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Burner · 12-01-2018, 12:50 PM

Left phx to SLC.
Rain and snow once we hit Utah and at some point the windshield wipers over extended and locked up in the (very,) open position and won't go back.

They only work for about 5 wipes before 5hey lock up again..

We are headed to Oregon tomorrow and need these to work.

Any suggestions?

theroc · 12-01-2018, 01:43 PM

I was in a similar situation once. We were on the road one winter trip and wipers quit working (turned out to be a burned out motor so isn't identical to your problem). Since we were under a time crunch to get to our destination, I really didn't have the time to diagnose why and try fixing it myself or have a repair shop somewhere fix it.

What I did was stop and buy some Rain-X and was fortunate enough to apply it with the windshield relatively dry as I first thoroughly cleaned the glass. If you've never tried Rain-X or a similar product before, it actually just about eliminates the need for wipers while in motion. On the freeway, we experienced very heavy rain and the windshield was just fine ...in fact, in this particular case, it may have been even better than having wipers as unless you keep your windshield free from road grime and the waxy and oily buildup that happens, wipers sometimes have smearing and streaking you have to put up with.

Although we didn't experience heavy snow, we did go through periods of snow flurries with no problem. Rain-X isn't that good if you're in stop-and-go driving but at highway speeds, it's a great substitute in a pinch. I'm not one who relies on Rain-X (or similar products) entirely but in a pinch, it worked great in our case. From that point on, I kept some in the coach just in case.

I know this isn't the response you are looking for but, as I say, if you're in a pinch and don't have the time to take things apart and diagnose the problem or take it to somebody to do so, it may be a something you can do until you do have time.

sbleiweiss · 12-02-2018, 08:26 AM

Sounds like the symptoms we had twice. It turned out to be just a bolt loose that held the motor assembly to the front cap/frame. Thor actually had a recall on this issue but merely tightening the nut solves the problem. Locktite makes it a permanent fix. On ours you get to it by opening the front engine door (gasser) and looking up.

Busskipper · 12-02-2018, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burner

Left phx to SLC.
Rain and snow once we hit Utah and at some point the windshield wipers over extended and locked up in the (very,) open position and won't go back.

They only work for about 5 wipes before 5hey lock up again..

We are headed to Oregon tomorrow and need these to work.

Any suggestions?

Think you need to get into it a little more - Loose wire - Loose bolts - most wipers have a tapered wedge lock so do not over tighten and cause it to split.

Might help -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjmc-GtxOyA

Sounds, is the electrical going off after 5 swipes? - if so might just be a bad connection - if you still hear the motor could be mechanical - har to help without more info.

Best of Luck,

ga traveler · 12-03-2018, 07:24 AM

This is quite common on motorhomes. As you stated, it is overextending. It is NOT a wiring problem. It is in the linkage. Check all the linkage connections. You should find some point where the bolts are loose. Park the wiper motor in the off position and manually adjust the wipers to the park position. Tighten all the bolts. That should do it.