By Cheri Sicard
Jared Gillis, of All About RVs (one of our readers’ favorite RV YouTube channels), is not a big fan of RV tank sensors, but he gets so many questions about them and sees internet threads constantly with questions that he thought he would address the topic.
Like many of us, Jared is not a fan because tank sensors are often wildly inaccurate. I know that mine are, to the degree of rendering them useless.
Even when they are working, the RV tank sensor lights that come standard in most RVs don’t give you precise information. Jared shows an example where the tank level could be anywhere from one-third to one-half full.
Jared has an easier solution that he says will provide far more accurate results: a wireless tank sensor called the Mopeka Pro.
Jared is using the Mopeka Pro for water tanks, which works for fresh or gray water tanks. However, know that you can also get one for your propane tanks. Judging from the consumer comments on Amazon, most people who bought these are as enthusiastic about the product as Jared is.
While the product is not recommended for black tanks, Jared does know of people who have used it for this purpose with success.
So how does it work? The small, round Mopeka Pro disc is magnetized and simply attaches to the bottom of your propane tank. For gray or fresh water tanks, the Mopeka comes with easy mounting accessories that stick the sensor to the bottom of the tank. It uses sonar to detect the amount of material in the tank and you read it via an app on your phone.
Watch the video as Jared shows just how easy it is to install and use the Mopeka Pro. No more guessing how much fresh water or propane you have, or how full your gray tank is getting!
##RVDT2172
Not worried about my grey tanks. I installed a master dump valve on my 2020 imagine. Because of that I can open up both of my gray tanks and balance them out. The biggest problem is the black tank. Those sensors are horrible. I typically do the old fashioned technique of looking through the toilet.
What is the Victron (sp?) system you talk about?
After watching Jared’s video months ago I installed one on fresh tank. While dry camping it removes a lot of guessing. “We’re here for 2 more days, is there enough water for a real shower?”
I have always used the “Trickle hot water down the outside of the propane tank and where you see condensation form that’s the level of gas.” System much less expensive and battery free. As to water tanks when the shower starts to have water in the drain it’s full, other wise I leave the drain valve open to the sewer until I’m going to empty the black tank tomorrow, then I close the gray valve to capture rinse water in the gray tank. Much less expensive and no batteries to replace. That’s old school.
I hadn’t looked at the entire video when I made my comment earlier. The idea of installing a access door is a good solution.
The Mopeka sensors do a great job of measuring levels of liquids. My volunteer fire department uses one to determine the level of water in a large tanker we have. The downside of using one is that you must have access to the unit to change the battery periodically. I use the sensors on my propane tanks to great success but with the underside of my trailer being fully enclosed getting to the Mopeka sensor to change the battery would be a chore.
I can get to one of the sides of my fresh tank pretty easily but the bottom would be a pain.