Water flow metre

[Dobbie]

I'm currently pondering the accuracy and reliability of the various gauges I've seen for water in the tank and, hopefully, water remaining.

I've been acquainted with the Drifter, the Coast to Coast and now one from RV Warehouse and I've found none of them to be even close to accurate and therefore unreliable.

I'm aware that it's possible to get an inaccurate reading I'd van isn't quite level, if there's an air block when it's filled, etc etc but I want to know, within a reasonable margin of error, just how much there's left. I really don't care how full they are, but how empty!

I've come across a water flow meter that is fitted in the water hose next to the pump and can be set up by the user after using existing data from one tank use. It is hooked to a monitor and measures litres used and litres remaining.

No probes, no inaccuracy....I think.

Topargee......around $100 and easy to install. (I'd add a photo and a link if I could!)

Has anyone used one of these? Just wondered if it's been demonstrated at any of the shows.

I'm seriously considering it as I'm really sick of the guesswork involved with water tank use when free camping. To me, it makes a difference as to length of stay.

 

[Drover]

From what folks have said to me, nice gimmic at first but you stuff things up if you don't reset when changing tanks.......Have the Camec ones fitted in Big Mal, push button get reading pretty spot on empty means about 10 lts or less left, doesn't cause any dramas, if you want more accuracy then reset the sensors or mount a sight gauge on side of van.............My 82lt tanks in the old Jayco would only take 70lts from dead empty so some poetic licence taken with ruler I think.
I have a couple of jerries full of water as back up when free camping makes life easier.

 

[Dobbie]

Yep. Do that as well ....and I've got my 40l proposed grey water tank ....used for real water till we have to make stinky...

but I've checked the tanks in the new van after we tested the shower, hot water, pump etc and I know they were full before that.

Gauge went down to a quarter from a full reading after two showers and I measured how much we used for the shower...20 litres as per normal.

2 x 95 litre tanks! It got me annoyed with gauges!

I guess we'll do what we always do ....keep a rough estimate of what's used and guess what's left.

 

[Drover]

Hang on don't you have a single fill point on this new box of yours ?? If thats the case your tank gauges will always be wrong.

Actually a quarter would seem about right as your 93lt probably isn't.

 

[chartrock]

Topargee......around $100 and easy to install. (I'd add a photo and a link if I could!)

Here is a link to part of their site

 

[bigcol]

and here I was thinking something as simples as a water gauge could not be wrong

very intrigued

 

[Dobbie]

Fair comment @Drover

My thinking is that we'll definately separate the two tanks...as per Jayco..with two separate inlets and keep them separate rather than use a bypass valve.

Then, something like the Topargee on each tank.

The way it comes from factory is very iffy....the gauge sensor on one tank only, one filling inlet which gets air locks and is very slow to fill and it seems that one tank fill first then the other.

We will test it out first before making changes but it sure could be better!

We can cope with slow filling, but not with inaccurate gauges and they all seem to be the same...hopeless!

If we like the Topargee we'll need two.

But I have to say...we love the shower and the Swift hot water is very easy to use....and effective.

 

[Drover]

Yep well the Coromal had a single inlet, single breather running to 2 tanks with a T section in both lines, of course one would fi;ll before the other and the breather would be like a 4 yr old spraying the walls, the Camec tank gauges would lead me astray at first because I would only check the tank that the pump was drawing from, need to push button on panel for level to show, imagine my surprise when not long after changing tanks I'm out of water........................they were feeding each other, so when one tank was empty the other had about a quarter left, not for flamin long, individual fill pipes and breathers now so no troubles at all, no getting wet and the gauges are no pretty well spot on, when it shows it nearly empty it is.................$200 for a couple of gadgets is a lot of diesel !!!!!!!..............I pretty much know how much water I have left just by usage and a quick look at the gauge each day, when one tank is empty I know I better get some more water in the next couple of days. But then I'm old school I suppose Ole Stink doesn't have a tank gauge either, well it does but it's dead, I just use a stick..................................

 

[Dobbie]

Yeah, that's why I'm leaving the $200 spend till we really know if we need them.

We'll leave it as stock standard for the moment and do our normal guesswork, otherwise called estimating. I can't see the point in second guessing till we test it, but I do have me doubts.

and it's gonna rain anyway....so there'll be too much water.

