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Old 06-06-2018, 04:28 PM   #1
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: THOR Chateua 35SF
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THOR #11130
Fresh Water Tank...Full or Empty...Only A Shower Will Tell!!

Preparing for this next 10 day trip and have no idea if fresh tank is full or empty. Gauge shows 0% but tank will take no water. It fills a little, burps back at me, takes a little more then just pours water out the fill. It's a gravity fill on RR side. I lifted the 2 pound mattress up and removed panel to look at tank and can't tell the level, if any. Can't see level through the side walls. Does this tank fill automatically when hooked up to city water? I don't see any change over valves as some have mentioned on theirs. Pump runs, water comes out faucets...I'm just before drilling a hole in the bottom of tank just to see!! Anyone with this model or knowledge of it's features please shout out! Thanks!

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Old 06-06-2018, 04:44 PM   #2
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I learned quickly to not trust sensors. My tank is under pass side bed with water pump and strainer. I use a big light against tank to see actual level. You can run down some and refill. Pumps do not like running dry. I think they do not get sensors spaced properly.

My black tank said 2/3 full last time I cleaned it. Turned pump off, looked down commode and saw tank bottom dry.

As you go along, you will learn what to trust and what to double check.
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Old 06-06-2018, 05:00 PM   #3
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Waste tank sensors are notorious for being inaccurate. I haven't had an issue with the fresh tank sensors (if you can see check that they are all wired up). (This is usually because the waste tank sensors get fouled up quite readily but there really isn't much to foul up the fresh tank sensor--if there was it wouldn't be fresh water LOL.)

Our fresh tank is white and semi-translucent. I usually put a flashlight on it with the light right on the top of the tank to see the water level.
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Old 06-06-2018, 05:04 PM   #4
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Been there and done it on several campers in my life. I'll try the flashlight...didn't think of that. Sensors worked when we bought it...weeks ago. Have dry camped twice, running it down which seemed pretty accurate as the level dropped down. Last two times out had hookups and didn't know if this model fills tank while on hookup to city water.
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Old 06-06-2018, 05:07 PM   #5
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Take the cap off of it, and open up the drain...
If it needs to be emptied, and re-filled with some fresh water: you're already halfway there!
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Old 06-06-2018, 07:10 PM   #6
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I'd take a look at the hose running from that gravity fill port to the tank, and also the vent hose, to make sure they aren't kinked.
My vent was. It was just too long and jammed in so it was kinked. If I remember correctly, it was venting, just not well....

What I'll often do before a trip is to drain the tank completely. Open the drain and let it go while I go about loading or whatever.... when it stops, I'll fill the tank. mostly I do this when the unit has been stored for a while, just to get fresh water in there...but it could be done easily just to "recalibrate" things for you.

My guess is that it's nearly empty, but the vent is kinked and so it's not filling properly.... just a guess really.

has it filled ok in the past?
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Old 06-06-2018, 09:44 PM   #7
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THOR #11130
Too new to have a track record. Learning curve for sure from one unit to the next. I haven't looked close enough to even know there's a fast drain valve. Vent line kinked sounds like a possibility as the water burps back like it's building pressure in tank, then burping back up the fill line. Thanks...will go to work with the eyes.
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Old 06-06-2018, 09:52 PM   #8
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If you get ambitious and plan to keep the rig for some time, putting in the Sea Level System would be a great upgrade. It uses a sensor strip on the outside of tanks and reads them like a stud sensor. The used DP we just bought has one added on and it is great. I don't think I would have a RV without them now. It reads in 5% increments and is completely accurate.
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Old 06-06-2018, 09:55 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Druff View Post
If you get ambitious and plan to keep the rig for some time, putting in the Sea Level System would be a great upgrade. It uses a sensor strip on the outside of tanks and reads them like a stud sensor. The used DP we just bought has one added on and it is great. I don't think I would have a RV without them now. It reads in 5% increments and is completely accurate.
Or you could roll your own and learn a lot about how the entire sensing system works in RVs:
http://www.thorforums.com/forums/f27...nsor-1177.html
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Old 06-06-2018, 09:57 PM   #10
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I'll get it...period. I just hope that "Stud Sensor" doesn't go off if I lay to close to it at night!! LOL Anything that makes this easier is a good investment. Thanks for that tip!! I'll have this coach for three years as we travel and see America. Plan to sell it then and buy a Cutwater 242 Coupe...then see America from offshore.
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Old 06-06-2018, 10:29 PM   #11
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"By land, and by Sea": Excellent!
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Old 06-06-2018, 10:36 PM   #12
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I have been near mine several times and it has never gone off, so ya know, maybe they are not that accurate after all.
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Old 06-16-2018, 02:25 AM   #13
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I think that blw2 is on the right track in that it is likely the vent tube from fill port to the fresh water tank causing the fill burping problem. On my 2013 ACE 30.1 the vent tube is probably positioned below the main fill tube somewhere so occasionally the vent tube can get water inside when filling the fresh tank. When the vent tube no longer passes air, the fill water starts to burp back out. I use a small piece of rubber hose sized to fit over the vent tube hole and blow the water out of the vent tube back into the fresh tank......which then restores the proper fill tube water flow. I would like to check the vent tube positioning to fix the issue, but it is practically impossible to get access.
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Old 06-18-2018, 01:04 PM   #14
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THOR #11130
The End Result...the fill tube actually drops below the tank fitting, then up to the fill port, holding water in the tube. I held the hose tightly into the fill port, forcing the water through the tube. Once the flow got going it filled properly. A little bit of a pain pressing the hose into the fill port for so long but it worked. When I get time I will raise the fill hose up a bit and aggravation will be eliminated.
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Old 06-18-2018, 01:31 PM   #15
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Glad to hear that you found out what the problem is, and have a plan in place to repair it!
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