Forest River Report Card

On a 2016 Rpod 178, the tank level inductors do not work, after 5 days of camping, in grey water tank was still in empty.  Several showers and kitchen sink clean up.  On the night of the fifth day, the indicators went from empty to 75percent full.  Dealer in Myrtle Beach looked at the problem twice and said all as OK.  Help!

The indicators are only relative. Empty can indicate empty, but it can also indicate less than 1/3 full. I have found that the indicator stays on empty for quite some time, jumps to 1/3, sometimes skipping to 2/3. Full is also only relative. When the full indicator lights, there is usually more capacity remaining. If you look under the R-Pod at the relative positions of the sensors (check to see if they are all there and the connections are tight), you will see that they are really clustered toward the middle of the tank. The linear distance between them is large, but the vertical distance between them is small. That vertical distance is the range in which the sensors work. It isn't much.

There is also the problem that any build-up in the tank (black or gray) can coat the sensors. If they are coated, they will not be able to detect the liquid level. It is common to add chemicals to the black water tank. I have seen additives for the gray water tank also. They are supposed to help keep the tank clean. I have not used them so far, but if I start having similar problems, I will probably try them.