Schwintek motor surprise on Solera 24R

Rich.M · 06-30-2018, 09:00 PM

Today we had our first schwintek motor fail on our side slide and we are out on the road in the Outer Banks. I like to be prepared so I have been carrying a spare motor for 2 years. Our 24R uses four motors between the 2 slides and fortunately they are all the same.
I reviewed the motor replacement video on my phone went up on my portable ladder and pulled back the outside slide gasket to expose the retaining screw and found it was a Square drive screw. That driver wasn't part of my on the road tool box!
I found square drive bit at a local ace hardware to use in my socket driver. The motor replacement takes only 5 min once the screw is out. Just wanted to share so others planning to keep a spare motor also check their retaining screw and be ready for removal.

KatanaPilot · 07-01-2018, 04:22 AM

Thanks for the tip! (Pardon the pun).

Guess I need to add both the motor, along with the square drive bit to the tool kit. Along with a water pump, motor controller, inverter, water heater control board, etc. Sure wish Toyota made motorhomes and Denso made components...

Had hoped to drive MH to Alaska this year with the caravan, but driving Tundra next year instead. Don't really trust MB or the stuff riding on the chassis.

Rich.M · 07-01-2018, 06:11 AM

I took a better look at the failed motor this morning, looks like a water intrusion problem leading to corrosion of the wire harness connections. Looks to be a slide seal problem.

namusmc · 07-03-2018, 03:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich.M

Today we had our first schwintek motor fail on our side slide and we are out on the road in the Outer Banks. I like to be prepared so I have been carrying a spare motor for 2 years. Our 24R uses four motors between the 2 slides and fortunately they are all the same.
I reviewed the motor replacement video on my phone went up on my portable ladder and pulled back the outside slide gasket to expose the retaining screw and found it was a Square drive screw. That driver wasn't part of my on the road tool box!
I found square drive bit at a local ace hardware to use in my socket driver. The motor replacement takes only 5 min once the screw is out. Just wanted to share so others planning to keep a spare motor also check their retaining screw and be ready for removal.

Wish some kind person would make a YouTube video showing a motor replacement in field conditions from start to finish using an actual motorhome. I have seen the Lippert videos done in a lab setting.

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TakeItEasy · 07-03-2018, 06:53 AM

I had a motor go out last year on a 2015 3171. In my case one of the wires came off the circuit board. I think a motor redesing would go a long way toward making these motors last longer.

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Rich.M · 07-03-2018, 07:25 AM

Sorry no video this time but the lippert video is pretty close to correct. 1) I did have to remove the outside screw to get the motor to lift. It was under the outer seal which clips on and off easily. 2) pull the black wire harness out of the space above the motor so you are left with only the colored wire harness in the space above the motor. Unplug. You will need that space to lift the motor. They show this but don't emphasize it. 3) lift motor and tip out from the bottom of the hole. - easy. 4)Insert new motor with the D on the shaft lined up as close as possible to the current d insert position, the retaining pins limit to 4 choices. 5) Push or pull your slide for the D in the shaft to line up. The motor will drop down when lined up. They show/ mention this in the video and it was easy to rotate the slide receiver for the D shaft with a little push on the slide Then just put back the wires,screw and molding the way you found them. Easier than I thought but I dread having to pull a motor on the wall side of the slide. Would need to remove the slide molding to reach it.

5picker · 07-03-2018, 07:44 AM

From the looks of that connector... even a dab of dielectric grease would have been a big help in keeping some of the water out.

sunseeker56 · 07-08-2018, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KatanaPilot

Thanks for the tip! (Pardon the pun).

Guess I need to add both the motor, along with the square drive bit to the tool kit. Along with a water pump, motor controller, inverter, water heater control board, etc. Sure wish Toyota made motorhomes and Denso made components...

Had hoped to drive MH to Alaska this year with the caravan, but driving Tundra next year instead. Don't really trust MB or the stuff riding on the chassis.

