ME Slide Motor Transmission Question

[f15epilot]

It seems the transmission that couples my driver-side slide motor to the square tubing that rotate the drive cogs which extend and retracts my slide has decoupled. The motor rotates, both directions in response to the switch; but the shaft-tubes do not turn. On the upside, I now know how to manually retract the slide using a large crescent and large 1" box-end wrench to turn the square tubing-you need two so as to keep constant turning pressure to get the slide up and over the 'hump' where the slide drops down at full extension for a level interior floor. So I can confirm there is no binding.

So...is there a clutch or friction release that can be reset? If not, guessing there is a sheer pin inside the gearing, either on the motor shaft or output gear. Any info before I delve into disassembly would be greatly appreciated.

2006 ME 41DS02B, but believe this slide mech is the same as TS used on other 2006 coaches. There are two rails with holes on the bottom in which cog wheels with pinions/nubs engage to extend and retract.

[justaroamer]

Yes there is a shear pin, where the round motor shaft enters the square tubing. Sometimes can shear and leave the pin in place appearing to be ok.

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by justaroamer

Yes there is a shear pin, where the round motor shaft enters the square tubing. Sometimes can shear and leave the pin in place appearing to be ok.

You can use something different than the shear pin to get it in - nail - bolt - screw - but be sure to replace it with the proper shear pin to prevent damage to the motor or slide.

Likely the problem occurred because something was in a bind and the shear pin served it's purpose.

BOL,

[Drvr77]

Originally Posted by Busskipper

You can use something different than the shear pin to get it in - nail - bolt - screw - but be sure to replace it with the proper shear pin to prevent damage to the motor or slide.

Likely the problem occurred because something was in a bind and the shear pin served it's purpose.

BOL,

Google. Barker manufacturing on internet they have parts and all diagrams.

[f15epilot]

Thanks for the point out to Barker. Was more concerned about getting the RV back inside its warm hangar to research the motor and drive part number and manufacturer. As for the pins that join the square tubes to the transmission output rods, those both are intact. The disconnect is either inside the motor or the drive gears since the motor sound indicates it is running but the shafts do not turn. And it was an errant pine cone that the slide topper failed to eject. Instead of staying tight until fully retracted, the topper went slack about 6" short of closed, allowing the cone to wedge between the body and rear/top corner. I noticed the top was pushed out, but that misalignment and being on unlevel pavement caused something to break. More learning and material for my ME owners' manual!

[djnorton]

Then it sounds like you need a new motor. This comes with the transmission. Not uncommon for them to shear some gears inside the gear reduction unit. Klauber gear makes them, part number on motor, , 1/2 the price of anywhere else if you order from Klauber, check internet for contact info. I now carry an extra unit. Easy to R&R...


David & Jane Norton
2006 TSS "Sweet Rollin"

[f15epilot]

Had the time to go and pull the motor, and did some further research on the forums since my experience is that most likely, I'm not the first to experience this problem...and I'm not. Reference this post from 2013 by al.m:

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f278/stuc...ml#post1806028

That is EXACTLY my issue. The motor is a Leeson, not a Klauber, and the numbers are all rubbed off except the last three of the model. Now, from al.m's and other's posts, everyone has found/purchased replacement motors. What seems to not have been posted is the exact model number purchased. The KBMs come in D-series, N-series, M-series and a host of others. I'm pretty certain I'm looking for the KBM (Lippert) or PowerSystems (PS) parallel DC motor with 600lb-in torque, 8RPM, and 8amp draw. The engineer in me says small variations are probably OK. Still...can someone who has purchased one of these post the model of the motor and the associated specs?

BTW, I found the exact problem with the press-fit gear loose on the spindle. My temp fix was to clean the shaft and gear with carb and brake cleaner, coat both spindle and gear shaft with JB Weld, and press them back together. I'll give it a 36-hr cure, and see if it holds the load. In the mean time, can someone please post the KBM or PowerSystems motor model used?

[f15epilot]

Thought I would follow-up with some info on the current part number for the motor and my solution.

First, the post from 2013 (referenced previously) by Al listed the same symptoms as mine: while retracting on the air-levelers (jacks retracted), but retracting "uphill" (sloped downward towards rear/driver-side), heard a 'pop' and the slide stopped moving...but the motor was still running.

Upon investigating, the slide would move (could be pushed) and the square tubes would turn; both sheer/drive pins were intact. The motor would run, but with no tube/slide movement. To ensure there was no binding, I manually cranked the slide in/out using two large wrenches. Here is that method for those who might have to do this:

TO MANUALLY CRANK SLIDE IN/OUT:
Tools needed: two large "Crescent" adjustable wrenches (12" or so), or two long 1" box-end wrenches; pliers; vise grips

1) Locate the slide motor (should be just inside the forward bin, inside the roof, likely behind the light). There will be two square tubes, one on each side.

