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Old 09-03-2018, 05:20 AM   #1
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Unhappy Stuck in my Driveway with a dead living room slide motor

I was going to take a trip on Friday. I was able to retract the bedroom slide. But when I push the IN button on the living room slide, "click."

At least I was in my own driveway with a stuck slide. I checked both of the 12v circuit breakers in the fuse panel. They were both good. So today I started removing the crown molding. I removed the screws but was only able to remove one layer of trim. The next layer was nailed on with pin staples. There was no way to remove the molding. I will post pictures tomorrow.

I was finally able to remove enough wood to get to the motor. Four wires go to the motor and relays. (Hot, ground, IN & OUT) There was one relay for IN & the another was for OUT. That was the clicking noise. I unplugged the motor and put a meter on the motor control wires. I measured 13.5v positive when switched IN & 13.5v negative when switched OUT. Relay & wires were good.

I plugged the motor back in and motor ran for a second when my son pushed the switch. He tried it again and the relays just clicked.

No RV shops are open until Tuesday. Tomorrow I will remove the motor to look at it. How could the motor be bad?

Forest River did not build the crown moulding to be remove. They use pin stable and wood putty. Maybe they thought it would never need any maintenance. I also did not receive any flexible shafts to manually move the slide in case of motor failure. I will use screws when I reassemble the crown moulding so I can get to the motor easier next time.

The motor does not look like the motors in to BAL Accu-Slide service manual. It looks like this one in the YouTube below. Does anybody know what kind of slide motor this is?





Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
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Old 09-03-2018, 05:38 AM   #2
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It almost sounds like the problem I had. When I pushed the switch to bring the slides in, it sounded like a short when the large slide tried to come in and I had to go to the hydraulic motor and uses the switch there. It came in under protest tho'. I lost all the 12 volt system in the 5er. I ended up having to change my converter but you might want to try going to your battery/batteries and tightening the cables or if you have, like me, solar panels and a volt meter attached to the battery as well, put the main battery cable on the bottom of the pile on the battery posts and tighten down the wing nuts, if you have those. Might or might not work for you. Good luck.
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Old 09-03-2018, 05:38 AM   #3
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Well, it could be that the springs that put pressure on the brushes for your armature could be stuck. If you have power on the load side of the relay then you have power to your motor. I would start there.
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Old 09-03-2018, 06:55 AM   #4
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I also went through everything you’ve described with my ‘19 32DS in June except I had to get my daughter to her basketball game when my slide wouldn’t retract at the campground, ripped through both layers of the paneling just to be able to get the drill/tool to the motor and retract manually. Very poorly designed for emergency access and I will be making mods to that as soon as my new pieces of paneling/moulding arrive. The motor is shot, don’t know why but it’s nothing in the wires or relays. Use an electric drill and the tool for the motor to open and close the slide until you can get the motor replaced, it’s not all that inconvenient- did it for 4 short trips until I could get the RV in to the dealer.
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Old 09-03-2018, 07:06 AM   #5
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You said 13.5v at the motor so sounds like you are connected to shore power. Large correct draws usually need some assistance from the battery . if battery is weak or disconnected it will act as you described. Measure the motor voltage with shoe power disconnected.
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Old 09-03-2018, 12:49 PM   #6
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You said 13.5v at the motor so sounds like you are connected to shore power. Large correct draws usually need some assistance from the battery . if battery is weak or disconnected it will act as you described. Measure the motor voltage with shoe power disconnected.
I have Battle Born Lithium LiFePO4 batteries the actual voltage was 13.58v. The factory installed converter was removed from the system. I now have an Inverter/Charger next to the batteries.

The motor did not make any noise. I also put my hand on it and I did not feel anything. The bedroom motor worked fine and the room lights did not flicker when moving the slide.
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Old 09-03-2018, 12:55 PM   #7
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Rk, have someone push the slide switch and you tap and hit the motor. Sometimes “impact maintenance” will get it working temporarily! Unless, it has been removed already.
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Old 09-03-2018, 01:07 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by rk06382 View Post
I was going to take a trip on Friday. I was able to retract the bedroom slide. But when I push the IN button on the living room slide, "click."

At least I was in my own driveway with a stuck slide. I checked both of the 12v circuit breakers in the fuse panel. They were both good. So today I started removing the crown molding. I removed the screws but was only able to remove one layer of trim. The next layer was nailed on with pin staples. There was no way to remove the molding. I will post pictures tomorrow.

I was finally able to remove enough wood to get to the motor. Four wires go to the motor and relays. (Hot, ground, IN & OUT) There was one relay for IN & the another was for OUT. That was the clicking noise. I unplugged the motor and put a meter on the motor control wires. I measured 13.5v positive when switched IN & 13.5v negative when switched OUT. Relay & wires were good.

