Jim_Lou
Member
One slide on my Winnebago Vectra would often fail to retract. After multiple trips to Forest City, HWH and independent shops I finally analyzed and solved the problem myself.
The basic cause was Winnebago's design, probably exacerbated by a direction control valve that draws more than average current. Power for the valves comes out of the HWH control panel to a 15-pin connector. From there it pases through four switches that confirm that the slide locks are open, then to the SP/DT direction switch, back through the 15-pin, through the HWH panel and to the valve. Because the valve draws a lot of current, the resistance through all that wire, connectors and switches meant that there was barely enough voltage to operate the valve, and on a bad day not enough.
My fix was to put a Bosch cube relay in the circuit at the 15-pin plug so that the long circuit only powers the relay coil, and the power for the valve makes a quick turnaround at the plug. Actually I designed and 3D-printed a mount for four relays and ran extend and retract for both slides through it. It's worked fine now for almost a year.
The relays, or knockoffs, are available at any auto parts store, although I carry a spare just in case. The relay board has plug and socket matching the stock HWH parts, so it can be plugged in without touching any of the stock wiring. If anyone wants more information - parts list, wiring diagram and such - I'd be glad to provide it.
The basic cause was Winnebago's design, probably exacerbated by a direction control valve that draws more than average current. Power for the valves comes out of the HWH control panel to a 15-pin connector. From there it pases through four switches that confirm that the slide locks are open, then to the SP/DT direction switch, back through the 15-pin, through the HWH panel and to the valve. Because the valve draws a lot of current, the resistance through all that wire, connectors and switches meant that there was barely enough voltage to operate the valve, and on a bad day not enough.
My fix was to put a Bosch cube relay in the circuit at the 15-pin plug so that the long circuit only powers the relay coil, and the power for the valve makes a quick turnaround at the plug. Actually I designed and 3D-printed a mount for four relays and ran extend and retract for both slides through it. It's worked fine now for almost a year.
The relays, or knockoffs, are available at any auto parts store, although I carry a spare just in case. The relay board has plug and socket matching the stock HWH parts, so it can be plugged in without touching any of the stock wiring. If anyone wants more information - parts list, wiring diagram and such - I'd be glad to provide it.
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