I agree! We have had nothing but issues! Been out of service for 2 1/2 months of the 11 months we have had it! Just got it back and needing to go back! Ugh

bobgeri · 07-13-2018, 06:19 PM

We had a ton of problems on our first coast to coast. Dennis Dillon RV in LA got us all fixed back up and under warranty. This trip has been flawless so far. Our slide housing leaked water into the compartment while driving in a snowstorm. The water shorted the Murphy bed controller breaking the drive into pieces, water heater igniter wire shorted out on the door every time you closed it, and two slide motors broke. Then the whole Convection oven/ microwave and cabinet fell off the wall in downtown Wash DC. We got partially fixed by Camping World in Marion NC but we lifted that bed in and out of that well every single night for almost a month. So far this trip it’s been great.

KatanaPilot · 07-13-2018, 07:00 PM

With those kinds of issues on a new motorhome, I would have sold it back to the dealer.

I guess I'm spoiled by Japanese quality vehicles. Yes I know, these are rolling houses and there is no comparison. It's still not acceptable.

B and B · 07-13-2018, 07:08 PM

I had a brand new Rockwood with a Schwintek system that failed trip 1 100 miles from the dealer. I managed to get the slide out pushing while DW ran the switches. Same to go in, spent 2 months at dealer. We dumped the trailer the next year at a loss. There is a new rack and pinion system Lippert has that might hold more promise.

bobgeri · 07-16-2018, 11:20 AM

Since the dealer did the work it’s been faultless. We figure we might have fixed the problems and killed off the new coach gremlins. Besides there is no value in a used coach. We tried to sell it or trade it in but no takers. And we have our own financing. 70k for a coach with 12k miles. Oh well it’s ours now. Hope yours works out.

sunseeker56 · 07-16-2018, 09:58 PM

We got out RV back it has been in and out 2 times since pickup. Keeping our fingers crossed. Just very upsetting!

Talisman · 07-09-2020, 08:38 PM

2015 Solera 24R
I also carry a spare slide motor, but I am terrified of a "wall side" motor failure on the side slide. Has anyone actually done this?

Rachel20 · 07-10-2020, 09:44 AM

Thanks for the 411, is this the motor ?
https://www.amazon.com/Lippert-23657.../dp/B00S2ICOO2

LeeF · 07-19-2020, 04:50 PM

I have a 2015 Solera also (just bought) - it’s the 24S model so it only has a side slide. If for whatever reason the slide gets stuck and won’t go in, is there a way to push it in manually just to get back on the road till it can be fixed?

**bikendan** · 07-19-2020, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeeF

I have a 2015 Solera also (just bought) - it’s the 24S model so it only has a side slide. If for whatever reason the slide gets stuck and won’t go in, is there a way to push it in manually just to get back on the road till it can be fixed?

If it's a Schwintek, only if you disconnect both slide motors.

Rich.M · 07-19-2020, 05:29 PM

You will probably need to lift out both motors. I recall the slide pretty easy to rock and move. If only one motor out then might be able to lift motor on the dead side and push while someone brings in other side by motor. Make sure you don’t have a roller problem under the slide causing it to jam. Drop motors back in place once slide in to lock slide for travel.

JLeising · 07-19-2020, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeeF

I have a 2015 Solera also (just bought) - it’s the 24S model so it only has a side slide. If for whatever reason the slide gets stuck and won’t go in, is there a way to push it in manually just to get back on the road till it can be fixed?

Leef - Not sure, but suspect you do not have a Schwintek slide. Probably a Lippert Flush Floor slide:

https://www.dutchmen.com/resources/m...nformation.pdf

If like my 2012 “S”, the motor and gearbox are visible through the propane door, mounted about above the propane regulators (two regulators, one exclusively for the propane generator unless you have the diesel generator).

There is a hex drive on the back of the motor for manual slide operation. Also, under the slide there are square drive tubes running from the gearbox to each side of the slide, where the gear racks that drive the slide in and out are. If you disconnect the square drive tubes - a bolt through the ends - you can push the slide in or out. If the motor/gearbox is jammed or broken and the slide can’t be moved by the hex drive, this will work.

NavyLCDR · 07-19-2020, 08:45 PM

Isn't just about every screw in an RV the square drive type?

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