RV Service Center in New Mexico?

[LindaH]

Anyone know of a good RV service center anywhere in New Mexico where we can have our hydraulic slides serviced?

We've contacted the Excel dealers in Casper, WY, Lakewood, CO, and Moriarty, NM. All of them refuse to service our Excel unless we bought it from them! (What are fulltime RVers supposed to do when they have a problem and are hundreds, if not thousands of miles from the selling dealer?) Taking it back to the dealer from whom we purchased it in Mesa, AZ is not an option, nor is taking it to the factory at this time because of all the tornadoes.

So we need to find an independent RV service center than can work on hydraulic slides (although the problem is *probably* a wiring problem rather than in the hydraulic system itself).

We'll be arriving in New Mexico on Thursday, coming in from the north on I-25. We'll be spending the entire summer and fall in the state visiting the state parks, so we're free to take the rig to any part of the state.

[LindaH]

Anyone know of a good RV service center anywhere in New Mexico where we can have our hydraulic slides serviced?

We've contacted the Excel dealers in Casper, WY, Lakewood, CO, and Moriarty, NM. All of them refuse to service our Excel unless we bought it from them! (What are fulltime RVers supposed to do when they have a problem and are hundreds, if not thousands of miles from the selling dealer?) Taking it back to the dealer from whom we purchased it in Mesa, AZ is not an option, nor is taking it to the factory at this time because of all the tornadoes.

So we need to find an independent RV service center than can work on hydraulic slides (although the problem is *probably* a wiring problem rather than in the hydraulic system itself).

We'll be arriving in New Mexico on Thursday, coming in from the north on I-25. We'll be spending the entire summer and fall in the state visiting the state parks, so we're free to take the rig to any part of the state.

[clspds]

Linda,
This is very interesting. I was under the impression that Excel dealers did not play that game. Maybe someone from PI can help by twisting the arm of one of the dealers that turned you away. Best of luck getting your problem fixed.
Paul

[Greenthumb]

Linda, try RV Sales, Inc. in Moriarty, NM. They are about 30 miles east of Albuquerque on I-40.

Their service is what has made them either the largest or second largest Excel dealer in the country (and Excel is their only product). If they can solve your problem, I'm sure they will be happy to accommodate you. They even have water and electric hookups in their parking lot if you want to come in the night before your appointment. Do call well in advance because they are always busy. Their phone number is 1-877-932-2400.

[HB Phil]

Are they refusing to give you service without an advance appointment ahead of others who have booked advance appointments?

I was at RV Sales NM for four days in early April. I can vouch that they were extremely busy/totally booked with work. In fact it's been a long time since I've seen guys work so hard from just after daybreak till dusk. At that time I don't know how they could have fit anything else in.

Mid-August was the earliest that I could get into Smith Center.

We have the same rig. And I also have the hydraulics. Would you mind if I asked the nature of your problem?

[LindaH]

Greenthumb, you'll notice in my original post that the Excel dealer in Moriarty was one of the 3 Excel dealers we've contacted.

The first question we were asked by all 3 Excel dealers was, "Did you buy it here?" When they found out we didn't, they all said they couldn't help us.

HB Phil, our two downstairs slides go out just fine, but stop several times when coming in. This has been an ongoing problem since sometime in March (we bought the rig at the end of January) and the problem is getting worse. It has been suggested that there's an air bubble in the line and that the bubble would eventually work it's way out, but we no longer think that's the case. We've also been told that we might be losing hydraulic fluid, but we see no signs of that.

We suspect the problem is in the wiring since the problem we had with our air conditioner turned out to be in the wiring harness that was miswired. When we were having the A/C fixed at the Excel dealer near Sturgis, SD, one of the techs there said there was something like 80 amps going through the lines when the slides were coming in rather than the 10 or 15 amps that was normal, which further leads us to believe the problem is in the wiring. Unfortunately, it took the one tech they had working on our A/C problem from about 10 AM to 4 PM to find the problem and correct it, so he didn't have time to also run down the problem with the slide.

The two slides still close, they just do so slowly because they stop so many times on the way in. However, we'd like to get the problem fixed before they stop working altogether.

