Slide Problem Solved??

[Max1]

I first checked all the electrical connections at the hydraulic pump and and found a couple that where very loose. I also removed the main ground to frame thats in hydraulic box and used emory cloth to assure bare betal ground as Lippert states 90% of electrical slide problems go back to a ground.
That seemed to then solve the bogging down and stopping from lack of power though they were still stopping dead for a few seconds then I would hear a click and power again so I then listend and then felt of the breakers behind the battery box and when it clicked back in could feel it do so. I replaced that one the third in the line of three on mine and have ran them in and out several times now with out missing a beat my fingers are still crossed.
In regards to the non Excel service dealers in NM I am sure if you contact PI they would authorize you to take it elsewhere as whenever that has come up for me they Ed and Jack have seemed to be most accomidating when needed thanks.
LindaH I hope this might help you and good luck with yours I am sure it will get solved in short order at PI.
Have Fun.

[Max1]

I first checked all the electrical connections at the hydraulic pump and and found a couple that where very loose. I also removed the main ground to frame thats in hydraulic box and used emory cloth to assure bare betal ground as Lippert states 90% of electrical slide problems go back to a ground.
That seemed to then solve the bogging down and stopping from lack of power though they were still stopping dead for a few seconds then I would hear a click and power again so I then listend and then felt of the breakers behind the battery box and when it clicked back in could feel it do so. I replaced that one the third in the line of three on mine and have ran them in and out several times now with out missing a beat my fingers are still crossed.
In regards to the non Excel service dealers in NM I am sure if you contact PI they would authorize you to take it elsewhere as whenever that has come up for me they Ed and Jack have seemed to be most accomidating when needed thanks.
LindaH I hope this might help you and good luck with yours I am sure it will get solved in short order at PI.
Have Fun.

[LindaH]

Paul, we did replace both 50-amp circuit breakers. As far as I know, there are only two 50-amp circuit breakers on our rig, not 3...is the 3rd one not in line with the other two? If not, where is it located? (In our rig, the two 50-amp circuit breakers we replaced are located behind the water heater which sits beside the battery box.) We also made sure all the connections were tight. That didn't solve the problem; however, we DIDN'T do anything with the ground wire...I'll mention it to Curtis.

[Max1]

LindaH, on mine I have three 50s in a row linked together with 6AWG wire on the curb side right behind the battery box they are all three fastend to a about 6x6 peice of plywood and also linked to them is two more 50s with again 6AWG wire about 2 feet long conecting them on the inside exterior wall right in front of the battery box towards the front of the coach. I realize that may not help you much but I would suggest that you have someone run slide and somone else listen where the breakers clicking if thats whats happening I think youll hear them and if you can hear it click track down the sound then do it again while touching suspect breaker and when you are on the bad one you will feel the click. I could hear mine click from inside the coach even thats the bad one. Keep us posted.
Have Fun!

[LindaH]

We arrived in Smith Center yesterday afternoon and parked at the service center. Around 7:00 AM, we got chased out of in front of the service door where we'd parked because they needed to bring a rig in. That was OK, because Curtis said they'd be working on our slide problem over at the main plant, so that's where we headed. Since the office wasn't open that early, we waited in the truck until Curtis and Brian came out and introduced themselves.

After we unloaded all the stuff in the basement, Curtis got to work on solving the problem.

According to what I understood Curtis to say, our *original* configuration (pre-solar) was only two 50-amp circuit breakers. He feels our original problem was probably due to a loose wire (or wires), which we had found at the time we replaced the two 50-amp breakers.

When we had the solar installed, the installer put in a 40-amp circuit breaker in front of the two 50-amp breakers, not realizing how many amps the slides draw when coming in. That 40-amp breaker was the one that kept tripping even after we replaced the 2 50-amp breakers.

What Curtis did was to replace the 40-amp breaker with a 100-amp one. Then he replaced one of the 50-amp breakers with another 100-amp one, although he said afterward that the 2nd 100-amp breaker was probably overkill.

