Tank Gauges Don't work - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

JnJaneReed · 04-12-2011, 11:01 PM

After surviving a Colorado winter, I am geting our 2001 22TL ready for a Spring camping trip this week. I winterized our Hi-Lo Traillite with 3 gallons of antifreeze after draining the system and hot water tank. The gauges worked last year but we only got to use our Hi-Lo once. Today I drained the fresh water tank and put fresh water in the system. After runing the pump, everything worked but the gages. even the battery check started to work but gave one red column of lites then no more. I took the panel off and could see nothing. The buttons all clicked. I checked the 12 volt fuses and all were O.k. The light on the water pump rocker doesn't come on either but the water pump works.

Any help would be appreciated. We really like our Hi-Lo and are looking for many good experiences in it. Thanks!
Jay

JackandJanet · 04-13-2011, 12:15 AM

Poor ground perhaps from the panel? It's about the only thing I can think of that would effect all of them, including the battery, which is a completely different type of system. Look for where the ground wire terminates after it leaves the gauges. It's probably exposed to road film and the like and could easily be corroded at the other connection.

- Jack

retiredcamper47 · 04-13-2011, 11:55 AM

I agree with Jack on the ground problem. The same thing happened to me. With my unit, the ground wire from the control panel was screwed into the metal side frame of the lower wall. The screw had backed out and thus no ground. I replaced the screw and put a dab of silicone sealer on the screw head to prevent it from backing out again. Everything worked fine after that. However, to find the ground wire, I had to remove the upper metal refridge vent. With the amount of dumdum used to seal the vent, the vent was too bent up to reuse. I replaced it and used a foam backed tape for the seal. Now I can take the vent off with no muss or fuss. Hope this helps.

Bob

retiredcamper47 · 04-13-2011, 12:05 PM

I forgot to mention that my control panel is located on the cabinet wall by the refridge. Don't know if yours is located in the same place.

Bob

TJM · 04-13-2011, 12:19 PM

Wonder is the wires on the tanks theirself are connected tightly. Also, here is a dumb question. My wife and I have a dispute. On our Dometic American refrigerator. We usually have our temp set at #4. If we want it colder, do we turn the selector to a higher number or a lower number? I feel that we need to turn the selector lower but my wife, the boss, seems to think we turn it higher. Please help me!!!

PopRichie77 · 04-13-2011, 01:19 PM

The Higher number is colder, on older fridges to cold of a setting can lead to icing which causes the lower fridge temp to actually go up instead of down. The new fridges with the cooling fan work much better. Get a fridge temperature gauge, the kind that goes inside are cheap.
On our 95T setting above 5 caused the temp inside to go up due to ice forming on the coil and on the thermostat inside the fridge. the ice on the thermostat bulb turned the fridge off.

retiredcamper47 · 04-13-2011, 01:52 PM

Tom,

Never doubt the boss!

Bob

TJM · 04-13-2011, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retiredcamper47

Tom,

Never doubt the boss!

Bob

Bob, You are so correct. One would think that after 45 years of married bliss, I would know better. Another question then. We are currently in Texas where it got a little warm today and the fan just keeps running and running. Kind of like the Energizer Bunny. Temp is set at #4, freezer is full and so is fridge. My trusty thermometer shows shows 39 degrees in the fresh food section. Should I turn down to #3?

TJM · 04-13-2011, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retiredcamper47

Tom,

Never doubt the boss!

Bob

Bob, You are so correct. One would think that after 45 years of married bliss, I would know better. Another question then. We are currently in Texas where it got a little warm today and the fan just keeps running and running. Kind of like the Energizer Bunny. Temp is set at #4, freezer is full and so is fridge. My trusty thermometer shows shows 32 degrees in the fresh food section. Should I turn down to #3?

JnJaneReed · 04-13-2011, 08:57 PM

Thanks to Jack, Bob and TJM. Today I accidently found out what is going on. I checked the gages after puting in some fresh water and adding water to both the grey water tank and the black water tank to flush them out. Before I turned on the water pump which is on the bottom of the panel, I checked the gages and they worked. Then I turned on the water pump and it pumped up-pressure and they quit working. No lite on in the water pump. Either way I think it is in the ground but wired thru the pump somehow. My panel is on the side of the refrigerator also, Bob. I will check the ground later but I feel better now with the gages working. Thanks to all of you for youir help. What a great forum.
Jay

retiredcamper47 · 04-14-2011, 01:24 PM

Tom, Several things to mention here. The outside temp affects the refridge. The higher the outside temp, the harder the refridge has to work. The refridge fan that helps to exhaust the hot air buildup behind the refridge usually comes on at about 80 degrees. It is thermostatically controlled. It will continue to run until the air temp drops back down to 80 degrees or whatever the preset is. If not, it will run 24/7. I always run my refridge at the #3 setting. You said that your refridge is full. Hopefully the food is not packed in. You cannot overfill the refridge with food. It has to have proper air circulation inside to function properly. As long as the food section is in the mid 40's you will be ok. Enjoy your trip and the warmth. It's in the mid 50's here in Ohio.

Bob

Charliek · 04-14-2011, 03:45 PM

I am curious as to whether you are on 12 v or 110 v. Batteries will corrode over the winter and sometimes they will build up a invisible coating on your battery terminals. Clean them up with a wire brush. If I am correct everything but the 110v for the refer goes through the battery and it supplies power for everything from there. I used to work in a battery shop and that was the most common cause of everything we had and that sounds like it could be your problem. If you are using clamp on type contectors use a round battery brush to clean both sides, ie the terminal and the battery post. If you are using an rv type battery still clean both sides but you can use a flat wire brush. Sometimes you cannot see the coating just by looking at is so give a it good once over with the wire bursh. Small wire brushs that look similar to a tooth brush can be purchased at welding shops and work great for cleaning the rv type terminals and eylets. Since I am a rookie here that is my 1 cents worth.

RichR · 04-14-2011, 04:50 PM

Don't under-rate yourself, that tip was worth at least 5 cents!

TJM · 04-14-2011, 05:42 PM

Thanks for all of the great advice. Yes, here in Texas, it is hot, in the 80's. Last night, I turned the fridge down to 3. Obviously, the sun was down and fan cycled. Now, the sun is baking, it is humid and the fan is running. We are on 110volt, battery cables are clean. We are leaving her tomorrow at about 6 a.m. heading to Carlsbad, New Mexico. Will stay there overnight and then off to Benson, Arizona where we will stay overnight. Then it's off to Alpine, California. Hope we don't have the hail storm they are predicting tonight. Our son's house got hammered with one Monday morning.