"New" winch lift design? Regardless, it's not working.

[rdrcamp]

We just picked up a used 2013 HW276 last weekend. Before we drove off with it, we tested the lift and it worked just fine. So of course we get it home, set it up and the winch stops about 7/8 of the way up. No biggie - I think the upper limit just needs to be adjusted. I take the cover off and crank it by hand the last couple of inches.

I dig out the manual for the lift winch and lo and behold, it's not the same one! This unit doesn't have the worm gear drive. The output shaft of the motor is parallel with the winch drive gear.

The switch is not a 6-terminal polarity-reversing switch. It has 3 terminals that connect up two 80-amp 5-terminal SPDT relays along with the outputs of the limiter. The limiter is adjusted by 2 plastic hex-head screws; 1 for UP and the other for DOWN. The relays are finally connected to the input terminals of the lift motor.

** Side Note: This is really a bad design in the fact that the relays are not mounted to anything nor are they watertight. They and their exposed connectors are just sitting in the pan under the winch.

I get out the handy-dandy DMM and start looking for shorts. Switch is good, getting 12v to the relays...But then I find that the relay outputs are not working properly. Switch UP, 0.0 volts to motor. Switch DOWN, -9.0 volts to motor. I'm guessing that 9V is not enough to move the motor. I bypass the switch/relay setup and go directly to the battery and the motor runs just fine.

Of course, no one carries these relays, so I can't just pick them up to test. I go to the RV dealer with the photos of the setup and they've never seen anything like it. I'd like to bypass the relays altogether and just put in a watertight polarity-reversing switch (and pay attention to the lift height cable so it doesn't over-extend). Does anyone have experience with this setup?

Here is a link to some pics:
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resi...hint=folder%2c

TIA!
Chris

[OldCoot]

No experience at all, but can you use strategically positioned micro switches for the upper and lower limits?

[bleurt]

it may not be your relays but the motor on time of the travel limit some solidstate relays will let mesureable voltage but limit amperage. I am looking at wirring diagram and all the contols go through the limit switch. you need to adjust the white set screw with 4mm hex wrench you may need several turns to get it to write final position. but you need lower it 10 inches each time you do the adjustment

[rdrcamp]

I just received the manual from cabranch47 and uploaded it here:
Forest River Forums - Downloads - 2013 Powerwinch Folding Camper Lift Winch Manual

thanks, bleurt. I see how everything runs through the limit switch and that makes sense. But right now, neither switch position activates the motor. I can't raise or lower it by using the motor in its current state.
Does your setup have one or two relays?

[bleurt]

here is the new version adjustement

[bleurt]

mine has two relays. your motor is disconnected be sure you have reconnected your motor before starting. What you can do is disconnect the white or yellow wire i am not sur which relay is the up or down and using a jumper wire from positive power of the circuit and touch it to the terminal where the white or yellow wire was on the relay and power the relay direct in your pictures but be careful this bypasses the limit switch and control switch so the camper must be lowereda few inches so that if it starts to rise it does not over travel. Ten you can confirm that ther is a problem with the limit switch assembly.

[rdrcamp]

I ended up buying a sealed, waterproof, polarity-reversing momentary 30A switch and scrapping the relays (and limit switch). It's not really difficult to figure out when to stop the lift in either direction.

IMHO, the relay design is very poorly executed; they didn't use waterproof relays in an area that is likely to get wet quite frequently! Whomever installed it (I'm assuming Forest River) used non-insulated crimp terminals and didn't mount the relays. Now you have bare connectors bouncing around in a wet environment and sooner or later you'll get a short!

If you're interested in getting the replacement switch, here is the link to the part: Waterproof Toggle Switch 3 Position Reverse Polarity DC Motor Control- Momentary and Made in the USA!

[bleurt]

I would also put a starter push button as a dead man switch to kill the power if the contacts stick in up or down position. because that is what happen to my old system as i was raising it did not stop when i put the switch in neautral position did not even stop when i put it on down position. It only stopped when i used battery disconnect but it was too late for motor it the winding on rotor opened.

[oadago]

Check the limit switch . What you described the same thing that I went through I have a premier 2716g
I had a bad battery high cracking amps little volts took out a 40 amp fuse and the limit switch


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[bleurt]

For me i had checked limit switch was the first thing. But the motor was open infinite ohms when tested when i opened the motor up the rotor had visible dammage. i am glad it burn the motor before breaking the cables or tearing the kanvas.