At any rate, our slides now go in without stopping! We want to thank Curtis for squeezing us into Peterson Industries busy schedule and getting an annoying problem fixed in quick order. It was also nice to meet Brian and Jack, who came over from the Service Center to introduce himself just as we were leaving.

[HB Phil]

Thanks Linda, I'm glad to hear it was a breaker problem as we originally thought, and not something requiring more substantial down time and work!

[KU9L]

What time did your rig leave the factory Linda? We seen a Classic 30RKE being repaired on the south end of the final lineup inside the east side doors during our tour this afternoon.

We were on a pretty good high after heading north and east afterwards and have run into the severe weather with golfball sized hail up at York, NE where we are staying for the night.

Now that the severe weather is chilling out some, it is time to sit back and reflect on all of the great stuff we seen today and at the dealer on Friday.

[LindaH]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by KU9L:
What time did your rig leave the factory Linda? We seen a Classic 30RKE being repaired on the south end of the final lineup inside the east side doors during our tour this afternoon. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Wasn't us...we were out of there before noon.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">We were on a pretty good high after heading north and east afterwards and have run into the severe weather with golfball sized hail up at York, NE where we are staying for the night. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

We're spending the night at Prairie Dog State Park just west of Norton, KS. We had severe thunderstorm warnings after we got here...fortunately, we didn't have any hail! Hopefully, things will calm down by the time we leave here Tuesday morning since driving into a head wind does a number on fuel mileage!

[rockintom]

[/QUOTE]

We're spending the night at Prairie Dog State Park just west of Norton, KS. We had severe thunderstorm warnings after we got here...fortunately, we didn't have any hail! Hopefully, things will calm down by the time we leave here Tuesday morning since driving into a head wind does a number on fuel mileage! [/QUOTE]

You guys are out there where the "chickens mess with the owls"!!!

[ChiefJohn]

Linda, I'm glad that the problem was minor, relatively speaking, as there was the trip to Smith Center and back. You also had a chance to meet Bryan and the Smith Center crew--'hades', that in itself is worth the trip!

[HB Phil]

I was just wondering... Since the additional 40 Amp breaker that caused the problem was installed by the solar installer, and was not an Excel-installed modification, did you have to pay for the service?

[LindaH]

Phil, if you'll go back and read all my posts about our slide problem, you will see where we were having the problem long before we got the solar installed, so the problem was not *caused* by the solar installation, it simply continued the problem after we'd tightened all the connections and replaced the 2 50-amp breakers.

To answer your question, no we didn't have to pay for the service.

[LindaH]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by ChiefJohn:
You also had a chance to meet Bryan and the Smith Center crew--'hades', that in itself is worth the trip! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You're absolutely right, John! It was nice to meet all the people we've just talked with on the phone.

We're looking forward to the next Reunion in 2009...hopefully, we won't *need* to go back to Smith Center in the meantime!

[HB Phil]

To me this gratis service, along with the PI factory accomodating you on the fly, are clear examples of Excel/PI's great dispostion towards their customers of care and solid backing after the sale. This is exactly why I bought an Excel over all other makes in this class.

Believe me other manufacturers try to find any little way possible to deny warranty coverage. For example, the presence of that little 40 amp solar breaker in there would have given many less well-disposed manufacturers a big excuse to reach into your pocket!

I had my solar installed by an Excel dealer just to make sure it was "by the book." Never-the-less the breaker for my hydraulic pump trips when I operate the front jacks. So maybe that larger 100 amp breaker is the solution for me too.

Thank you very much for your reportage. Along clarifying the slide-out breaker problem, you have also given us a look at what makes PI tick -very encouraging in all respects.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by LindaH:
Phil, if you'll go back and read all my posts about our slide problem, you will see where we were having the problem long before we got the solar installed, so the problem was not *caused* by the solar installation, it simply continued the problem after we'd tightened all the connections and replaced the 2 50-amp breakers.

To answer your question, no we didn't have to pay for the service. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>