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Socaltoolguy · 09-15-2014, 11:05 PM

Well, here is another little one for all you smart folks to help me with. The vent fan switch located in the vent hood over the stove is frozen. It won't slide at all. I was looking at it and I am puzzled as to how to get at the switch. Do I have to remove the entire hood or can the fan assembly be removed to get at the switch?

Ray

c_oneil · 09-16-2014, 02:39 PM

Hello,
Should be the same as my 32V. Your broken switch is mounted in a flat panel on the front of the hood. The entire panel is held in place with some hidden spring clips around the edges in the back and it can be poppped out and off of the hood by prying underneath the edge of the panel carefully with a putty knife or such to lift it up. When the panel is loose you pinch some spring catches on the sides of the switch and it will come out the front side of the panel. Might be a good idea to disconnect the battery before you start or at least be careful not to short out any of the wires on the other switches.

Socaltoolguy · 09-16-2014, 08:41 PM

Thanks C_Oneill, it looks like we both have the same rig. On my vent, there is a 3 position switch right in the middle of the hood. On either side is switches and lights. Are you talking about removing the panel that all of that stuff is mounted on? It is set into the hood. Will that panel come out with all the switches and lights? I can't find any clips or retainers. I have tried to feel behind the hood but I find nothing. Can you give me any further info?

Ray

c_oneil · 09-17-2014, 07:40 AM

If you need access to the fan slider then you should be able to get to it if you take the whole panel off the front of the range hood. This is the front panel with all the tank level monitors and various control rocker switches in it. The spring retainers are hidden inside the hood and you can't see them from underneath the hood. The plastic knob on the end of the fan switch will need to be pulled off first and when you take of the panel the flat shaft of the fan slider switch will stay in place. When you gently pry out on the panel you should see the spring clips on the backside edges of the panel. Once you get it started the panel snaps out pretty easy. To put it back you just push it back in and it snaps into place.

Socaltoolguy · 09-17-2014, 10:01 AM

Thanks, that clears up what I was confused about. I will give it a try. The knob will be no problem as it has already crumbled into many pieces. The slider is frozen. I am looking forward to replacing it so we have a vent fan. Thanks again,

Ray

Socaltoolguy · 09-21-2014, 06:24 PM

C_Oneill, I took my panel apart today and find that the switch is not the problem. The problem is the cable that runs from the switch to the outside vent. Have you encountered that problem yet and if so, what did you do about it? On my rig, it appears that the cable is too long but after looking at it from both ends, I think the cable housing is the problem. Before I call Fleetwood,I thought I'd check with you. Thanks for your help so far,

ray

c_oneil · 09-22-2014, 07:35 AM

I had removed the hood panel to replace an electrical switch and didn't do anything with the cable for the vent fan. Your first post about the switch frozen does that mean the wire inside the cable housing is stuck and not sliding in and out? If the cable got bent or crushed somewhere in the middle that could cause it to stick. Corrosion in it could do it too.

Socaltoolguy · 09-22-2014, 10:31 AM

C_oneill, I originally thought it was a very sticky switch but after taking the panel off and seeing what a mickey mouse setup that switch/cable combo is, then I realized there is nothing wrong with the switch. It's a very floppy, flexy switch connected to a cable that from all indications is too long. The cable moves on it's own well. If disconnected from the switch I can push/pull it and the outdoor vent opens and closes. But with the vent closed and the switch in the off position, the cable extends almost 2" beyond where it should connect to the switch. I think the problem lies in the cable housing. It seems to be connected or held in place at the switch end by a plastic clamp but at the vent door end it is not held in place by anything. I can't get inside to examine it and the plastic clamp at that end seems to be either broken or badly damaged. It's like the old cable brakes on bicycles. Something needs to hold the housing in place. I'm going to have to take everything apart in order to fix it but I just thought maybe you had run into the problem. I think I'm going to order a new cable/housing/clamps from Fleetwood. The switch is ok but I might just replace it too. I can't believe what a crappy thing it is. It has a spring to keep it stabilized but it just sort of wobbles around. There is nothing to keep it in the right operating plane. Bad engineering. Oh well......if I didn't have something to fix, I'd be bored.
Thanks for your reply,

Ray

c_oneil · 09-22-2014, 10:54 AM

Sounds like you got a good handle on it. I have had numerous opportunities to re-engineer things on my Fleetwood. To be fair, it has held up pretty well for 13 years of active life but I like to have everything working at least as good as new or even better than new.

Socaltoolguy · 09-22-2014, 11:02 AM

You sound like me. I have to be fixing things to be happy. I'm trying to put this unit in top operating condition because we are going to put it up for sale as soon as we get home from this long trip. We will have been out for 6 weeks this time and it has been a very good shakedown trip. What we have found out though is after full-timing for 3 years in a 36 foot Hitchhiker 5er with four slides, this is just too confining. So, we are looking to upsize to a 36 footer with at least a bedroom slide out. Buying this one was a mistake but I was trying to cheap out on it. It's a very good unit but just too small.
Thanks for all your input.

Ray