Cptnvideo
Arizona - most of the time
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I hate our empty, 1/3, 2/3 and full tank monitors (which frequently lie).
I'm looking at (and probably purchasing) the 4 tank level monitor made by Garnet Instruments. It will monitor our fresh, galley, gray and black tanks using external stick on sensors that read out in percent of full.
Does anyone have any experience with the Garnet Instruments SeeLevel tank monitors?
Bill & Linda
Arizona
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ktmrfs
Portland, Oregon
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yes, I've had it on our outback for almost 10 years. it's easy to install, uses the same wires as the usual cheap factory guage. It is consistent and repeatable even on the black tank. The ONLY time I've had it be the least bit suspect on readings is if the galley tank ends up with a bunch of soap suds after washing dishes. It may read high for 30 minutes or so.
There is one downside to the system. the scale ASSUMES a completely rectangular tank. so for your fresh water the % reading is very accurate. for black/grey tanks that have a sloped bottom or irregular shape, it will show it filling faster than it really is.
However, there is an easy solution. Ours reads in 10% incremennts. what I did is useing a flow meter on a hose, filled the black and grey tanks and at each 10% increment noted how much water (gallons) was at that level then made a "cheat sheet" I post next to the tank. So in my case, 32 gallon tanks, 50% on the meter has the tank filled to about 12 gallons IIRC. so my sheet shows 20 gallons for remaining capacity.
Ours is for 4 tanks, fresh, grey, galley, black along with switch for pump.
Measure your tank height first, then pick the guage that best fits the tank height and gives you the best resolution.
Once installed you may find like I did that 100% isn't completely full, the top of the guage must be slightly below the top of the tank. I just noted the remaining capacity in gallons with the tanks read 100%, but in the end I like that because now when a galley tank reads 100% I know I have 5 gallons capacity remaining before I run into trouble. likewise for the grey and black.
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3 tons
NV.
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Wouldn’t ever be without one, when off grid saves an unwarranted trip to town !!
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Cptnvideo
Arizona - most of the time
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Thanks, Gents. I will be buying.
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deltabravo
Spokane, WA
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Cptnvideo wrote:Does anyone have any experience with the Garnet Instruments SeeLevel tank monitors?
YEP!
I installed it in 2011 on my Arctic Fox Truck Camper. It worked flawless. I kept the monitor panel and bought new tank sensors and installed it on my AF 992 in 2020 when I sold the 811 and bought the 992.
IT IS AWESOME!
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ktmrfs
Portland, Oregon
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yup, as I mentioned in a previous post, the only improvement I would like to see is a way to calibrate the meter for odd shaped tanks. e.g. typical grey/black tanks that have a slopped bottom. calibration assumes a rectangular tank, But then once you have used it a few times, you'll get familiar with it.
It is a well made, well thought out, solution to the factory sensor system.
There is another system (don't remember the name) that let's you do a calibration for odd tanks, but it's much more complex installation, doesn't use the typical facgtory wires, and is even more expensive.
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Trackrig
Spent the summer in Conconuly, Wa, MH now in Vanco
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I had SeeLevel gages installed on my DP and they weren't a bit better than the OEM gages. They were a waste of money.
Bill
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StirCrazy
Kamloops, BC, Canada
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Cptnvideo wrote:I hate our empty, 1/3, 2/3 and full tank monitors (which frequently lie).
I'm looking at (and probably purchasing) the 4 tank level monitor made by Garnet Instruments. It will monitor our fresh, galley, gray and black tanks using external stick on sensors that read out in percent of full.
Does anyone have any experience with the Garnet Instruments SeeLevel tank monitors?
I know a few people who have them and they are the next "upgrade" project on my camper as it has no guages whats so ever and it drives me nuts having to guess when tanks are full haha. but ya out of the 4 or 5 people I know who have them, they all love them. there is the issue with weird shaped tanks but it isn't bad, for them the bottom filles faster but the top fills slower so it still works for them. the other issue is the inbetween hight tanks so where its to tall for one sender but to short for two, so they just skew it towards the top of the tank so they know when it is full. but I see they have a new sender out that looks like it addresses that issue. I'll have to see what else has changed.
Steve
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12thgenusa
Loveland, Colorado
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I've had mine for over ten years. Works great. I can add about 5 gallons to the fresh water tank after it reads 100% and there are probably 5 gallons left after it says empty. The readings jump in 6% increments.
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Cptnvideo
Arizona - most of the time
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I've done a little more research. There are 2 stick on sensors available and they are stackable. They work on tank height of 3.5" to 26". According to Grand Design, my 4 tank heights vary from 7.75" for the fresh tank to 8.75" for the 3 holding tanks.
The sensors can be trimmed with scissors to accommodate different height tanks. The manufacturer suggests a 1/2" gap at top and bottom of tank due to the extra thickness at those points.
* This post was
edited 03/15/23 02:09pm by Cptnvideo *
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