•   Field proven technology with thousands of successful OEM and aftermarket installations.
•   High reliability reduces warranty costs and improves customer satisfaction.
• Advanced sensing technology:  the tank sensor does not foul or need calibration, and the level   accuracy is within 1/2 inch!
• A single wire bus connects all three senders to the display, saving wire and avoiding connection errors.
• Simple installation, compact size, full features, extensive diagnostics, low price:  the choice is obvious!

The History of the SeeLeveL RV Gauge
 
A few weeks after Garnet’s marketing manager, Don Shapansky, purchased a new high end fifth wheel, the tank gauges began to fail.  As Don traveled full time through campgrounds and talked to other RV owners, it became apparent that this was a widespread problem with no solution.  Not only was this a nuisance, but substantial flood damage to RVs was also occurring due to the primitive water and waste management systems.
Since Garnet was already a successful company in level gauging for the industrial market, with unique and reliable products, it was a logical step to address the RV market with a whole new approach to tank gauging.  The marketing and engineering teams at Garnet collaborated to determine the features that this new gauge was to have.  They were (and are) as follows:
1)     High reliability, the gauge had to perform as well as new for many years.
2)     High accuracy, much better than the 1/3 or 1/4 quarter tank that was current in the market.
3)     Easy to install, since it would be aimed at both end users and manufacturers.
4)     Attractive user interface, to fit the decor of both entry level and high end RVs.
5)     Reasonable pricing to make it accessible to the entire industry.
6)     Built in diagnostics, so that if a problem did develop it could be quickly found and repaired.
7)     Simple to operate, so that any RV owner would feel confident using the system.
 
These criterion led us to determine the appropriate technology for the system:

• To achieve reliability, the sensing had to be done from outside the tank, since any internal components exposed to the waste would get fouled.  A special high strength, low surface energy adhesive was sourced to ensure long term adhesion to the tank.  No effort has been spared to ensure a reliable product.  An example:  test tanks were lined with a variety of nasty materials to simulate waste buildup, and sender parameters were measured and documented using custom built test fixtures.
• To achieve accuracy, the system had to be digital, since analog systems drift and need regular calibration.  The digital capacitance system used is self-calibrating, with accuracy based on the physical position of the sender components, not on the characteristics of the tank contents.  To display an accurate quantity, high resolution LED bar graphs or 3 digit numerical readouts are used to show percentage of full.
• To achieve ease of installation, the tank senders had to be readily configured to a variety of tank heights, which dictated a simple “cut to required length” approach.  No additional wiring could be required, so the senders had to receive power and communicate over a single wire.  The display panels had to be compact to fit into existing gauge spaces.
• To achieve low cost, advanced manufacturing techniques were required.  New manufacturing equipment was obtained, and new assembly techniques were developed.
• To achieve advanced diagnostic capability, an advanced microprocessor based system was required.  Fully 50% of the software in the system is dedicated to diagnostics.

 
After much thinking, discarding and refining of ideas, research, testing, field trials, years of continuous improvement and expansion of the model line, the Garnet SeeLeveL line of RV gauges stands as the ultimate solution to RV tank gauging.  Nothing else even comes close.
And the process continues.  Future improvements include more advanced RV system automation, remote communication interfaces for the upcoming RV diagnostic bus, and more models to fit every coach and towable niche.