The following is a step by step preliminary troubleshooting method for determining what problem exists

Ever get too close to a problem, and want to go tearing right into the nuts and bolts before analysing things systematically? The old saying is true: "Sometimes we can't see the forrest for the trees." I'm twice over as guilty of that (probably) as anyone here...

When I get onto a problem like this, the very first thing I do is to fall back on tried and true troubleshooting tactics. The first one is to back up until I see the whole picture. This is something I call "Finding the Forrest"...

First - what kind of slideouts are they? There are cable, hydraulic, and gear-driven electric slideouts.

Second - what kind of shape is your battery in?

Third - Do they work if the battery negative is disconnected and the Park Cable (SHORE POWER) is plugged in?

Finally - if you have good power, and you can run them out - look at the rails if they have rails under them. If they are at all rusty, clean them up a bit if you absolutely have to, but DEFINITELY shoot them with a thorough coating of lubricant. I personally prefer White Lithium Spray Lubricant. It goes on as an aerosol and turns into plain old white lithium grease.

That last will loosen up the slides a whole lot if you run them in and out a few times.

Checking your available power (SLIDEOUTS RUN ON TWELVE VOLTS) is also a very important step. If your battery has a full charge it should read 12.4 to 12.53 volts with the park cable disconnected. REPEAT: DISCONNECTED!!! This is important because the next thing you are going to do is plug in the park cable to see if your converter is working. If it is, it will try to charge the battery - if it does, the voltage will be higher. About 13.5 volts if everything is working right.

If the cable is plugged in, and the battery is way low, disconnect the battery negative and see if the voltage at the wire ends (not the battery terminals) jumps up to 13.5 volts or so. If it does, the converter works, but the batteries are very discharged and may be completely shot. This is fairly common among RV's that have been stored for a while. If the batteries are connected (even if everything is turned OFF!) The CO and LPG detectors are still running off the coach batteries (FACT). RV's in storage should always have the batteries disconnected, and preferrably taken home so they can't be stolen.

The battery connections may also have gotten corroded over time, and should all be cleaned.

Please try these suggestions before ripping anything out to trace a wire. You may be very glad you did!

~Wolf

PS: Keep us informed.
PPS: It is truly said that RV's are like Retired guys - we're only really happy when we are working full time....

 

Greywolf,
I know what I meant but I guess I didn't relay that in the message. I know that the problem is in the area of the 2 solenoids, motor, relay and switch. The slides operated with no problem after I jumped to the motor direct. So I know the motor works. I need to figure out if the switch or relay or some other part of the system is bad. The battery was fine and I had it hooked to my truck.I am trying to trouble shoot the electrical in the motor compartment as I am pretty confident that is where the problem is. That is why I asked for the wiring diagram of that area or tips on finding one. Thanks for your answer and tips. It could help those on here with that problem.


Bob C

 

My relay for the slide out on my old trailer was in the front on the pass side next to where the gen was at close to the batterys. It has a fuse protection and mine was blown so I put in a circuit breaker that fits in the fuse holder . It was on a circuit board with about 3 relays and a fuse. Look around for that it should be somewhere you can get access to it.It should be some what close to the batterys since they have relays on it. The other relay was for the back up lights and never did find out what the 3rd one was for.

 

Okay - that puts it a long way beyond what I thought was going on.

Most electrical panels are in the front cargo compartment, sometimes behind a devider wall that is removeable. I'll ask about this at work tomorrow, but a lot of manufacturers just wire however they have to and go on...

"Diagram? Yeah right..." Seems to be the typical responce. But to the switch there will be a twelve V line going to wherever they mounted the relay. The relay will have either a fuse or a self resetting breaker - and sometimes they go bad.

Self resetters look a lot like a simple terminal connection point, but they're not. Read for voltage on one side and on the other with a test probe clipped to a solid frame ground.

A bad one will give you a light on the battery side, but not on the other terminal.

It may be near the battery, but more likely it will be next to or coming off of the relay at the inner panel in the cargo bay. Check any that you find - it couldn't hurt.