Tagged With "Leveling"
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
@shadow , I should have mentioned, or you'd find out reading the manufacturer's info, this isn't for black tank use. Mopeka recommends this sensor for fresh or grey water only. Too many solids absorb too much of the signal so the accuracy can't be confirmed. As far as accurate, I'd prefer to know more than "you might be on your last 15 gallons of fresh water". Those light divisions of 1/3 are nearly worthless for fresh water boondocking inventory. Gray is intuitively linked to fresh water...
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Dave, how about a photo or two for a better idea of the hatch portion of your install.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Nice write up Dave. I've considered both the Mopeka sensor for FW and also the Garnet, Sealevel sensor system that provides info on all the tanks So, far, I haven't pulled the trigger. Our FW stock monitor is fairly accurate, but as you mentioned, only down to the 1/3 level. Our GW tank gives us a warning when the shower drain starts makes noise or starts spilling out into the shower. Our BW tank gives me the most concern. I can't look down the hole to see the water level, as there is a bend...
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
I knew I wasn't going to get away without more pics! š
I'll post a few tomorrow ...
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
1) I used butyl tape and shortened SS screws. Love the butyl stuff because it's sticky as all get-out and never dries. One can remove the piece with some determination where with epoxy it's going to stay there. 2) That was actually a little of both! I pushed up on the tub to find a soft flex area big enough for the port. After I drew the porthole in white pencil, I pressed around the drawn hole's perimeter to be sure there was flex. A few inches toward where I discovered the lurking pipe,...
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Thanks for posting those images, Dave, it makes your installation much clearer. Couple questions: 1) When installing the hatch, did you use the plastic epoxy suggested in the video? 2) Were you just lucky missing the "lurking PVC pipe" or could that be a problem when choosing the hatch location?
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Based on the quality of your past posts, I'm betting it was planning over luck. Thanks for posting this and the extra details about the butyl tape. I've got a water sensor and hatch on order.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Here they are ... Fresh water tank enclosure with desert patina ... I located the port about 13+" in from curbside ... ... and about 9" back from the rear. The opened port. Insulation pulled back to see the sensor and lurking PVC pipe.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Having now done the job and knowing what you know now, if you had a "do-over" would you locate in the same place? Or would say "move it over this or that way a few inches."? The picture looks as though the 6 inch port was an appropriate size choice. In the "do-over", would you pick that same size again? Cheers
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Port size is fine at 6" diameter. As for placing the hole for the port I'd stay the same distance from the back of the tub and move the centerline an inch to the curb side. Remember these are crew built units so use my placement with your own assessments. You should find the proper tub flex to locate the right spot but at least you have a general area with what I measured - YMMV!
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
I was very tempted to do your sight glass mod. I never moved on it because I had a pretty good 'windage' guesstimate by knowing how many gallons I started out with. Then I saw the Mopeka water tank gizmo! The gauge doesn't seem to be able to gauge the last ~5 gallons in the tank. It re with poor quality signal. Perhaps that is because I have it mounted on what appeared to me to be a slope in the tank near the water pickup. Maybe that's where the hidden 3 gallons you describe is, in that...
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
I like this idea. Nicely done. This is probably now on my list. One more thing you may want to try out in the calibrating step... I noticed, when I was calibrating my "sight-glass" mod, is that my tank had several unusable gallons at the bottom. Three I think. I don't know if that is a normal condition or not. I figured that out, when after draining the tank completely and de-priming the water pump, the pump would not re-prime until there were 3 gallons in the tank. I did not test the other...
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
I've since added a sensor on my freshwater tank per @VigII installation posted here . Easy to install. I was a little worried about the six inch port hatch vibrating loose (as things do when traveling) so added a small strip of duct tape just to make sure the screw-on hatch top doesn't end up along the roadside. So nice now to have a more accurate freshwater monitor! Thanks, Dave, for your good writeup.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Somehow, I missed this post when it was first posted. It's nice to have a solution that doesn't require drilling into the tank. I really like this idea. It's now on my to do list.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
@Brubie , I just received my sensor and hatch today. Since we both have 2018 model year 1995's, I'm wondering what you can share about the location you chose for the hatch, anything else you may have learned and, of course, any photos you may be able to share. -Thanks
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Thanks! It actually might be a standardized location on the tanks.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
@Brubie - I'm curious if you found the white PVC pipe like I did where I cut the port hole open?
