Soffit Light Problem Finally Solved

[I-RV]

My soffit lights on the driver's side, along with a wall sconce light, dining table light and kitchen fan would intermittently blow a fuse. Intermittent problems are the worst and cost a small fortune to have a service center diagnose with such diagnosis fees rarely covered by any insurance.

I was first puzzled since the soffit lights are controlled by the same dimmer as for the ceiling lights. This would lead one to believe that they all are on the same fused circuit. I found out that the dimmer goes to the ground side of the dimmable lights and therefore allows the 12 volt side of the lights to go to different fuses.

I figured that since the soffit lights were on a slide, there might be a pinched cable when the slide moves. I however could never capture the moment when the fuse blew do to movement in or out of the slide.

With the slide out and when inspecting from beneath the slide, I traced a cable coming out of the slide's wall and running along the bottom inside of the slide to where it crossed over the rear slide rail. At this point the cable was crushed and I could see a shiny portion on the lip of a metal tunnel that the slide's rail slides in.

My theory is that when the slide was in with the cable pinched, it didn't always short. But when travelling, the slide even being tightly in does move. This creates a sawing action.

I placed a gob of plumbers putty by the cable and brought the slide in and then out to see just how far the metal lip went into the cable.

My fix was to adjust the slide's end stop bolts two turns and placing a plastic protector in front of the cable.

I agree with all that commend the Forest River Customer Service, but I cannot say the same for the manufacturer workmanship. That cable should have been routed under the slide's rail and not on the top. This isn't the first workmanship problem that I have had.

Here are some pics of the problem...................
Hank

[Hallen01]

Originally Posted by I-RV

My fix was to adjust the slide's end stop bolts two turns and placing a plastic protector in front of the cable.

I agree with all that commend the Forest River Customer Service, but I cannot say the same for the manufacturer workmanship. That cable should have been routed under the slide's rail and not on the top. This isn't the first workmanship problem that I have had.

Well done, Hank! Which two of the bolts shown are the slide end-stop bolts, and why didn't the two-turn adjustment of those prevent the slide from going all the way in?

I agree with FRCS being excellent, and also agree with your comment about the manufacturing quality, except I think it is more related to engineering design than workmanship. I watched these being put together, and as an engineer, I was favorably impressed by the skill and craftsmanship of those on the assembly floor. I was not however, favorably impressed when I read in a media release of the $35M consent decree (consent order) last August, that FR reportedly admitted in a deposition that they do not have any degreed engineers in their corporate engineering department (not just the Diesel Division). They apparently rely too heavily on the evolutionary method of design, in which last year's problems are corrected in this year's production. Apparently, 2013 models (produced in 2012) had all the fixes incorporated, because I seemed to have dodged a lot of the bullets that you encountered.

That being said, I plan to conduct a visual inspection of my slide. Thanks again!

[KennyGolub]

Thanks for taking the time to explain what you found and the pics !!

This forum is a very good reference library.

Ken