Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
Sunline RV Forum
Sunline User Photos

Go Back   Sunline Coach Owner's Club > Sunline Club Community Forums > Sunline Community
Click Here to Login

Join Sunline Club Forums Today


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 10-27-2014, 09:38 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Wannabes's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 779
SUN #4050
Wannabes is an unknown quantity at this point
Tank Probes

Any of you clean your holding tank probes lately?

We routinely get weird readings from our tank monitor panel, e.g., the panel claims that the gray tank is full when in actuality it has not even been used yet. So, I decided it might be good to remove and clean our gray and black tank probes so as to improve the accuracy of their readings.

With this goal in mind, I removed the first nut on the uppermost black tank probe, removed the sensor wire, removed the second nut, took off the washer next to the rubber grommet, and then finally used a plastic scraper to loosen the grommet itself from the exterior of the wall of the black tank. I expected after these preparatory steps easily to be able to remove the probe.

NOT!! The probe did not want to come loose. So I pulled on it, by hand. Nothing. I then twisted it, also by hand, first one way and then the other. Nada. I pulled some more, and the probe did not budge. So I put one of the nuts back on the threaded (exposed) end of the probe, and used the other as a jamb nut. Grabbed the two nuts with pliers and pulled, expecting that the probe would slide out. NOT, again!! I continued to pull on the probe, to the point that the side wall of the black tank actually bulged noticeably outward. Still no good. At this point I stopped, thinking that clean tank probes are not worth a ruptured tank wall.

Put everything back together and tried an adjacent probe, thinking, well, maybe it was just this one probe that had an issue.

Wish I could say that this was the case. This second probe behaved in exactly the same fashion as did the first one.

So: What am I doing wrong here? There must be a trick to taking out these tank probes that I'm missing: can someone please tell me what it might be? Our unit is a 2002 model 2363.

Matthew
__________________

__________________

Matthew and Lisa
TT: '02 T-2363;
TV: 2012 Ford F-150, 4x4/Off-road, 5.0L V8, "Big Gray"
Reese Straitline w/ dual cam
Wannabes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-27-2014, 11:08 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
jim44646's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,125
SUN #4040
jim44646 is an unknown quantity at this point
Once pulled they seldom can be reused. They are not that expensive to replace. about $2.50 each. once I found them for $.20 each. Easiest way to remove is to remove nuts, put a box end wrench a little larger than sensor rubber up against tank slip a fender washer (big washer, small hole) on threads against wrench thread on nut and tighten. As you tighten the sensor will pull from tank. pop in a new one tighten nut apply wire add second nut. Not pushing horst probes just showing easy removal of probes.
__________________

__________________
Jim and DW Darlene
2001 T-2553 Sunline Solaris
2006 GMC Sierra Duramax 2500HD 4X4
Firestone Transforce AT tires
Reese Dual Cam Sway Control
jim44646 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-28-2014, 07:56 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
Relie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 279
SUN #6579
Relie is an unknown quantity at this point
Tank probes

Thanks for the post and video. This looks a lot easier than I expected. I plan to do this in the spring. My black tank reads full all the time, so I assume that the probe is bad. The grey tank is ok. The battery also reads all 4 dots on the monitor, and I have no idea what's going on with that one ( will deal with that in the spring). The battery discharged to the point where I needed to use jumper cables to work the electric lift. Maybe a new battery is in the future things to buy. Anyway, thanks for the sensor post.

Dave
__________________
1999 Sunline Solaris T2553--SOLD--
Relie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-28-2014, 03:03 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
jim44646's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,125
SUN #4040
jim44646 is an unknown quantity at this point
Those tank monitors are just guide lines like idiot lights on cars. Gives you an area to investigate.
__________________
Jim and DW Darlene
2001 T-2553 Sunline Solaris
2006 GMC Sierra Duramax 2500HD 4X4
Firestone Transforce AT tires
Reese Dual Cam Sway Control
jim44646 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-28-2014, 03:12 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
jim44646's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,125
SUN #4040
jim44646 is an unknown quantity at this point
Really there are 4 probes. Bottom one is ground. When tank 1/3 full it contacts 2 probes 1/2 full liquid is contacting 3 probes sect.
__________________
Jim and DW Darlene
2001 T-2553 Sunline Solaris
2006 GMC Sierra Duramax 2500HD 4X4
Firestone Transforce AT tires
Reese Dual Cam Sway Control
jim44646 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-29-2014, 07:52 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Relie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 279
SUN #6579
Relie is an unknown quantity at this point
Tank probes

