Slide out blows fuse coming in

[ronthet]

I have a 2022 Forest River Surveyor Legend 252 RBLE. Only one slide on this unit and its the dinette. I believe it is the rack and pinion style slide out. No rails on either side of slide visible.

It works fine when extending and shutting off like it should after the sound, we all wait for. The problem comes when I bring the slide in. It appears to come all the way in but the sound you expect at the closing does not happen. The slide appears to be all the way in and looks so when I go outside and check.

The issue is after the slide stops coming in you can hear the fuse pop/blow.

I am not to familiar with trouble shooting electrical issues. I assume I need to get to the motor etc. for the slide. Which I'm afraid is in the underbelly.

So any idea on how to trouble shoot without dropping the underbelly

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by ronthet

I have a 2022 Forest River Surveyor Legend 252 RBLE. Only one slide on this unit and its the dinette. I believe it is the rack and pinion style slide out. No rails on either side of slide visible.

It works fine when extending and shutting off like it should after the sound, we all wait for. The problem comes when I bring the slide in. It appears to come all the way in but the sound you expect at the closing does not happen. The slide appears to be all the way in and looks so when I go outside and check.

The issue is after the slide stops coming in you can hear the fuse pop/blow.

I am not to familiar with trouble shooting electrical issues. I assume I need to get to the motor etc. for the slide. Which I'm afraid is in the underbelly.

So any idea on how to trouble shoot without dropping the underbelly

If the slide is a "rack and pinion" type (Lippert will call it an electric through frame) it will have an electric actuator that pushes it out or pulls it in. The gearbox the motor is attached to has a torque limiting clutch in it that will "chatter" when it reaches the limits of slide (actuator) travel. This is just like the chatter on a cordless drill when set to release torque when driving screws.

If the slide itself moves freely when retracting but there is no sound from the clutch releasing torque when the slide reaches full retract, the clutch in the gearbox is most likely defective. It's not releasing and the stalled motor is causing the fuse to blow.

The gear image on the left contains the "clutch" and this set is $99 on Amazon (assuming the gearbox is a standard Lippert 18:1 Venture gearbox).



Caution: Beware of cheap look-alike replacement gears. Some have no clutch built in and will either cause more blown fuses or just strip gear teeth off when travel limit is hit.


The motor is located in the underbelly of the trailer. It will be on the Curb Side, usually near the inner side of the main frame rail. It can be accessed by cutting a window flap in the coroplast material. Look for the manual operation shaft that goes through the frame and just inside the frame rail cut a 24" x 24" "window, cutting only both sides and the rear edge. Leave front of flap uncut for easier closing when finished with motor.

To close up after addressing motor/gearbox issue put some strips of 3/8" plywood or particle board on the top/inside of the coroplast at the cut edges and secure with short drywall screws. Leave enough exposed wood so the flap can be secured to the wood with screws after folded back in place.

When I finished securing the flap on mine I used some Pipe Wrap tape like this to seal the cuts:

It's vinyl tape but much thicker than just black electrical tape and more water resistant than Duct Tape. Should be on the shelf at HD, Lowes, etc. Make sure to clean coroplast surface before applying tape with Acetone for best adhesion.

In closing, it appears your problem is more likely a mechanical problem rather than electrical. When motors are stalled out, current skyrockets and fuses blow. If no clutch to release load on motor when the slide is at it travel limit, current will climb and fuse blows.

[NMWildcat]

You may well have a mechanical problem, but before you start going down that rabbit hole, check your batteries.
Slides work from the battery, even if you are plugged into shore power.
Test your batteries, or better yet, have them load tested.
A weak battery, or one with a bad cell, will cause fuses to trip when using high load devices like slides. And a slide coming in takes more power than one going out. Also, my slides have an auto reset fuse/breaker which actually weakened and no longer worked as it should. Replaced it, no more problem.
Something easy to check before going further.

[ronthet]

Thank to everyone for your replies and ideas/suggestions. I talked to Lipperet and they want me to use a volt meter for some testing. However they want me to disconnect the solar and shore power. Shore power is easy. Solar is another problem. I was advised I could unplug the fuse to the battery. I have go power with GP-PWM-10-SQ controller. I do not see a inline fuse outside in the Aframe are around the batteries. so can't find the fuse. I did however find an access panel in the underbelly just behind where the big round read battery disconnect is mounted on the outside of the trailer. Has about 8 screws looks like. Not sure what is in the access panel. Thinking I should just get a blanket and cover up the solar panel?

[caosoccer2729]

Originally Posted by ronthet

I have a 2022 Forest River Surveyor Legend 252 RBLE. Only one slide on this unit and its the dinette. I believe it is the rack and pinion style slide out. No rails on either side of slide visible.