[Butch50]

Linda,

When you are running the slide does the motor driving the pump stop and start or does it just pull down? If the motor keeps running and just pulls down I would think that it would be saying that the slides are in a bind. If the motor running the pump is stopping and starting then electrical.

If the tech was measuring current when the motor was pulling down because of a drag he will see an increase in the current drawn. The motor is working harder.

When the room stops do you have to let up on the slide switch and then press it to make it go again? When you are running your slides in are you still hooked to power or plugged into the truck? It would almost make some sense that the bedroom slide comes in ok as it is much lighter than the other 2 slides. The heavier slides are going to take more power to operate. If you haven't yet you might keep the 5er hooked to shore power or plug it into your running truck. Just a thought.

Hope everything works out ok

[HB Phil]

Sounds like your breakers are tripping/resetting. They are just inside the hatch to the left of where the power cord is stored.

There is also one in the front compartment to the upper right of the disc brake actuator. As you are being in the slides have someone listen to these and see whcih one, if any is clicking slightly. I beleive the ones in the power cord compartment are 30 amp and the one in the front comparetment is a 40 amp.

W/O knowing the exact nature of your problem I hesitate to suggest higher amp breakers. However, you can check the wiring to these breakers and tighten any loose connections to the breaker lugs, 3/8 " nuts I believe.

[LindaH]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Butch50:
When you are running the slide does the motor driving the pump stop and start or does it just pull down? If the motor keeps running and just pulls down I would think that it would be saying that the slides are in a bind. If the motor running the pump is stopping and starting then electrical. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
The motor completely stops.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">When the room stops do you have to let up on the slide switch and then press it to make it go again? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
No, I just keep the slide switch pressed in, and eventually the slide starts moving again. <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">When you are running your slides in are you still hooked to power or plugged into the truck? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
The slides stop on the way in regardless of whether or not we're hooked up to shore power.

[LindaH]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by HB Phil:
Sounds like your breakers are tripping/resetting. They are just inside the hatch to the left of where the power cord is stored. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Phil, can you give me more information on the exact location of this breaker? We keep our power cord in the compartment that held the batteries (we have 4 AGM batteries installed in the front compartment of the rig), so I'm not sure where YOU store your power cord.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">As you are being in the slides have someone listen to these and see whcih one, if any is clicking slightly. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thanks, we'll do that.

[Butch50]

I think HB Phil is on the right course. It almost sounds like you have a breaker that is tripping and then reseting. There could be one of them that is bad that is causing you all of these problems. Just before it stops does the slide seems like it drags down or does it just stop with no change in the motor sound?

Sounds like you have plenty of power.

[HB Phil]

Sorry i did not know how you had modiified your rig. I store it where it came from the factory, in the long wide compartment under the battery compartment. Look to the left mounted on the outside wall where the hydraulic control "pendant" is stored and attached - at least where the factory put it - maybe YOU keep it somewhere else.

I also have 4 batteries, my "House" batteries in the front compartment - 4 4D size AGM's. Plus, I have 2 Groupd 27 AGM's in the battery compartment, my "Chassis" batteries.

These are isolated from the "House" batteries and used exclsuively for the hydraulics and emergency brake.

Do you use an inverter? Are you sure that you are not discharging your batteries too low to give the hydraulics the full power they need?

Insufficient power could cause the breaker to heat up more and trip.

[LindaH]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Butch50:
Just before it stops does the slide seems like it drags down or does it just stop with no change in the motor sound? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It stops with no change in motor sound.

I just talked with Jack at Peterson, and he's going to get in touch with Lippert to see what they may have to say. Jack said he didn't think it was a breaker problem, but we'll see. Hopefully, someone can come up with a solution.

[LindaH]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by HB Phil:
Do you use an inverter? Are you sure that you are not discharging your batteries too low to give the hydraulics the full power they need?
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, we do use an inverter...we have a 2000-watt PROsine inverter/charger. We've never seen the batteries get below 12.5 and usually they're at 12.6 or higher even after an evening of watching TV. And, in the morning by the time we're ready to leave, the batteries are up to 13.xx or 14.xx depending on how much sunshine there is.

However, as I mentioned previously, the slides stop and go both when we're hooked up to shore power and when we're not, so the problem isn't due to low batteries.