackParticipantParticipantTopics - 28Replies - 143Total - 171]

I found the sizes and have the Garnet system in hand, but I do need more of the underbelly trim. PO had removed a few of the pieces.

Does anyone know what this is called or where to get it?

• This reply was modified 10 months ago by ramseyjack.

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[JohnD222ParticipantTopics - 8Replies - 514Total - 522]

Jack,

without the optional vinyl insert this REC-2605 may work, but the price may kill you.

Aluminum Rub Rail – 1-1/4″ Lip Rub Rail

JohnD

JohnD222
Based in Florida except summer
2013 36FWS Lifestyle (our great 2010 Cameo 36FWS has happy owners)

[AimlesswanderersParticipantTopics - 4Replies - 31Total - 35]

Don’t know what it is called but I purchased this at a roofing supply store near me. I believe it is the same thing they use to hold rubber roof material around the sides on flat roofs.

[AimlesswanderersParticipantTopics - 4Replies - 31Total - 35]

In my earlier post I should have said supply house rather than store as it was not a box store or lumber yard.

[ramseyjackParticipantParticipantTopics - 28Replies - 143Total - 171]

Aimlesswander, THANKS. I like John saw, the RECPro, and the price is not that bad if you purchase 5 sticks, but at 1 and 1/4 in seems thicker than what I think is closer to 3/4in. I’ll hit the roofing supply house on Monday,

[AimlesswanderersParticipantTopics - 4Replies - 31Total - 35]

I still have a couple sticks leaning against the wall in my shed for future use.

[ramseyjackParticipantParticipantTopics - 28Replies - 143Total - 171]

Update on SeeLevel install 2009 36Max1. Tank covers removed.

Pulled the 2 fuses from the water pump and the monitor panel. Pulled the KIB monitor panel out, took pics of the wiring. Went below on the PASSENGER side where the tank sensors are, and took pics. Colors and wires don’t make sense. Pulled ALL the wire at the KIB monitor panel and there is a LOT more behind the wall and noted 4 wire cable to the fresh water sensor (blu, gry, brn, wht) and a 3 wire cable (gry, brn, wht) to the waste tank sensor wired in parallel. So Blue is fresh water, Gray is gray tank, Brown is black tank, and the common (grounded also) is white. I decided to use the gray and white lines for the 2 wires needed for the SeeLevel system.

Fresh water pump system is a bit more confusing. Measured the voltage to the red and purple wires at the KIB pump switch and red was positive 13.5 (Lithium batteries) and the purple was positive 13.5 when the wetbay pump switch was on. Went to the pump switch location and they were all red or red-white. Hmm

Pulled the wire out more behind the KIB control panel and the purple it tied to a gray and the red it tied to a purple..WHAT? I give,  just experimented until I got the green indicator and the pump switches to work and indicate properly. I ended up tying in the white indicator line to the Gray-Purple junction and moved on. I have thoughts on the lack of consistency in the wiring, but the reality is probably much worse than my thoughts. I think they just used what they had that day. Grateful it is all sized properly most of the time.

Taped the 2 Freshwater sensors up and just not enough room, so pulled the lines to the wetbay hot and cold, then made the decision to just cut off the wires from both the fresh and waste tanks for they have not leaked in 15yrs so no need to upset already sealed points with the “clean” disassembly and reassembly. It ain’t broke.

There is no 100% clean way to get the freshwater sensors inline straight up and down, so I moved the top one a little to the rear (about ½ in) and the lower one forward a bit with the recommended ½ in spacing up and down. I also cut off 2 in on the bottom sensor. It should still read appropriately.

Yes, I attempted the blue tape attempt but after all the work and finding an old legacy sensor under the tape and overlapping onto the sensor, I just stuck them on. No room to work

These things are probably not perfect, but I’m just looking for something better than both waste tanks reading ⅔ full, no matter whether full or empty.

I cut the 2 waste tank sensors to 4 ¼ inches (4 sensor pads) and just stuck them on, too, with a bias to the top. I need to know when they are close to full.

I’m going to upload this, and when the rain stops will go finish the cutout for the monitor panel and take final pics.

BTW REALLY grateful, I pulled the tank cover and found a completely rusted-out black tank strap. The PO had often overflowed the black tank (I noticed when I replaced the vent and toilet pipe rubber seals, that they had attempted to silicone up the seals) I replaced the shrunk-up rubber, and all is well now.

