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desertratt · 01-21-2019, 03:34 PM

So i changed out the Univolt and of course the age old problem tanks don't work and battery doesn't read. Water pump works and background lights work to light gauges. So would like to know if anyone has left the control panel and installed new Sea Level II?

I also changed the new fuse block for old Univolt fuse block and than frig stopped working. On the back of the Univolt block there are three wire locations. I hooked up the two which are obvious but no third wire looks like for the shunt for the battery.

Would appreciate any insight on this.

Thanks

desertratt · 01-25-2019, 06:03 PM

So 100 views not one member has installed Sea Level II in seventies airstream? Or has an idea about the univolt question interesting..

Steve Bryant · 01-25-2019, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertratt

So 100 views not one member has installed Sea Level II in seventies airstream? Or has an idea about the univolt question interesting..

I know that it's discouraging to not get any responses. However, I've never worked on a Univolt. I am considering upgrading my monitor panel to a version of the SeaLevel II, but I haven't done it yet!

Hopefully you'll get some good information soon.

dbj216 · 01-25-2019, 08:03 PM

Many times I don't see new posts. I have a 75 Overlander that I am renovating. I have installed a Garnet SeeLevel instrument in this trailer. I also installed one in my old 66 Trade Wind.

The infamous "control center" in my 75 barely worked when I bought the trailer. My waste water tanks were broken. The axles were shot. The trailer had rear end separation and a rotted subfloor in the back. Plus many other old trailer problems like the converter which I replaced.

So I mounted the stick on circuits to my new tanks, wired them to the SeeLevel monitor which I mounted in the "control center". I find the SeeLevel to work great and is very well designed in my view. Keeping the old control center may have been a ugly mistake, but it is part of my old Overlander that I decided to keep for nostalgia reasons.

Your electrical problems can have many causes. You'll get it figured out, one wire at a time.

David

TheGreatleys · 01-25-2019, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertratt

So 100 views not one member has installed Sea Level II in seventies airstream? Or has an idea about the univolt question interesting..

I've installed a sea level on my 70s Airstream. What do you want to know?

desertratt · 01-26-2019, 08:56 AM

Thank you for the pictures and reply. Where you installed your Sea Level II is exactly what i was thinking.

desertratt · 01-26-2019, 09:06 AM

Hi thanks for reply.So i called Oasis rv here in Tucson and Robert said i should try keep the old control and make the gauges work on the old panel. So i than changed out the F9 fuse panel for the old univolt hoping i would get the power light and the battery ampmeter to work and maybe the gauges. No such luck i had a third screw smaller behind the shunt on the old univolt that looked like it needed a wire but i hav no clue what goes there. I was thinking maybe that would make things operate. So now after all that my frig doesn't work as you know need 12 volt to get it to operate. So now i am back to re installing the F9 panel to ghet frig to work and now thinking of SL II system as i want to be able to have readings on my tanks.

1. So where did you cut in for tanks below to install SL II?

2. Which length of of the glue on senders did you use?

3. Did you install new fuse panel and take power off of that?

4. Did you use the monitor SL that has battery ready if so how is that wired?

5. Where you able to access some of the tanks from the inside below the floor level to install senders?

6. Did you reuse the old wiring from the tanks?

Sure i am forgetting something but appreciate your input.

Thanks Rick

TheGreatleys · 01-26-2019, 09:46 AM

For the short factory tanks under the floor you need the junior senders. I installed mine during a shell off renovation, so I already had my tanks out, and ran all new wire.

It is important that the monitor and the senders see the exact same voltage, so whatever you do, you should wire them to the same positive and neutral wire.

The battery voltage is measured from the positive wire that powers the monitor. There's no additional wiring involved.

dbj216 · 01-26-2019, 07:23 PM

Hi desertratt: I was impressed with the way the control center was made. And I was impressed with the quality of the analog gages used in the thing. The level senders back in the mid seventies were "resistance" type that used molded in sensors in the tanks. Mine tanks had 4 sensors. They tend to get gunked up and become rather inaccurate.

The SeeLevel used "inductive" sensors that read through the plastic tanks. I have found them to work very well.

Here is a photo of the black tank in my Overland before I totally removed it. You can gain access maybe at the dump valves. There are pieces that have to be removed to see the tanks. And here is a photo of the seelevel sensors I stuck to the fresh water tank in my Overlander. I gained access under the galley cooktop cabinet, and the existing hole in the subfloor.

Answers to your questions:

1. So where did you cut in for tanks below to install SL II?

A guy maybe can gain access near the dump valves. I did not, or would not cut subfloor to gain access.

2. Which length of of the glue on senders did you use?

Seelevel sensor are flex circuits with adhesive applied to the back of them. The instructions describe the cleaning of the tank surface and how to stick the circuit to the tank.

3. Did you install new fuse panel and take power off of that?

No new fuse panel in my trailer. But I did run a dedicated 12v positive and ground wires from the fuse panel to the seelevel. Seelevel says to do this. It is a bit of a pain.

4. Did you use the monitor SL that has battery ready if so how is that wired?

The monitor comes with a battery voltage readout. It reads the same voltage from the fuse panel that I wired to the Seelevel. The seelevel has 4 wires coming to it: 12v positive, ground, and two sensor wires.

5. Where you able to access some of the tanks from the inside below the floor level to install senders?

Yes, in the galley for the fresh water tank. But no for the grey and black tank. My tanks were broken and I replaced them.

6. Did you reuse the old wiring from the tanks?

Nope. I ran new 18ga wire as seelevel instructed. The old wiring harness I abandoned in the trailer. Gee, there are just a godawful number of wires going to the control center. They are still there, but the harness is unplugged.

Hope this helps a bit..

David

desertratt · 01-27-2019, 04:01 PM

Hi That was excellent thanks for taking the time. Well i am going to order the new SL. Where did you purchase yours? I will also check out your Overlander project.

Thanks again

Rick

dbj216 · 01-27-2019, 07:47 PM

I bought mine straight from Garnet on line. I did not get the propane tank circuits, or the water pump built in switch. There are other internet sellers too.

David

desertratt · 01-30-2019, 09:33 AM

David,

Did you order what they call the junior sensors for the See Level II? Or did you get longer sensors and cut them down?

Thanks Rick

dbj216 · 01-30-2019, 07:09 PM

I got the long ones and cut them to the heights of my tanks. My black tank was about 6" high at the deep end, and my grey tank is about 5" high at the deep end.

However, the original fresh water tank is only 4" high. It really required a short stick on circuit like SeeLevel recommends. I applied it anyway and so far, so good. I have not calibrated my seelevel yet as I don't have water in my shop, the tanks are empty. Last summer I did test the new plumbing and water tanks via the 12v pump. I fixed the couple of leaks I found. The seelevel did respond to water in the tanks like I expected.

David

Ditter · 02-22-2019, 04:04 PM

I installed sea view system 5 years ago it has worked very well. I did have one issue and could have been avoided so make sure after you have installed tank strip sensors to secure leads to something close by i ended up using stick back wire tie mounts. I didn’t clean mounting surface with alcohol and mount pulled off, eventually wire worked lose from tape and sensor failed. I Replaced with new sensor and have had O issues.
I have a 1994 but cut lower sheld out and had to cut a small bracket a little to gain acess. I Cut out panel made of aluminum to patch access hole also replaced tank Valves while i had open. Don’t forget to mount outside temperature sensor easy to run wire when open and mounted near tank valve pulls.
Good luck
Ditter