Step will not deploy

ricktrow · 11-23-2018, 04:28 PM

2018 Forester 2401R. Electric step has stopped working no matter what position on/off switch in stairwell is in. No breaker with that identification in the stairwell panel. Can't find an inline fuse under the coach. Ideas gratefully accepted.

bubbles · 11-23-2018, 04:54 PM

Typically the 25amp inline step power fuse is connected directly to a coach battery. The door magnetic switch controls the extending and retracting of the steps. Are the steps extended or retracted?

ricktrow · 11-23-2018, 05:00 PM

Retracted. Bubbles you are the man! I've been all over the bottom of the coach looking for an inline fuse. Never thought it might be connected to the battery! Will go to coach and have a look tomorrow. Many thanks!

bubbles · 11-23-2018, 05:13 PM

There are other things that will cause your issue. Example: door magnetic switch not opening when screen door opened. Mechanism is rusty at pivot points. Remember, the step switch in your well is not supposed to keep the steps from extending, whether on or off when the door is opened but when on it is supposed to keep the steps from retracting when the door is closed. An indication of the door magnetic switch operating properly and assuming no blown fuses is the underneath step light will illuminate for a several seconds when the door is opened. Hope you find the problem.

kenandterry · 11-23-2018, 05:58 PM

Rick.......

Not sure where you were looking originally when you said you can’t find an in-line fuse under the coach.

Then you said you never thought it might be connected to the battery.

I don’t own a Forester, but it’s possible you have a battery under the hood for the engine, and then another 1 or 2 somewhere for the “house” part of the RV. It’s the “house” battery(s) where the in-line might be located.

ricktrow · 11-23-2018, 08:45 PM

What I meant was that I never flipped open the inside step (where the house batteries are installed) to look for the fuse. I only crawled under the outside step. I'll look again tomorrow. Thanks for the help.

Desertsquid · 11-24-2018, 01:53 PM

Things we've learned about the step. Always make sure it is fully deployed before stepping on it. Don't park too close to a curb or other obstruction and deploy the step. The motor that operates the step is the same motor that is used on many older cars for power windows. Forrest River replaced our complete step at the rally this past summer as we were over 2k miles from home and it decided not to work any more. We had previously replaced the motor. This is a Kwikee step on a Sunseeker 2400w MBS. Now we carry a step stool just in case it happens again and we treat that step very gently. There are some really great and helpful posts about the steps on the forums.

Reverse_snowbird · 11-24-2018, 02:07 PM

You might have a dead house battery. That's the only thing that kills our steps. In fact, our steps are stuck out because our house battery is dead and needs to be replaced. Luckily it's in enclosed storage so no worries.

Dbrote · 11-25-2018, 02:50 AM

Search for my post. Step stoped working, oh my. It was 7 months ago.

flocktothewall · 11-25-2018, 11:31 AM

Ours stopped working. Had to disassemble it and take it off to drive home. Found out later the magnet on the door was gone and it wouldn’t retract the step without it.

myclmac · 11-25-2018, 09:23 PM

I have the same 2401R but at 2016. My step froze up also. I took the motor off and cleaned and greased the moving parts and its been working ever since. If you open the door and the light comes on it's a motor problem. If no light then there is a switch or wire problem . To fix the step yourself and access the motor you need to pull the cotter pin out of the swing arm to lower the step. You should disconnect to power wire so the step does not start working as this can cause injury to you. You can access the motor when the steps are extended. A replacement motor is available on Amazon. I did a bench test on my motor and it worked so I did not need to replace it. Good luck.

drobers · 11-28-2018, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Desertsquid

Things we've learned about the step. Always make sure it is fully deployed before stepping on it. Don't park too close to a curb or other obstruction and deploy the step. The motor that operates the step is the same motor that is used on many older cars for power windows. Forrest River replaced our complete step at the rally this past summer as we were over 2k miles from home and it decided not to work any more. We had previously replaced the motor. This is a Kwikee step on a Sunseeker 2400w MBS. Now we carry a step stool just in case it happens again and we treat that step very gently. There are some really great and helpful posts about the steps on the forums.

My step on my 2400w MBS is partially extended and will not retract. For awhile it would work intermittently.

drobers · 11-28-2018, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myclmac

I have the same 2401R but at 2016. My step froze up also. I took the motor off and cleaned and greased the moving parts and its been working ever since. If you open the door and the light comes on it's a motor problem. If no light then there is a switch or wire problem . To fix the step yourself and access the motor you need to pull the cotter pin out of the swing arm to lower the step. You should disconnect to power wire so the step does not start working as this can cause injury to you. You can access the motor when the steps are extended. A replacement motor is available on Amazon. I did a bench test on my motor and it worked so I did not need to replace it. Good luck.

This is very helpful. Thanks!

ricktrow · 12-17-2018, 10:40 PM

UPDATE: So the “fuse” I was told to look for UNDER the coach (by a Forester tech on a phone call) turned out to be a breaker in the step well, which was news to me since the printed legend on the cover plate of that array made no reference to a step breaker (FR factory rep sent a revised schematic which looks nothing like the one printed on the plate affixed to my coach). Anyhow, I had reset all of those breakers several times in my search for a solution, with no success. And I may never know the answer because a few days ago I opened the door and that darned step almost hit me in the shin. And since that unexplained deployment I have nearly worn out the door hinges trying to make it fail, but the miracle of the step repeats every time. So I haven’t learned much about the step, but more than I wanted to know about Forest River, and a lot about the good help available on this forum. Thanks to all of you.

BEMR · 01-01-2019, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricktrow

UPDATE: So the “fuse” I was told to look for UNDER the coach (by a Forester tech on a phone call) turned out to be a breaker in the step well, which was news to me since the printed legend on the cover plate of that array made no reference to a step breaker (FR factory rep sent a revised schematic which looks nothing like the one printed on the plate affixed to my coach). Anyhow, I had reset all of those breakers several times in my search for a solution, with no success. And I may never know the answer because a few days ago I opened the door and that darned step almost hit me in the shin. And since that unexplained deployment I have nearly worn out the door hinges trying to make it fail, but the miracle of the step repeats every time. So I haven’t learned much about the step, but more than I wanted to know about Forest River, and a lot about the good help available on this forum. Thanks to all of you.

Crazy after 2 years mine didn't deploy for 10 trips, repair company said they'd order me a new one and mentioned something about poor motors. Forester 2 seasons old couldn't believe it, so just all of a sudden without doing anything it started working a month ago, wd 40'd the hell out of it, it's worked fine ever since.

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