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
I followed Dave's installation instructions, including his precise measurements which I found to be the same for my trailer. I've had no issues with the unit since installing it and it continues to work well. I may add another sensor to my gray tank next summer.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Yes, it was in the approximate same location as yours. Luck or intentional? It is a bit intimidating to cut into the tank cover but I followed your installation and had no difficulty.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Hi Dave, I received my Mopeka sensor and the 6" boat hatch. I'm ready to start the installation but wanted to verify the location you used. You said you installed it "13" from curbside" and "9" back from the rear." The photo you posted seems to show the hatch on the street side of the tank drain elbow rather than on the curbside. On my 1995 the tank drain points to the front of the trailer. When you say "9" back from the rear do you mean 9" from the back of the tank towards the front of the...
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
The pictures and installation are of my 2019 2285 and orientation is as stated. I positioned it as close to the water pump dip tube as practical. The FW tank is behind the rear axle. The pump is located curb side by the wheel well and the drain faces rearward. I don't know your tt as well as you do. Do the same reasoning process backed up with the push probing of the tub over the fresh tank and proceed cautiously. "When you say "9" back from the rear do you mean 9" from the back of the tank...
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Thanks for the clarification, Dave this is helpful. Our trailers are opposite. In the 1995 the fresh water tank is in front of the axles and the tank drain faces forward. Iāve got a good idea now how to proceed. Thanks for bringing this product to our attention and for sharing your installation.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
I have now installed and calibrated my Mopeka Pro Check sensor on the fresh water tank on my 1995. The guidance from @Vigil and @Brubie made the job uneventful. Even though the 1995 apparently has a different tank arrangement from @Vigil's 2285, the same location worked out well. I installed it 12" from the curbside of the tank and 9" forward from the back of the tank. I did not find the 'lurking pipe' that @Vigil did but was able to feel what seemed to be some tubing running across the...
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
1500 miles of cold and wet snowy roads since adding a small strip of duct tape to keep the hatch from vibrating loose and still secure, but I like @PeterPam 's solution better. Nice job! What a joy to know precisely how much freshwater remains in my tank.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Interesting, guess I am lucky, factory tank indicators are pretty accurate. However, I clean black tank for 10 minutes using built in tank flush and finish using gate valve flush as well. Gray gets aggressively cleaned 6 times a year. I switched to this tank treatment years ago, this is the best! Double dose on cleaning day let it sit for several hours, clean as a whistle. https://amzn.to/4aNlTKT
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Hi @Brubie - I've decided to go ahead and add a Mopeka sensor to my Gray water tank before we leave for a long trip in June. Since we have the same model and year trailer I was wondering whether or not you had gone ahead and added one to yours. In case you didn't see it, this is a link to a post I made recently regarding changes to the Mopeka sensor product line. https://community.lanceowners....-water-sensor-update
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
I plan to add another sensor to my gray tank, but due to travel this winter/spring, havenāt had the chance yet. Let us know how your install goes.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
I struggled a bit installing on my 1985 because of the sensor thickness. The location that I chose to install turned out to be pretty tight between the tank and pan. I ended up 3D printing a 1/4 inch spacer for the boat hatch. The tank must have an irregular shape because there is no ācalibrationā (for me) that provides an accurate measurement from empty to full. I have it calibrated to be accurate for the bottom 1/3rd. As such, when the tank is full, Mopika reads about 80%. Perhaps a...
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
I dropped the belly and installed Sea level gauges. Just stick them on the sides of the tanks and run a wire to where you want the panel located. There is no maintenance required (battery replacement, etc.). They have worked great for 12 years and still are accurate.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Iām happy with mine. I never measured the depth of the sensor with its bracket but it really doesnāt matter because it sits within the perimeter of the boat hatch cover. I would guess itās a total of about 1/2ā. The hatch cover has a ring that extends into the space between the bottom of the belly pan and the holding tank. As I recall the total depth of the boat hatch was about 1ā. On my 1995 the thickness of the belly pan is 3/16ā and the mounting flange is maybe another 3/16ā so the ring...