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[ramseyjackParticipantParticipantTopics - 28Replies - 143Total - 171]

rusted out tank strap

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[ramseyjackParticipantParticipantTopics - 28Replies - 143Total - 171]

Pretty happy. Both gray and Black tanks are, and show empty. 29% on the fresh water is probably closer to 25% but will drain and measure gallons in and out. I should have placed the stacked ES2 sensors closer together but if it bugs me I will order another bottom sensor and the larger display filler plate. I’ll probably be OK and live with it. The bottom of the fresh tank has sluff from the moulding and I’m not going to try to create a crack in a working, not leaking, 15yr old fresh tank. I really don’t want to pull that forward wall out to replace a 100 gallon tank if I don’t have to. Will clean up the wiring in there.
I did clean up the waste tank wiring, both on the sensor (passenger) and drain valve side (drivers).

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[ramseyjackParticipantParticipantTopics - 28Replies - 143Total - 171]

More pics a bunch of wire

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[ramseyjackParticipantParticipantTopics - 28Replies - 143Total - 171]

Tank Cover insulation update post SeeLevel

I am preparing to put the tank cover back on, and after looking at the 4in cover and I did fill the tanks with water to measure the accuracy of the SeeLevel, and how far down the tanks sagged into the existing and new straps. I added 3 or 4 new straps, so 5 straps on the gray and 4 straps on the black. Also glued rubber-neoprene pads to the tank straps to minimize any cutting into the ABS.

I did not notice how far below the frame rails the tanks hung when full, so I was torn about whether to use fiberglass or foam. I ended up getting two sheets of NGX (the purple ones): one 4x8x1in and one 4x8x2in. This left an inch of clearance if the tanks sagged too much. I will be checking as they fill.

The cover in the 36Max1 is 5ft x 6ft x 4in deep, so I cut the foam 6 x 4 and the remaining 2ft x 4 ft into perfect 2ft x 16in pieces. There is not much going into the electric valve area, so I can cut up those pieces to fit around the protrusions. If necessary, I will fill it with fiberglass.

Got new rails to hold the tank cover up. Mine were in about 10 pieces.

Anyone know how far the tanks sag?

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[JohnD222ParticipantTopics - 8Replies - 514Total - 522]

Jack,

Between the original straps, my guess is that the sag is a lot, and this explains OEM use of fiberglass insulation rather than foam insulation board.  Your extra straps should reduce if not eliminate that.

I say a lot in ORM configuration because i had reason to temporarily remove the forward wall in the main storage area and could observe the outward bulge in the fresh water holding tank. It budged out about a full inch in the middle width at its middle height when full. I added plywood to keep that minimized on my 2010 as i was mounting things to the wall that i did not want to flex. The OEM 2013 had that plywood plus a 2×2 shim out for the thin felt coated wall material.

JohnD222
Based in Florida except summer
2013 36FWS Lifestyle (our great 2010 Cameo 36FWS has happy owners)

[JohnD222ParticipantTopics - 8Replies - 514Total - 522]

Jack,

 

Can you stick the SeaLevel gauge strip on the grey and black holding tanks with just the cover removed and without removing the tank itself?

I “see” what you mean about mounting the two fresh water gauge strips closer together, but i do like the height of the bottom one. The pump starts pulling air just below that.

JohnD222
Based in Florida except summer
2013 36FWS Lifestyle (our great 2010 Cameo 36FWS has happy owners)

[ramseyjackParticipantParticipantTopics - 28Replies - 143Total - 171]

John,

Yes, there is no need to pull the tanks, but the cover is a PAIN.

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[ramseyjackParticipantParticipantTopics - 28Replies - 143Total - 171]

I did the testing on the SeeLevel sensors by draining both the gray and black tanks,

and putting a P3 P0550 Water Meter on a water hose. (Done 7 months ago, and in the rush to finish forgot to upload results)

Hose down the toilet for the black tank and the shower for the gray.

Added 5 gallons at a time and measuring until I got to the upper end of the scale, then 2.5 gallons to arrive at 100%

The results are NOT linear, for the tanks are curved, and I biased them toward the upper end (full) of the waste tanks and the lower end (empty) of the freshwater tank.

I have 4.5 gal to spare on the black tank and 9 gallons on the gray. I can live with that.

I can’t find the freshwater results, but I will need to sanitize the freshwater system in the upcoming weeks, so will post those results after the next fill and drain.

Gallons on the left and percentages on the right

Results below:

Black tank 32gal

5 gal 0%

10 gal 0%

15 gal 31%

20 gal 63%

23 gal 75%

25 gal 88%

27.5 100%

Gray 72gal

5gal 0%

10gal 0%

15gal 0%

20 gal 0%

25gal 6%

30gal 19%

35gal 31%

40 gal 44%

45gal 50%

50gal 69%

55gal 81%

60gal 94%

63gal 100%

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