Circuit Breaker for Slideout

[Mark55]

I have a Forest River Wilderness. It is a 2001 is 30" and has one slideout. I have been having problems with the slideout going in and out. At first it would do nothing so I replaced the circuit breaker that is up near the hitch. We were unable to read what amp breaker it was so the guy sold me either a 20 amp or a 40 amp. Now the slideout will go in about 10 inches the stop. No motor noise or nothing. I wait a few minutes and it does the same thing. I suspect that I am tripping the breaker and it is resetting itself until it trips again. Can anyone tell me what size breaker should I be using. Thank you in advance.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Mark55

I have a Forest River Wilderness. It is a 2001 is 30" and has one slide out. I have been having problems with the slide out going in and out. At first it would do nothing so I replaced the circuit breaker that is up near the hitch. We were unable to read what amp breaker it was so the guy sold me either a 20 amp or a 40 amp. Now the slide out will go in about 10 inches the stop. No motor noise or nothing. I wait a few minutes and it does the same thing. I suspect that I am tripping the breaker and it is resetting itself until it trips again. Can anyone tell me what size breaker should I be using. Thank you in advance.

My flagstaff uses a 30 amp auto-resetting current limiter on each slide.
40 amps would be too big (dangerous) and a 20 is too small for sure.

[Pattycake]

I have a 2003 Cedar Creek 36'fifth wheel with three slides I have had problems with the slides from day one. Took it to the factory in Indiana but still haveing problems. The slides will go in a little, stop wait a few minutes go a little further stop, wait and this goes on and on. Help!

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Pattycake

I have a 2003 Cedar Creek 36'fifth wheel with three slides I have had problems with the slides from day one. Took it to the factory in Indiana but still having problems. The slides will go in a little, stop wait a few minutes go a little further stop, wait and this goes on and on. Help!

My guess is that someone installed an auto-reset current limiter in your slide motor's circuit. You have a high resistance in your motor circuit and it is drawing more current than the limiter allows. The limiter needs several seconds to cool down enough to reset and you get power again.
Till it pops again...

My guess is: (from cheapest fix to most expensive)

1) Check the ground wire to the frame. Corrosion at the bolt can increase the resistance of the circuit and thus the current draw.

2) Lubricate the gears and racks (long bars with teeth on them) with a can of dry lubricant.

3) Replace the auto-resetting circuit breaker with another of the same (most likely 30 amp)

4) Replace the slide drive motor.

[TURBS]

lou ,
do you think a relay in line would help with the high amps ?
just like you would need one for a starter . or a snow plow. that uses a relay and or solenoid.
or anything that requires high amps .
I blew a fuse on my slide out the first day I had it . I installed a circuit breaker in my fuse panel in place of the fuse and of the same amp. No issues yet .

My fear also FR is not using heavy enough cable to make it work properly .

thoughts ?

[Herk7769]

In Patrick's case I don't think a relay would help.

Something is causing a higher amp draw than the deigners planned.
THAT needs to be addressed first.

Do NOT try and UP the fuse rating.
The wires are min size for 30 amps.

My money is still on a corroded ground.

[TURBS]

I bet your right . cause after I fixed my propane leak tonight I found that one of my central ground locations with about 6 wires going to it had never had the paint removed before they attached the ground wires . They attached 6 ground wires to a painted surface.
Why isn't there enough attention to detail on somethings and over kill on others ?