slide and automatic jacks won't retract

beachlover2 · 07-28-2010, 08:46 PM

Our slide in the main room will not retract. The jacks won't come up either. The bedroom slides worked fine. What could the problem be?

NWJeeper · 07-28-2010, 09:00 PM

The ignition key MUST be off for the slides to work. The engine MUST be running for the levelers to work. If you still can't get things to move then start looking for a breaker near the batteries to reset. I have never had troubles with this so I don't know exactly what the breaker looks like but others here do.

You might also check the switch (for the main slide) and be sure that a wire hasn't pulled loose on the back side of it. Could explain why the other slide works and the main doesn't.

beachlover2 · 07-29-2010, 08:40 AM

Thanks for your reply! We will keep trying to solve the problem. This is our first camper with slides so we are dumb and inexperienced!

Lawfive · 07-29-2010, 11:25 AM

The same thing happened to me when I was picking my unit up from the dealer. The bedroom slide worked because it was electrically driven. The other slides and jacks wouldn't work because they were hydraulically driven and the Lippert levelling system hydraulic motor failed. Lippert advised the techs to look for the large breaker usually mounted near the retractable steps. My 391 UFO chassis had the breaker in the battery compartment. However, it was fine. Lippert's manual does show you how to pull in slides and raise jacks using an electric drill and a 1/4" bit to "manually" turn the hydraulic cylinders. Ugh. I hope your problem is in breakers not motor. Took almost a week to get a replacement. Check hydraulic fluid too. Hope this helped and didn't confuse the issue.

kvtaylor · 07-29-2010, 01:19 PM

One of our slides didn't quite close one time. I was able to get it closed after a while and took it to our dealer. He said I had popped the circut breaker mounted on the frame above the batteries. He said it was due to not having the batteries fully charged. so now I leave the power pluged in until I close all of my slides. Then I pul the electric plug and start the engine with the brake set and raise the jacks. works every time..Hope this helps.

beachlover2 · 07-29-2010, 02:14 PM

Thanks, Lawfive and kvtaylor for your help. We have the battery compartment open and there is a diagram that "sane" people could probably follow, but not us! What do the breakers look like and how do your know if they are tripped or popped (whatever you call it)?

Lawfive · 07-29-2010, 03:03 PM

My breaker is a black plastic box about an inch and a half square and about a quarter to a half inch thick. There should be a lever or button protruding from the breaker if its tripped. Since mine didn't pop, I can't tell you from experience. You could always call the Lippert folks. Do you need an online manual?

The breaker, I'm guessing since I don't have the wiring diagram in front of me, should be on one of the major cables coming off the house batteries. Someone with more education and experience could give you more detail.

Luck!

beachlover2 · 07-29-2010, 03:20 PM

Thanks for your help, Law. We will go look again. I would love to have a link for the Lippert manual. I saw it the first day I came here but can't find it now.

Lawfive · 07-29-2010, 03:29 PM

Here is the link to their manuals. Google as ever gets me there.

Owners Manuals

beachlover2 · 07-29-2010, 04:24 PM

It's fixed!!! Thanks for all your help. It turned out to be two-fold: 1. we took the coach battery out and had it tested and it was bad. 2. the breaker was popped. Our breaker was black and up on the frame above the batteries on the top left side. You really had to get on the ground and look up to find it. A new battery and flipping the lever up worked. The lever (or whatever it should be called) was thin and flat and had to be flipped up to work. We had been looking for something different. I wanted to describe the thing in case anyone else can't find their breaker,etc. Thanks, Law for describing your breaker for us... big help. Now, the slide is retracted and the jacks are up! Oh, thanks for the manual. I bookmarked it.

NWJeeper · 07-29-2010, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beachlover2

Oh, thanks for the manual. I bookmarked it.

Better yet, it should be in .PDF format. Download the manual to your computer as well as all the other manuals you can find for all the rest of the components on your rig. Save to a CD or DVD or keep them in a file folder on your computer for easy reference in the future. I keep mine on the laptop which is usually with us on the road.

Glad to hear you got it fixed.

Lawfive · 07-29-2010, 11:12 PM

Be sure you print out the Lippert manual and have it for the day when you're out and about with no power and the jacks down and slides out. A trusty power screw driver will get you closed up. If you have it you won't need it. On that logic I'm trying to amass every diagnostic text and user manual I can find. Plus knowing your coach well is the surest way to nip trouble in the bud. Have fun. Drive safe. Hoist one for me.

cfsoistman · 07-30-2010, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lawfive

Be sure you print out the Lippert manual and have it for the day when you're out and about with no power and the jacks down and slides out. A trusty power screw driver will get you closed up. If you have it you won't need it. On that logic I'm trying to amass every diagnostic text and user manual I can find. Plus knowing your coach well is the surest way to nip trouble in the bud. Have fun. Drive safe. Hoist one for me.

You're playing the same game as me. If I have all the information right at hand I'll never need it. I have mine stored on my laptop and a copy of all of the paperwork on a zip-drive as well. One thing I've been doing is as I find things out, I take a silver Sharpie and label the item. Oh course this is out of sight but if something would happen it's easy to locate. I plan to make a list of the items, breakers, fuses, sizes and their locations and save it. I figure the more prepared I am the less chance there is that I'll need to use this information.

Carol1 · 08-25-2010, 07:55 PM

New to this forum and have read with interest the information on leveling jacks. Our 2000 A class Georgetown has a problem with the rear driver side jack - it will not go up - we have had to push it up with a crowbar on our last trip. We took it to a truck repair shop and they cannot find another jack to replace it. (He has been looking for 3 months)
It is an HDW - if that sounds familiar.

Does anyone know where we could look to get a replacement jack? Also we do not have an owner's manual and wonder where to get one.

You can probably tell we a newbies and need as much guidance as you can spare. We have just retired and plan to go south for the winter.

Thanks. Dan and Carol

ArkyGeorgetown330TS · 08-26-2010, 09:04 AM

Dan & Carol,
Have you tried any of the RV salvage yards? Also try Google to find info.

beachlover2 · 08-26-2010, 09:11 AM

You may have to go to a RV shop to get it fixed. The link for the manual is on this thread in an earlier post. Good luck!

Carol1 · 08-26-2010, 10:52 AM

Thanks for the info - never thought of an RV salvage; will try that and the RV dealer. Was not successful with the first attempt at the RV dealer we purchased from - they said the back driver's jack was working - not to confident in their abillities to solve a problem.

We would like to get this fixed before we go down south. I am so excited, just retired and cannot wait to travel.

Thanks again. Dan and Carol

ArkyGeorgetown330TS · 08-26-2010, 11:32 AM

10 Sep 2010 is my last day of work, and we leave the next day for Colorado & Utah for at least a month. Can't wait.

Carol1 · 08-27-2010, 11:54 AM

Have fun - I am sure you are counting the days.

Gator_38 · 08-28-2010, 09:46 AM

I think it must be a common problem. On my rig, the breaker had been covered up by a red spray (used to prevent battery corrosion) by somebody a little overzealous with a spray can. My circuit diagram was nothing more than a very faded piece of paper pasted to the wall of the battery compartment. It's worthwhile to get in touch with Forest River and have them email a copy of the diagram.
Good luck, keep the batteries charged, check water levels frequently and if you suspect a battery, have someone do a load test on it.

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