Electric steps not working intermittently

[fcurci]

I am on the road and need some advice. I have a 2021 Tiffin Phaeton with kwikee electric steps. The steps work fine at times and do not work at other times. I am concerned as I am on the way home and will take 4 days to get back and I need the steps to retract reliably. Since it is Christmas weekend I can not find a shop to help with this. With no apparent reason the steps work and then the stay in the out position. I have cleaned and lubed all areas of the steps and checked the connections as best as I can. I have also looked at the contacts on the door jamb that make the connection. Any help or advice would be appreciated as I am on the road on the way home and can not drive my coach with the steps out, obviously. The fact that they work flawlessly at times has me mystified.

Thanks.

[rvbiker45]

There are a couple of things that you can try.
Look under the steps at the motor and controller. Check the ground wire for a good seat and that the wire is not damaged. Check the two-wire connector going to the motor, verify that it is seated and dry. There is a lot of water exposure under the step. Disconnect and reconnect the plug several times to verify a good connection.

If the above fails, wire the steps into the retracted position. Disconnect the control arm that is mounted to the steps that acts as the contact between the gear housing and the steps. There is a pin that can be pulled to disconnect. With the steps extended, turn off the switch for the steps to remove power from the motor (or just disconnect the multi-pin connector to the motor). Be very careful when messing around under the steps as they are heavy and can pinch your hands. Once the control arm is removed, push the steps in to the retracted position and wire them in place.

Be very careful when exiting the MH with no step in place. It can be a long step to the ground.

[Pacman774]

Just purchased an Allegro Open Road (new to me/4th RV) and while driving it home from the PO the electric steps kept going in and out while driving.... nothing quite inspires confidence about your purchase like that!
Got home, looked at the many threads. Since I am not a mechanic, I started with the simple thing, door switch. Took it out and while looking at it bumped it into the frame and the steps cycled. Waaaahhlaa...
The best I can determine was that the switch grounding on the interior door frame. A few pennies of electrical tape over the contacts and put another 600 miles of roads on it no problem. Will go back and put liquid tape on it now.
Hope it helps.

[uchu]

Check the steps' fuse. It may be acting up.

[MevetS]

I would suspect that your problem is more then likely due to a intermittent contact in the wiring. I base this mainly of the age of your coach.

But FYI ! You might find this video informative : https://vimeo.com/45602427

[mr.tommy]

Originally Posted by fcurci

The fact that they work flawlessly at times has me mystified.

Lose or corroded ground.

[Kash]

furci... There are basic things that control the entry steps. Entry steps are very common in terms of style and model in many RV's. YouTube has always been my go to when an issue with a common RV part or piece of equipment. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of videos on repair and maintenance of just about everything RV on YouTube. You have an expensive and complicated coach and you should have manuals for every device in your coach that should explain their workings. My entry steps work off of a magnetic sensor as to when to open and close. There is also an ignition safety switch involved, Vibrations may be a concern for the magnetic switch or sensor that operates your steps or there may be other issues. It is very helpful, almost necessary, that us owners of expensive coaches have at least some knowledge and abilities in electronics, plumbing and mechanics. It is not if things will go wrong but when. Hopefully they are minor and fixable. Your steps are one of those minor issues and should be fixable in hopefully in short order. Stay safe, Stay well and Happy Holidays to All

[Kash]

Great video. Thanks for sharing

[Mr Taxpayer]

On a newer coach most likely your sensor on the door is loose or dirt.

[nehog]

Uh, have you checked the magnetic switch on the door? If that is not working correctly (perhaps a loose connector?) that will do exactly what you describe.

[luvlabs]

Your steps are controlled by a simple push button switch in the inside of the leading edge of the door. Make sure the switch is not loose (held with two screws) and contacts the door frame when the door is closed. Sometimes the gap between the door and the and door frame is too great and switch is not activated. You can make a temporary shim with a coin and some tape.

[Dr. Mike]

Originally Posted by fcurci

I am on the road and need some advice. I have a 2021 Tiffin Phaeton with kwikee electric steps. The steps work fine at times and do not work at other times. I am concerned as I am on the way home and will take 4 days to get back and I need the steps to retract reliably. Since it is Christmas weekend I can not find a shop to help with this. With no apparent reason the steps work and then the stay in the out position. I have cleaned and lubed all areas of the steps and checked the connections as best as I can. I have also looked at the contacts on the door jamb that make the connection. Any help or advice would be appreciated as I am on the road on the way home and can not drive my coach with the steps out, obviously. The fact that they work flawlessly at times has me mystified.

Thanks.

Oh welcome to having electric steps!!
We just had this very same issue and I got tired of having to tote around a four-foot step stool because the steps may not work. Here is what I did:
*** Preorder a new motor ***

* Turned off power to the stairs
* Put the stairs in the open position.
* Pulled the pin to release the stairs
* Used a heavy-duty ratchet tie-down strap to secure the stairs in the closed position
* Disconnected the power to the motor (simple clip connector)
* Removed the three bolts holding the motor (10mm)
* Removed the motor
* Installed the new motor
* Reconnected the electrical clip
* Released the stairs and connected them to the actuator arm using the pin
* Cleaned up & tested- work like new!

Total time for the job for a first-timer: 20 minutes. It actually took me longer to reinstall the pin than everything else combined!


Be safe

Dr. Mike

[HarryStone]

Originally Posted by luvlabs

Your steps are controlled by a simple push button switch in the inside of the leading edge of the door. Make sure the switch is not loose (held with two screws) and contacts the door frame when the door is closed. Sometimes the gap between the door and the and door frame is too great and switch is not activated. You can make a temporary shim with a coin and some tape.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Kwikee steps controlled by a magnetic switch, and not a push button switch?

[RKins]

Originally Posted by HarryStone

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Kwikee steps controlled by a magnetic switch, and not a push button switch?

Depending on the controller, the door mag switch controlled the step when the "step switch" was set to "follow the door" (OFF). If the "step switch" was set to ON, depending on the year of the controller, would leave the steps out regardless of the door.