I plugged the motor back in and motor ran for a second when my son pushed the switch. He tried it again and the relays just clicked.

No RV shops are open until Tuesday. Tomorrow I will remove the motor to look at it. How could the motor be bad?

Forest River did not build the crown moulding to be remove. They use pin stable and wood putty. Maybe they thought it would never need any maintenance. I also did not receive any flexible shafts to manually move the slide in case of motor failure. I will use screws when I reassemble the crown moulding so I can get to the motor easier next time.

The motor does not look like the motors in to BAL Accu-Slide service manual. It looks like this one in the YouTube below. Does anybody know what kind of slide motor this is?





Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Get used to the issues you have the accu slide system prone to problems . you could run it in and out manually. but i would not buy a unit with the cable system it's basically junk IMO
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Old 09-03-2018, 02:04 PM   #9
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That's a accuslide motor. It takes a flexible shaft to insert in the end so you can hook it to a drill motor to move your slide in and out.
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Old 09-03-2018, 02:18 PM   #10
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That's a accuslide motor. It takes a flexible shaft to insert in the end so you can hook it to a drill motor to move your slide in and out.
I did not get a flexible shaft with the FR3. I will be calling on tuesday to find out why.

Lowes has a Dewalt 90 degree flex driver for $35. It maybe easier to get to the motor with the 90 degree flex shaft tan with a straight flex. I can make a motor access hole under the first layer of crown moulding.
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Old 09-03-2018, 04:05 PM   #11
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slide won't work

had the same problem with our FR-3 . Found that the gear box was the problem and Forest River would not stand behind. Had to go to an upgraded gear box.
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Old 09-03-2018, 04:40 PM   #12
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had the same problem with our FR-3 . Found that the gear box was the problem and Forest River would not stand behind. Had to go to an upgraded gear box.
to the Forum from Alaska!

I put my hand on the motor and did not feel anything when my son pushed the switch. I will be looking at the motor this afternoon.

I will try to use the Dewalt 90 degree flex shaft to move the slide. If it is the gear box, I am in stuck with the slide out. My FR3 Dealer is over 50 miles away.
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Old 09-03-2018, 04:43 PM   #13
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Well not really, just take the chanes off the gear and push it in, but then to travel you will need a 2x4 or something to lock it in as a brace.
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to the Forum from Alaska!

I put my hand on the motor and did not feel anything when my son pushed the switch. I will be looking at the motor this afternoon.

I will try to use the Dewalt 90 degree flex shaft to move the slide. If it is the gear box, I am in stuck with the slide out. My FR3 Dealer is over 50 miles away.
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Old 09-03-2018, 04:49 PM   #14
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Well not really, just take the chanes off the gear and push it in, but then to travel you will need a 2x4 or something to lock it in as a brace.
If I take the chains off, it goes beyond DIY into a repair at a RV shop.
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Old 09-03-2018, 05:45 PM   #15
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If I take the chains off, it goes beyond DIY into a repair at a RV shop.
yes do not take the chains off . cable systems are very sensitive to adjustment . it could be your gear box but if it was you would hear the motor or feel something like you mentioned . the drill and square bit works fine . reverse for in i believe
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Old 09-03-2018, 07:14 PM   #16
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I was able to move the slide with the drill. It is real slow but it moved.

I decided to try the switch one more time, just a click. Out of frustration, I tugged on the wiring harness. Now the motor is working........

I have a loose wire somewhere between the motor and the relays.
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Old 09-03-2018, 07:36 PM   #17
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I was able to move the slide with the drill. It is real slow but it moved.

I decided to try the switch one more time, just a click. Out of frustration, I tugged on the wiring harness. Now the motor is working........

I have a loose wire somewhere between the motor and the relays.
i've seen this happen before almost like the gear box is over extended one way or another and just moving it a little allows it to function . maybe a short but you did say you had power at the motor ?
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Old 09-03-2018, 07:50 PM   #18
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i've seen this happen before almost like the gear box is over extended one way or another and just moving it a little allows it to function . maybe a short but you did say you had power at the motor ?
I am on the way to O'Reilly Auto Parts to get some wire plugs.

Will post the results.
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Old 09-04-2018, 04:47 AM   #19
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Good news. It was only a poor crimp on one connector to the motor.
Click image for larger version

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Black wire was crimped on the insulation. Red was half on the insulation.
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Relays and the Dewalt 90 degree flex shaft
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The new power ends. I used some gold plated speaker wire connectors. You use what you have on hand.
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I still have to put the crown molding back together with a manual over-ride motor access hole.
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Old 09-04-2018, 06:33 AM   #20
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Yay! We love a happy ending and thanks for the follow up so we could hear the rest of the story.
Great followup pictures too!


Happy camping!
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