I Live in a Van, Down by the River! RV life AMA

How does the indicator work?

If it’s just a rod and a float it could be stuck in position by something you flushed.

Most likely a beard hair ball

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I was thinking tp. If he’s not using the stuff made for small septic systems it can stick in the tank like spackle.

The indicator is the same as any tank level indicator. There’s a float, and it works as a variable resistance device. Yes, it can get stuck. Yes, it can give a false reading if you’re not level.

The fun part is learning whether or not the level has changed because of evaporation, or hasn’t changed because the TLI is stuck.

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This TP is fast dissolve stuff. Fun fact, there are clear fittings on the ends so you get to see what your tank is coughing up. It’s mostly just brown/yellow liquid. I flushed with fresh water for about 5 minutes, this weekend too.

That’s not true though, you have ones that use sound, ones that use radar, ones that use capacitors, ones that use pressure. And ones that are a mix.

Or maybe I should have asked how is the level measured.

I would fill your tank with warm FW and some dish soap. Wait a few hours and then empty it again. I never owned an RV but i think it might unstuck the float.

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It’s such a common breakdown that there’s no dearth of videos and posts online that are dedicated to this exact issue. I appreciate you indicating that there are other technologies. There is no shortage of alternatives on the market.

So, question #1 is, if these other technologies are so great, and some of them are relatively inexpensive upgrade/crossgrade options, then why aren’t they standard equipment? I can only conclude that they are not as reliable.

Poop sticks. This is a known thing.

Water-based liquids evaporate. This is a known thing.

The drain valves also leak, sometimes. This is a known and unfortunate thing. A lot of RVers don’t bother to cap their discharge pipes, because there’s nothing worse than uncapping it to find out that you have a leaky valve. Hopefully, the rain will come, and you’re not boondocking in somebody’s driveway.

(edit)
HAHAHA, yes. My black and grey tanks were both 2/3 full, this morning; they both now show empty. I’m sure by tomorrow morning they will show some level of fill, again. It’s just something you learn to live with - the tech is shit, and will always be that way.

A better way to do it (this is how many modern cities calculate your sewage) is to monitor the fresh water consumption. This is why you call and ask for a credit whenever you add water to your swimming pool.

In RV life, you would need to have a multiple meters, though - for example, I would need a meter on the FW inlet to the toilet, and another on the FW inlet that feeds the sinks and shower. And, then, I would need some sort of software to relate consumption and date of last empty (yeah the point of having an indicator is that I don’t need to break out an Excel spreadsheet).

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Why?

Twelve on this bitch.

Which part?

-12- Mafia For Life

Why do you live in a van by the river?

Because I mostly work from home, and in the middle of a divorce, so having a place to live and work where I don’t have to get up every 5 minutes to support the sale of the soon-to-be former property allows me to be more productive.

Also, the housing market is completely fucked right now, otherwise I would secure a more permanent lodging.

And, it’s inexpensive, and actually pretty luxurious as a lifestyle. Also, bucket list item (living in a trailer) is crossed off.

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So, next Friday, I get to move the trailer from one spot to the next. Likely to take several hours, since it’s gonna be hot and I’m solo.

Here’s the start of the list of stuff I have to get done, in vaguely order but I may choose to mix it up a bit:
0. Make sure there’s beer on hand.

  1. Secure for Sea! This means, I need to make sure everything breakable and/or spillable is appropriately stowed.
  2. Empty the tanks.
  3. Disconnect plumbing, and stow hoses.
  4. Bring in the slide-out living area.
  5. Disconnect shore power, and stow cable.
  6. Roll up the stabilizers.
  7. Mount the steed - i.e. hook the trailer up to the truck, which includes safety chains, breakaway cable, fully retract the tongue lift, check all lights are working.
  8. Remove the chocks, and stow those.
  9. Pull off the leveler blocks, then stow those.
  10. Drive a couple hundred feet.
  11. MEASURE STUFF!
  12. Do everything from 1 to 9, except in reverse order.

The only thing that will be significantly different at the new space is that I’ve secured stabilizer blocks, and since this will be my “permanent,” spot, I can also get on with the outdoor living setup.

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Ah!

The freedom!

I’m free to not do that shit, but then I won’t have stuff, and there’s nobody for clean-up.

Yeah, it’s been a minute.

OK, I parked in the new spot (my permanent home). I now have like a front yard and back yard, no immediate neighbors. I’m between the 2 main lanes east and west, and 2 of the wells, north and south.

The gravel wreaked havoc with my leveling. Note to self: upgrade to 4WD vehicle. I managed to squeeze just enough level out of the stabilizers on the south side.

The gravel is also not at all friendly for my motorcycle, but I’m a hell of a lot closer to the main road.

The key to not-smelly tanks is to keep your pre-treated sewage at a minimum (not empty) level. That lets it get all liquidy goodness when you drop deuce. I’ve also done a fresh-water flush a few times, which makes it easy to get that minimum level back.

Put the fridge in outside, but I haven’t secured any furniture, yet, so it’s just in there keeping a jug of water cold. Eventually, I’ll put the table and chairs and mount a TV, but my awning ripped, and until I get that repaired, I’m not doing any outdoor living stuff.

That’s pretty much it. Had a scare with one of the windows, it was leaking pretty bad during one rain, but I think one of my kids was messing around with it and didn’t close it properly. Subsequent storms have presented no issue.

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