It works fine when extending and shutting off like it should after the sound, we all wait for. The problem comes when I bring the slide in. It appears to come all the way in but the sound you expect at the closing does not happen. The slide appears to be all the way in and looks so when I go outside and check.

The issue is after the slide stops coming in you can hear the fuse pop/blow.

I am not to familiar with trouble shooting electrical issues. I assume I need to get to the motor etc. for the slide. Which I'm afraid is in the underbelly.

So any idea on how to trouble shoot without dropping the underbelly

Hello so I’m not sure if I have this fixed or not but the slide fuse that u hear popping is actually for the slide out lights that’s why the slide can still come all the way in what is happening is where they secured the wires under the slide is not in a good spot and is pinching the wires when the slide is all the way in all u need to do is take the screw out of the zip tie under the slide and move the sip tie as far as u can under the box going away from the way the box is closing

[ronthet]

Ok I might be a little confused. I am in my trailer right now. The slide out will no do out. The lights in the slide are on separate circuit than all the light that the switch at the control turns on. The lights in the slide over the table work just fine. I press the button and they come on and off Are the other lights I’m missing?

[caosoccer2729]

Originally Posted by ronthet

Ok I might be a little confused. I am in my trailer right now. The slide out will no do out. The lights in the slide are on separate circuit than all the light that the switch at the control turns on. The lights in the slide over the table work just fine. I press the button and they come on and off Are the other lights I’m missing?

Ok so I was wrong in this case my apologies if u look under the slide and if u find where the gold cone is under the slide that is where the slide out motor is if you were to drop the under belly except it will be on the oppose side of the chassis I’m not sure what under belly u have on ur model hopefully it’s not all one long piece most of the time it’s in sections and u can get to the motor fairly easy but the issue I’m almost 100 certain is at the motor and they did not zip tie the wire at the factory and it got caught in the gears at the motor really easy fix I’m not sure if you are with in a couple hours from Elkhart Indiana I wouldn’t mind coming to u and showing u how to do it if u are still having trouble or you could FaceTime me and I could walk you through it I have done that for several people on here 5743500710

[ronthet]

I appreciate the offer etc. I live in Dallas Ft Worth area. Afraid my underbelly is one big piece. will have to find some material and maybe cut out an acess panell and cover it back. I am sure hoping we don't have to take the underbelly down.

Thanks again.

[caosoccer2729]

Originally Posted by ronthet

I appreciate the offer etc. I live in Dallas Ft Worth area. Afraid my underbelly is one big piece. will have to find some material and maybe cut out an acess panell and cover it back. I am sure hoping we don't have to take the underbelly down.

Thanks again.

Ok with it being one big piece believe it or not I have had a lot of success with going from the top down either through a register vent or the cabinets behind the access panels some times u can get lucky and there will be a whole there all I do is go to my phone turn video record on with the light and I record what I seee from the top I do this so hopefully I can get a good enough video to be able to tell if that is the problem and if it is a good guess at about where so when I do cut the u underbelly I make only one cut and again when u cut the under belly you don’t have to cut a box out simply cut an n pattern so to speak and fold the flap back as long as u cut it big enough then u will be ample to repair the wire and not need to replace any under belly when ur done fold the flap back and they make under belly tape that u just simply use three pieces or so to tape it back up u won’t even ever notice u cuz into it it matches the under belly perfect if u don’t have accede to underbelly tape it is bacially like duct tape if u r comparing the stickiness the difference is it’s made to match the under belly and is a little thinner but just as durable but if ur in a pinch duct tape would work I attach a sketch of how I was talking bout cutting the underbelly if u didn’t understand what I was saying good luck keep me updated!

[caosoccer2729]

Originally Posted by caosoccer2729

Ok with it being one big piece believe it or not I have had a lot of success with going from the top down either through a register vent or the cabinets behind the access panels some times u can get lucky and there will be a whole there all I do is go to my phone turn video record on with the light and I record what I seee from the top I do this so hopefully I can get a good enough video to be able to tell if that is the problem and if it is a good guess at about where so when I do cut the u underbelly I make only one cut and again when u cut the under belly you don’t have to cut a box out simply cut an n pattern so to speak and fold the flap back as long as u cut it big enough then u will be ample to repair the wire and not need to replace any under belly when ur done fold the flap back and they make under belly tape that u just simply use three pieces or so to tape it back up u won’t even ever notice u cuz into it it matches the under belly perfect if u don’t have accede to underbelly tape it is bacially like duct tape if u r comparing the stickiness the difference is it’s made to match the under belly and is a little thinner but just as durable but if ur in a pinch duct tape would work I attach a sketch of how I was talking bout cutting the underbelly if u didn’t understand what I was saying good luck keep me updated!

The dotted line is where u would bend the underbelly