If the tubes can be turned freely with the motor "off", then skip to step 5. Otherwise, the 'brake' is engaged (drive tubes will not move). The drive pins have to be removed by doing the following:

2) Remove the safety (cotter) pins from the two sheer/drive bolts on either side of the transmission (the hardest part of this task)
3) Using a wrench, slightly turn the square tube so as to release any bind on the sheer/drive pin and pull each free
4) The tubes will now turn independent of the motor/transmission, which will be locked

5) Place one wrench on each side of the transmission so the wrenches are staggered--about a 45-degree stagger in angles of the handles. Push/pull on one (pushing inward extends the slide; pulling outward retracts) to rotate the other so you can then push/pull on it.
6) Maintain pressure on the second, and reposition the first, then repeat with the second wrench. In other words, you will use both hands, rotating the slide about 1/4 turn at a time. You could do this with one wrench, but getting over the hump is really hard since the slide will tend to rotate/move unless you hold the slide from moving.

LOCKING IN PLACE: If the brake is engaged, simply rotate the tube so as to insert at least one, preferably both pins. If the brake is NOT working, then clamp a large set of ViseGrips onto the tube so that any rotation would bind the ViseGrip against the ceiling.

MOTOR REMOVAL:
1) Disconnect the power by unplugging (if it has a power connector) or snipping and taping-off (insulating the hot end) the wires. (I snipped and will reinstall with PowerPole Connectors). Note that the wire/connector needs to handle up to 20amps of current.
2) Remove the drive/shear pins (see above).
3) Remove the four bolts that secure the motor transmission to the L-bracket. (Should be 13mm or 1/2-in)
NOTE: It is possible to remove the whole bracket by removing the four lag bolts that secure the bracket to the floor/roof. If you choose this, you will want to re-seal these holes during installation to prevent moisture intrusion.
4) Slide the square tubes outward from the transmission; they should move at least an inch or so and will clear the end of the drive shafts
5) Off-set the motor and extract it away from the bracket; it will come out if you slide the square tubes sufficiently far enough away and angle the motor as you extract it out.
REINSTALLATION: The reverse of the above.

My issue: poorly mated gears in the Leeson Drive Unit.
As Al pointed out in the prior posting, in 2005 Travel Supreme switched from Klauber motors (also used in LCI drives) to Leeson motors. Mine was a:
Leeson Model: 985.676, Stearns brake unit B130 OBJY2 attached
Volts: 12Vdc
Amps: 8.1A
Speed: 8 RPM, 180:1 ratio
Torque: 600-LB/IN

I removed the Leeson motor, and like Al, found that the last drive gear had failed. It is a machined shaft/drive-gear (small) pressed into a larger drive gear. There are no splines, keys, or other physically binding pieces, just friction. I removed that gear and noted the mating surfaces were sufficiently roughened as to allow for some adhesive bonding. So...while I await the replacement motor, I cleaned the grease from both surfaces (of which there is a LOT), applied JB Weld to both, and drove the two pieces back together...firmly. After 36hrs of cure, I reassembled the motor. We'll see how it holds. In theory, the JB Weld should provide a great deal of shear resistance.

Not wanting to depend on that repair, though, I ordered another motor. That took some digging and a couple calls. As Al mentioned in the prior post, TS went back to Klauber motors. After contacting them directly, Klauber's reps (who answer emails very quickly and are great to work with) deciphered that the KBM equivalent is:
Klauber K01336-A300, 12VDC, 9 Amp, 415:1 ratio, 8 RPM and 400 IN-LBS torque.

I asked Charles (Klauber rep) about the difference in torque. As he explained, the stated torque is NOT the 'maximum' torque, but instead is the torque exerted at the listed amps/speed. The A300 motor was the original TS motor and is spec'ed to run our slides. It actually will do 600 IN-LBS at 7.7RPM using 11.5amps. The only difference is the bolts used to mount the A300, which are a different pitch.

ORDERING: There are multiple sources for the A300 motor to include off of Amazon. Or, as stated earlier, you can order directly from Klauber (most likely at a reduced cost). They do not accept credit cards; instead, you can send them a check or have it shipped C.O.D. for $12.90 extra. These motors also show up on eBay as surplus or salvage. Just note that there are D300, M300, and multiple others that 'look' similar, but have different current/speed/RPMs which will most likely NOT work with the TS slide controllers.

This weekend, I'll see how the 'JB Repair' works. It only takes about five minutes to swap the motor out, so having a spare is well worth not getting stuck out. Hope this helps the next TS owner.

Happy travels

[f15epilot]

First, the original motor is reinstalled and performing as before. For peace of mind, though, a backup will be procured.

And to make that install even quicker, I changed the way the drive/sheer pins were installed. As some have noted, the hardest part of removal is getting the cotter-pins out. So...instead of installing them with new cotter-pins, I used a 'hairpin' instead. Hairpins are available in assortments from any good hardware store. I went to my assortment, found one that fit the hole in the drive-pin, and just pushed it in. Safe/secure and way easier to remove.

Happy trails...

[JeffreyVoigt]

Has anyone had to replace the tubing with the holes in it that the gear engages to pull the slide in and out? My tubes under my main drivers side living room slide is just above worn through the holes in the slide tubing

Jeff Voigt
512-627-7174

[f15epilot]

Since it's a square tube, if the holes through which the pins pass are worn and rounded, I'd think you could simply drill new holes in the other two faces of the square tubing. A competent welder could fill in the old holes or tack a cover plate to ensure strength, though that would seem overkill.