Automatic Steps

ggm · 12-22-2009, 03:14 PM

Hiya, could anyone help
My steps have stop working, the onboard battery seem to be fine, The weather has changed in the UK and we are at around -2 to -4 everynight for the last week or so.
I open the door and the steps move dont dont fully extend

graham

georgetown 306s

NWJeeper · 12-22-2009, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggm

Hiya, could anyone help
My steps have stop working, the onboard battery seem to be fine, The weather has changed in the UK and we are at around -2 to -4 everynight for the last week or so.
I open the door and the steps move dont dont fully extend

graham

georgetown 306s

Are you sure your batteries are fully charged? cold weather will dimisinsh their capacity greatly. Sounds like a low voltage problem to me. Test the batteries with a digital volt meter and see what you get.

TulsaSteve · 12-22-2009, 05:36 PM

Any chance there is ice/snow packed up in there? -2 to -4 (I'm assuming C) doesn't sound too bad for the batteries.

Did you try with shore power and/or the generator running to eliminate low voltage as a possibility?

kvtaylor · 12-22-2009, 09:50 PM

There may be an inline fuse to the motor on your steps. we have a 2008 Georgetown 378 and the inline fuse is located near your batteries below the steps going up into the coach. Also there is a fuse box mounted on the frame above the batteries. Our slide did not work and that was where our fuse was located.

Ops. i just reread your remarks and seeing that the steps move a little, it can't be the fuse. But with cold weather like that, probably the metal in the steps are froze together by the moisture.

cfsoistman · 12-23-2009, 09:41 AM

Try opening the steps with the power line connected or generator such as TulsaSteve instructed. Then, you may want to try a silicone spray like WD40 on every bolt and joint on the steps. Moisture can get in there and eventually rust the pivoting points.If it starts moving easier you can keep it going in and out until it operates smoothly. Respray occassionally. My steps were getting a little sluggish and once I sprayed the lubricant in there it freed it up. Good luck, Charlie

ggm · 12-23-2009, 02:46 PM

all very strange< the shore line is connected, the steps move about 1/3 of the wayout and then stop and then i close the door and the stpes go back but not all the way home, the batteries are about two months old and are showing 12.6 volts with a vault matter not connected to thr shoreline>

I will try wd40< but to me it seem like the batteies are very lowbut they are not.?
any other idea?

ggm · 12-23-2009, 02:57 PM

just wd40 every bolt etc, put the on board geny on no joy< could it be the motor?

TulsaSteve · 12-23-2009, 10:39 PM

Does it always open to exactly the same spot and then stop?

Could something be blocking it? Maybe something is bent / out of alignment?

Hard to imagine the motor is bad if it's opening and closing some. My bet is that a safety feature is sensing enough force pushing back that it's shutting off the motor.

NWJeeper · 12-23-2009, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggm

just wd40 every bolt etc, put the on board geny on no joy< could it be the motor?

If I remember correctly the electric steps are actuated with a half moon gear driven by the main motor pinion. Those gears are plastic. Could be that the teeth are striped or misaligned. Also don't know about yours but ours will automatically stop when they hit something while extending (like a curb) I believe this is done using an electronic amp sensor that senses the increased amperage flow to the motor as it is "jamed" by something and shuts off the power. Just a couple more ideas. When you find what is going on let us know...

ggm · 12-24-2009, 05:25 AM

Both Your comments make sense
Answer
Does it always open to exactly the same spot and then stop? Yes Yes

Could something be blocking it? Maybe something is bent / out of alignment?
This camper has been parked up for the last 2 month and not moved and was working fine.?

actuated with a half moon gear driven by the main motor pinion, yes checked this

electronic amp sensor that senses the increased amperage flow to the motor as it is "jamed" by something and shuts off the power. This would make more sense.?

