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Old 06-14-2018, 08:27 PM   #1
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Entry steps on/off

Does anyone have entry steps with a power on/off switch or a manual override so they will go up and down only when I want them to?
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Old 06-14-2018, 08:50 PM   #2
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My Dutch Star has a switch in the overhead above the dash. It will allow me to keep the stairs out when opening and closing the door. Or I can switch to have it go in and out every time the door opens. (Don't know why you'd want to do that). There is also a safety override that if the stairs are out with the door closed they will automatically retract when the engine is switched to on.
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Old 06-14-2018, 11:29 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyDi View Post
My Dutch Star has a switch in the overhead above the dash. It will allow me to keep the stairs out when opening and closing the door. Or I can switch to have it go in and out every time the door opens. (Don't know why you'd want to do that). There is also a safety override that if the stairs are out with the door closed they will automatically retract when the engine is switched to on.
I have that same switch but it has nothing to do with my problem and my safety override is not reliable. I need a manual override to make them go up or down on command.
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Old 06-15-2018, 07:05 AM   #4
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Entry steps on/off

Here’s an easy fix if your steps are like mine. There is a magnet on the screen door and a magnetic switch on the door frame. I used a little Velcro and a small magnet.

This is the storage position: the magnet is held away from the switch.
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In this position the magnet activates the switch just like a closed screen door would and the steps stay in.
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Old 06-15-2018, 09:53 AM   #5
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I have that same switch but it has nothing to do with my problem and my safety override is not reliable. I need a manual override to make them go up or down on command.
I would think repairing what you have so it works as designed would be the better solution. I've talked to folks who had the steps set up to require manual switch operation to extend and have forgotten and taken that first step with the steps retracted. It usually results in some kind of injury.

Having said that, it would be a simple matter to disable the ignition safety, disable the door position sensor and install a simple on/off switch.
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Old 06-15-2018, 10:18 AM   #6
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I have that same switch but it has nothing to do with my problem and my safety override is not reliable. I need a manual override to make them go up or down on command.
What, exactly, is the problem you are having? It's not clear, at least to me, from your post because of the word "and". Your post implies that you have more than one problem with your steps.


If the safety override is the only problem, then leaving the switch in the position that retracts the steps every time the door closes should work until you address the ignition safety system.
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Old 06-15-2018, 01:07 PM   #7
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My Tiffin has an on/off switch. When we set camp, I usually open door, let the steps extend, then turn the switch to off. That will keep them out and stop the in/out every time the door opens and closes. And if I turn the ignition key on, steps instantly retract whether they are turned on or off so you can't forget and then drag 'em over something...
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Old 06-15-2018, 01:48 PM   #8
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yes
we have a built in switch to leave them out or flip it and the steps will retract and extend each time the door opens
i put another one in that interrupts the ground, which allows me to retract the steps and leave them in, no matter if door is open or closed....i use this feature when we are home, and i slide a wooden step thing to use with wider steps and platform to make the entry easier.
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Old 06-15-2018, 02:27 PM   #9
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yes
we have a built in switch to leave them out or flip it and the steps will retract and extend each time the door opens
i put another one in that interrupts the ground, which allows me to retract the steps and leave them in, no matter if door is open or closed....i use this feature when we are home, and i slide a wooden step thing to use with wider steps and platform to make the entry easier.
I used to unplug the step power when we took the motorhome on the WA state ferries. If I didn't, after loading on the ferry, the steps would hit the vehicle next to us when we opened the door. They park you pretty close on those things.
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Old 06-15-2018, 02:33 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by powerboatr View Post
yes
we have a built in switch to leave them out or flip it and the steps will retract and extend each time the door opens
i put another one in that interrupts the ground, which allows me to retract the steps and leave them in, no matter if door is open or closed....i use this feature when we are home, and i slide a wooden step thing to use with wider steps and platform to make the entry easier.
I am stealing your idea -- thanks
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Old 06-15-2018, 04:40 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by powerboatr View Post
yes
we have a built in switch to leave them out or flip it and the steps will retract and extend each time the door opens
i put another one in that interrupts the ground, which allows me to retract the steps and leave them in, no matter if door is open or closed....i use this feature when we are home, and i slide a wooden step thing to use with wider steps and platform to make the entry easier.
Yours is the first reply addressing my problem. I need that interrupts the ground switch....help!
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Old 06-15-2018, 04:55 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by hohenwald48 View Post
I used to unplug the step power when we took the motorhome on the WA state ferries. If I didn't, after loading on the ferry, the steps would hit the vehicle next to us when we opened the door. They park you pretty close on those things.
Mine did not come with a power switch...what brand/model Do you have?
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Old 10-15-2018, 09:51 PM   #13
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We use our MH like a car and frequently park next to curbs. I don't want the step dragging over curbs or bouncing off them. I added a relay that cuts power to the step breaker and mounted the switch in an unused switch blank on the dash. The relay is only powered when the steps are bypassed so it fails to normal step operation. The relay is fused to an unused circuit in the front power panel.
The step draw is too high to just run the power through a switch.
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Old 10-17-2018, 11:01 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by TonyDi View Post
My Dutch Star has a switch in the overhead above the dash. It will allow me to keep the stairs out when opening and closing the door. Or I can switch to have it go in and out every time the door opens. (Don't know why you'd want to do that). There is also a safety override that if the stairs are out with the door closed they will automatically retract when the engine is switched to on.

Same here!
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