Too much to check , test, try, I'm not stressing!

 

[Drover]

If your not stressing about something it's not you I reckon, but I would make those tanks individual fillers, it will drive you nuts for sure, it did me and look what happened...............................................I'm in mod supression mode, sitting by the creek thinking if I had my shed I could do this......

 

[Dobbie]

Maybe someone will do it for me for Christmas?

No...not stressing about it....we'll be fine but I don't like putting up with a design which I think can be improved.

 

[Drover]

Yep, stressing out..........take your tools and stuff when you go away to do mods on the go.....lpl,lol,lol.......rain again can't go fishing, bother.

 

[Dobbie]

Basic tools only! Enough to keep safe, not enough to stuff up anything that already works ok!

 

[Drover]

Yep, I want another battery, another panel and more beer.....................left a lot of my tool stuff behind, thought if it breaks, tough.

 

[straydingo]

maybe I'm off the mark here seeing I haven't got a tank guage at all....but would a boat fuel gauge work?
such as http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/FUEL-GAU...T-TANK-LEVEL-METER-WATER-MARINE-/222057144180
surely these would be a bit more accurate than the usual tank sensors that only recognise 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 or full, and of suitable length for the poly tanks we have?

 

[bloke]

I too have been seriously considering a flow meter such as a Topargee on my 17.58.3. I would likely install it so just after the pump, meaning the reading would be overall instead of a reading for each tank.

Keen to hear if anyone has installed a flow meter. On my current van, I opted not to have the drifter, since I have been unhappy with its reliability in previous vans.

 

[Dobbie]

Yep. I totally agree that the Drifter just gives a general idea, depending on the angle of the van, the day of the week or the weather.

The others that indicate 3/4, 1/2/, etc are just too imprecise for my liking so I want some relative accuracy and an idea of what I have left in the tanks.

We're free camping at the moment and I know I filled both tanks completely this morning but the gauge now indicates 3/4 full! And I'm assuming my 95 litre tanks will only provide about 75 litres of water each as they never empty completely. I'll test it as we'll be here for a few days. If there's a bad smell in south east qld you'll know we ran out of shower water!

Topargee has got to be better, it can't be worse....and before I went hitech and paid for the JHub I'd like to know if all that razzmatazz actually improves the reading on the water tank.

If it doesn't, it runs the risk of being just an expensive toy.

 

[Crusty181]

Yep. I totally agree that the Drifter just gives a general idea, depending on the angle of the van, the day of the week or the weather.

The others that indicate 3/4, 1/2/, etc are just too imprecise for my liking so I want some relative accuracy and an idea of what I have left in the tanks.

We're free camping at the moment and I know I filled both tanks completely this morning but the gauge now indicates 3/4 full! And I'm assuming my 95 litre tanks will only provide about 75 litres of water each as they never empty completely. I'll test it as we'll be here for a few days. If there's a bad smell in south east qld you'll know we ran out of shower water!

Topargee has got to be better, it can't be worse....and before I went hitech and paid for the JHub I'd like to know if all that razzmatazz actually improves the reading on the water tank.

If it doesn't, it runs the risk of being just an expensive toy.

You would likely only need the one Topargee gauge, installing it after the tank junction. With one Topargee, your first two complete tank usages will quickly tell you exactly how much water youll get out of each tank just by taking note of the gauge reading when it starts sucking air on one tank before flicking over the other. If you isolate each tank with tap one Topargee should do everything you require.

Your kind of right about the Drifter, its certainly not accurate enough in itself to rely on, but once our Drifter starts to flash on each tank I know I have around 25ltrs left in each, which for us is one day. That's good enough for me, Id prefer to stick my head under side of the van anyway and have a look at the clear pipe, and keep my $129 in my pocket. From experience I know I can get 10 days out of our water supplies, so only if I intend to stay off the grid in excess of 10 days that I need to bother managing it anyway.

 

[SkinnyBuddah]

There was a page somewhere I can't recall about someone using one of these.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/121737110811

 

[Drover]

With gauges or drifter type set ups I'm pretty sure the sensors are about the same.............................I wonder if you can calibrate the sensor/gauge ????? Worked out that mine says empty there's 20lts left.