Just not sure were i go now chaps.

thanks for taking the time to reply with ideas.

cfsoistman · 12-24-2009, 07:14 AM

I believe this is the company that supplies the steps to FR. The following link may have some info related to your problem.

http://www.kwikee.com/Series23.html

I also see that they don't recommend using WD40. So I've learned something from just searching on line.

http://www.kwikee.com/stepmaintain.html

I found the KWIK TEST unit and it's $175.00, not a bad investment if you test steps for a living. Otherwise steep.

ggm · 12-24-2009, 03:00 PM

guess what, i have some strange shi_ going on, left the shoreline unplugg and the onboard battery, two 110Amp was dead,? what could be drawing the power from the batteries.?
what every it is it killing these battey in about 24 hours, which must be the problem with the steps

graham

TulsaSteve · 12-24-2009, 03:31 PM

Could be related, but I doubt the power problem is causing the steps to halt.

Do you leave the shoreline plugged in continuously? If so, you may have toasted the batteries. We had a long discussion in a different thread about way to keep the batteries topped off without frying them.

http://forestriverforums.com/forums/...light=inverter

NWJeeper · 12-24-2009, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggm

guess what, i have some strange shi_ going on, left the shoreline unplugg and the onboard battery, two 110Amp was dead,? what could be drawing the power from the batteries.?
what every it is it killing these battey in about 24 hours, which must be the problem with the steps

graham

Perhaps it's not that something is killing the batteries but that they are already dead and not taking a charge. If one has a bad cell it will cause all sorts of issues. Have had this happen before. Most recently with the starting battery on our rig which went bad early. The LED turn signal lights in our side pod cameras were lighting up for no reason while it was parked. Went to start the motorhome and totally dead. Hooked up a charger/starter and put it in start mode. Fried the charger! Bad battery.

I would check the fluid level in all the cells but I would venture to guess you have one or more that are dry, therfore dead batteries and they will more than likely need to be replaced.

LadyWindrider · 12-24-2009, 04:22 PM

Best way to check, unhook both batteries and unhook them from each other. Charge each one with a trickle charger, 2 amps or so, for 24 hours. Unhook and check voltage. Should still be over 12.5 volts after 24 hours not connected to anything. If not, that battery is toast. this will eliminate anything pulling them down, and eliminate your converters ability to charge, for the moment. If the batteries are good, then you'll have to continue to find the problem.

ggm · 12-24-2009, 04:24 PM

well the batteries was new around 2-3 months ago.? I do leave the shorline on every evening and not on during the day, Iv just taken them off to charge in the house for the night in the warm.?
last night the batteries was showing 12.6 voults and this eveing they was flat, the shorline was not plugin.?

ggm · 12-24-2009, 04:25 PM

our thread crossed, that what im doing, nightmare chaps
thanks for all your help

ggm · 12-24-2009, 05:21 PM

just been doing some research on the forum here,
Found this

little tiny rocker switch above
the freezer door. This is labeled "environment""climate" or something.
It is a heater that warms the area between the freezer
and fresh food doors. That little strip you can see below
the freezer door can sweat in humid conditions so they
put in a heater to warm it up!!
YIKES-- It uses a considerable amount of juice when
it's on. My freezer door is so close to this switch that
it can actually bump the switch to the ON position.

could this be the culprit?after checking it was switch on??

MtnGuy · 12-25-2009, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggm

just been doing some research on the forum here,
Found this

little tiny rocker switch above
the freezer door. This is labeled "environment""climate" or something.
It is a heater that warms the area between the freezer
and fresh food doors. That little strip you can see below
the freezer door can sweat in humid conditions so they
put in a heater to warm it up!!
YIKES-- It uses a considerable amount of juice when
it's on. My freezer door is so close to this switch that
it can actually bump the switch to the ON position.

could this be the culprit?after checking it was switch on??

The heater switch should only work when the fridge is on. If you are running your fridge, than yes, that could be the culprit.

ggm · 12-25-2009, 01:40 PM

fridge was not on, so if this only come on when fridge is on i need to keep looking, anyone got any more ideas.
im going to put the battry back on boxing day and switch the isolationswitch to on and do a meter reading on the volts after say 4 hours and then agin after 8. Hope the steps will work now the batteries are fully charged.
dont think the onboard inverter is charging my battery when plugg into the shoreline, i do know the geny charges them?

You may also like: