Slide problems on a Fleetwood Expedition

[jmonzz]

Hi all. I have a 2003 Fleetwood Expedition 37U with a Power Gear slide motor. My main slide will extend electrically but won't retract electrically. I am able to retract it manually. I'll try to give all the details of what I've tried and tested so far. All coach batteries (chassis and aux) are fully charged. There are 2 wires leading from the chassis bundle (red and orange) to a 2 prong electrical connector that connect to 2 wires (red and black) that go into the slide motor. I tested the wires going to the motor with a light tester by attaching the ground to the chassis and the test prong to one of the wires (the red and orange) coming from the bundle. When I insert the prong into the red wire side of the connector and hit the slide out button the light on the tester goes on. When I hit the in button on the slide nothing happens until I switch to the orange wire side of the connector, then the tester light comes on. I may have those backwards (can't remember) but it doesn't matter, to me that means the motor is getting power and an electrical signal to extend/retract. I also tried retracting with the motor brake manually off in case that was the problem. I also tested the slide in/out button in case that was the problem, it's fine. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated cuz manually retacting this slide is a royal pain. On a side note, love my Fleetwood (only had it for 6 months) but they did a piss poor job of their set up for manually moving the slides. Unless I'm doing it wrong, which I don't think I am. Thanks for any help.

[jasright]

If this is a dc motor tske s nsttery with cables sns see if it retractes. If it does it's s wiring problem if if not there's a motor problem.

[rgreen45]

Bad motor. The motor reverses polarity and direction whether running the slide in or out. Based on what you reported, the 12vDC+ is reversing. gotta be a bad motor.

Unless .... there's a problem on the switch as not only does the 12vDC+ need to reverse, but also the 12vDC-.

[CLIFFTALL]

Welcome to irv2. Here is a link to your manual so you can confirm the manual retraction.

http://support.powergearus.com/techdocs/82-S0010-01.pdf

You may need a motor as has been suggested. Power Gear Techs are available via email to assist.

Info@powergearus.com

They respond quickly. If you email them now , they will respond in the morning and they're very helpful.
Good luck and please update us when you can.
Cliff

[jmonzz]

Thanks for the responses. I was also thinking motor but want sure since it does work extending the slide. Clifftail, I do have that pdf file already and followed its directions but the bar is very difficult to turn manually. I can do it but it's very hard. If it's supposed to be easy maybe there's something else wrong. In fact maybe that's why the motor failed.

[94-Newmar]

If a DC motor will run one way then it's electrically good to run the other. Does that system use a limit switch of any kind? Any interlocks?

[jmonzz]

Newmar, not sure if those questions were directed at me but I don't know.

[rgreen45]

Originally Posted by 94-Newmar

If a DC motor will run one way then it's electrically good to run the other. Does that system use a limit switch of any kind? Any interlocks?

Oh ..... just remembered I had a coach a couple weeks ago that the slide went out but not in. Customer reversed the wires on the motor and then trying to go "out" successfully brought it "in". It was a bedroom slide and under the bathroom sink was a small control board (about 2" x 5") with a couple relays. The relays were good but the board was bad.

[stuhly]

Had to replace the board on my Providence. The solder connections on the back of the board were loose.

[jmonzz]

Stuhly, can you tell me where the board was? I seem to be getting more suggestions that it's the board rather than the motor.

[jmonzz]

My slide is working!! Since the motor works retracting the slide I began doubting the motor being the problem. One of the suggestions I got was that it could be the slide control module but I didn't know where it was. I called Fleetwood and got a fantastic rep that not only sent me the wiring diagram but also pulled it out right there and went through it and told me the modules for both slides were in the electical power compartment right next to each other and that they were identical modules. He suggested I simply unplug the connectors and swap them and if the bedroom slide now had the problem retracting I'd know the problem was in the main slide module. Well not only did the main slide now work but both are working perfectly. The only odd thing about all this is that when I swapped the connectors the slide buttons still controlled their respective slides instead of the opposite slide. Can't figure that one out but, no matter, I swapped the connectors back to where they were and now both slides are working perfectly. Maybe it was a loose connection? Hopefully that rather than a module that's on its way out.

[stuhly]

That is what mine did. After a while it started doing it again. I pulled the board and looked at it. The soldier connections on the back were loose. I replaced the board and resoldiered the original for a spare.

[jmonzz]

Ok thanks. Hopefully it makes it through my current trip and I'lll do that when I return home.

[rgreen45]

Originally Posted by stuhly

I pulled the board and looked at it. The soldier connections on the back were loose. I replaced the board and resoldiered the original for a spare.

We have a local TV repair guy that resolders circuit boards and stuff for us. We can save the customer a ton of money sometimes. Nice work stuhly.