Jim, are you saying there are 4 probes on the T2553? I have a 1999. Just checking, hate to buy 4 probes if I only have 1 or2. Going to do this as my first spring project .

Dave
__________________
1999 Sunline Solaris T2553--SOLD--
Relie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-29-2014, 09:40 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
jim44646's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,125
SUN #4040
jim44646 is an unknown quantity at this point
Quote:
Originally Posted by Relie View Post
Jim, are you saying there are 4 probes on the T2553? I have a 1999. Just checking, hate to buy 4 probes if I only have 1 or2. Going to do this as my first spring project .

Dave
Yep. 4 probes per tank. Here a photo of a fresh water tank. All tanks setup the same. Bottom probe (white, ground) Next #2 (yellow 1/3 full) #3 (Green, 2/3 full) Top #4 (red, full). Second photo is the harness. The Red tab is a resistor. As you can also see any level between Full probe and 2/3 is going to read 2/3 full. As soon as liquid level falls below the 1/3 probe you will show empty but you may still have 10 gallons left. It's the liquid touching probes that complete circuit.
On your black tank you may have slime build up on the sides of tank completing circuit. You may want to try Happy Camper Extreme tank treatment to clean your tanks well and get rid of any build up.
The first time I used it I couldn't believe the black crud and crust that came out. I use a clear tube between my outlet and hose so I can see clean water come out when I'm flushing. I also installed a tank flusher kit.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg DSC00370.jpg (69.6 KB, 5 views)
File Type: jpg mKZ_QZHQvdqgf9wgT9zr_zw.jpg (7.9 KB, 49 views)
__________________
Jim and DW Darlene
2001 T-2553 Sunline Solaris
2006 GMC Sierra Duramax 2500HD 4X4
Firestone Transforce AT tires
Reese Dual Cam Sway Control
jim44646 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-29-2014, 10:11 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Relie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 279
SUN #6579
Relie is an unknown quantity at this point
Tank

Jim, thank you very much for taking the time to post the photos. Very helpful, and informative. I think the first thing that I'll do in the spring will be to flush out the tank. Then move on to replacing the probes. Again, thank you and happy camping.

Dave
__________________
1999 Sunline Solaris T2553--SOLD--
Relie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-03-2014, 07:05 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Wannabes's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 779
SUN #4050
Wannabes is an unknown quantity at this point
Jim,

Thanks for the YouTube video; will give that a try. Less hassle to replace with new than clean the old but had read on other sites that some people clean theirs. We know that the tank probes are not exact but our gray tank never seems to read what it should. Wife ordered Happy Camper this spring and we've used it in the black tank throughout the summer; also got a tank flush kit. Between the two our black tank probes are giving a more accurate reading. (Sorry this reply is a bit behind the times; we've been having 'net issues.)
__________________

Matthew and Lisa
TT: '02 T-2363;
TV: 2012 Ford F-150, 4x4/Off-road, 5.0L V8, "Big Gray"
Reese Straitline w/ dual cam
Wannabes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-2014, 02:26 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
jim44646's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,125
SUN #4040
jim44646 is an unknown quantity at this point
Just make sure you tilt TT so that probes are on the high side of the tank. You may get a surprise when you pull the bottom probe.
__________________

__________________
Jim and DW Darlene
2001 T-2553 Sunline Solaris
2006 GMC Sierra Duramax 2500HD 4X4
Firestone Transforce AT tires
Reese Dual Cam Sway Control
jim44646 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sunline RV or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:09 AM.


×