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Hey guys reading this entire thread has me fired up. Butā¦ I am in a TC. As we all know the TC is only supported by the perimeter frame. I have already dropped the belly pan and reattached the silly water sensors that donāt work half the time. What is the total thickness of the sensor and hatch cover? This will determine if I can find a suitable spot between framing members. And are all you guys happy with it after a year of use? Bob/Texas
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Always check the amount of deflection the exterior tub at your chosen installation spot. I'm glad that you got it to work. I put a known volume in the tank. Then i played with the level and tank depth numbers until the percentage of the tank volume (45 gallons in my case) matched my metered volume.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Yeah I did a lot of pressing on the tubā¦ and even drilled several small inspection holes. Apparently I did not correctly interrupt the data. I ācalibratedā pretty much as you describeā¦. Measured volume, set the appropriate calibration depth value, add another known volume, wash rinse repeat until full. I could not establish a single depth value that was accurate for all volumes. Sooo at least for now, it is reasonably accurate for the bottom 1/3.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Have you tried backing into the tank height setting? You can do this by putting in a measured amount of water with a hose end meter like this one, https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...le?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Then adjust the tank height to suit. I found it was best to do it at, say, 1/3 full (15 gallons), 1/2 full (22.5 gallons), 2/3 full, and full (45 gallons). If you adjust it at each increment you can zero in on a setting that will be very close. I discovered that you can input fractions of an...
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Yes I did use a flow meter. ā¦ could not zone in on a value that was acceptable for both the bottom 1/3 and top 1/3. Maybe I need to try again. I didnāt know about the fractions.
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Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
How do you know how much fresh water is actually remaining in the last 1/3 indicated by the last level indicating light? 'Not much' is as close a guess as you can get! Our level lights on the fresh tank stopped working just after the warranty expired and since then, I've relied on knowing the initial volume in the tank and our 5-6 gallons per day average use. That guestimation let me down once - then I learned about the Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor. The sensor in my application is amazingly...
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Thatās what I did also. I mounted the sensor then pushed up on the low edge of the tank right next to the sensor to get it level, then set it as level and let it go back to its normal position. I used a wooden rod on top of a hydraulic jack to push it up. It didnāt take much, just a touch.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Here are the items that everyone is talking about in this post. Mopeka Pro Check Universal Sensor with Mount Collar - RV Must Have Accessory to Monitor Outside Gray and Potable Water Tanks from Inside Your Camper - Or Diesel, Oil, 100 Gallon Water and Poly Tanks smartmarine 6 inch Boat Hatch Cover Black Round Non Slip Inspection Hatch w/Detachable Cover 4" 6" 8" (6")
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Yes I did find the bubble level. However, I did not try to adjust it. Since that helped your installation calibration, being on a slope tank wall, sounds like I should give that a try. Cheers!
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
Did you find the bubble level setting in the app? I fooled it to interpret that the sensor was a close to level as I could. That setting is what I attribute the accuracy at higher levels. I don't know the sensor's ultrasound cone angle is but setting a "level" baseline made a difference in my installation since my sensor is mounted on a sloped pat of the tank.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
I just received my second set of a Mopeka Pro Check Universal and 6" post hatch for my gray tank and took the opportunity to take some measurements. Here are all the dimensions you should need. As I noted above, the sensor and its housing sit within the ring of the boat hatch so its really not an issue.
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Re: Mopeka Pro Check Water Sensor
I've now installed the Mopeka Pro Check Universal sensor on my gray tank. It went just like the installation on the fresh water tank. I installed it in the same relative position. It's about 9" from the curb side of the tank and about 12" from the front edge of the tank to the center of the hatch which is approximately the center of the tank from front to rear. I didn't encounter any obstructions nor did a I see anything in the void space between the belly pan and tank anywhere near the hole...