Springy steps on Adventurer

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
PancakeBill

PancakeBill

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 9, 2005
Posts
6,740
Location
Benson , AZ.
My 2000 Adventurer motorized steps are springy.  Odd, my 1997 Southwind they are solid.  However over the years I have noticed this in many coaches, and they even make an adjustable support to solidify them.  I was curious,  loose attachment?  What could it be.  Well I looked as best as I could and it seems they are attached to a flat piece of steel.  I was thinking about pulling them off, looks easy,  wire connector and 4 bolts.  If I were able to reinforce with a bit of angle iron on the outer edge.  I think that would stiffen enough, or do I just get the support that RV supply places sell?
 
The step on our American Tradition was springy like that, whereas the previous two coaches were not. I never investigated to figure out why the difference. Not a big deal, but for longer term stays I used to wedge a couple wood blocks under them to stiffen it up. I always carried some 2x8 wood pieces anyway.

First step is to determine whether the springiness is in the step extension arms or the thing the step is attached to. If the step itself is the problem, not much esle to be done. If its the bracket the step is mounted on, maybe it can be reinforced.
 
One of my friends had a springy step and it finally broke.  The welds that secured the steps to the frame were completely inadequate.  A welder (a really good one) came out on a Sunday and repaired & reinforced the whole system.  No more springiness.

If it were me I would get under the step and have someone put weight on it.  On the other hand that step is 18 years old and has gone in & out hundreds of thousands of times.  There has to be some wear.
 
Here is a video a friend made showing how he fixed the sagging his steps suffered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsbSBYnBLuI
 
My interim fix is a drop down adjustable support.it pins in place for travel.  Not the ultimate solution, but one that supports the spring.  Found at RV supply place. (State Trailer in Idaho Falls). What I am not fond of in this is the step retracting while deployed.  It is hinged to the front, so if the step retracts it would probably bend.  It could be mounted with hinge at back, but in playing around with it, it did not seem to provide as solid a feel.

Anyone see these?  Basically a two piece, hinged at one end.  The leg is threaded to extend.  Uses a Lynch pin to hold up when stored.

 
My 2002 Adventurer had that problem and while in for other maintenance I asked the RV tech to take a look at it.  Turned out there was some broken pieces which he fixed by adding support and rewelding. Worked great for about a year but now once again springy. So I got one of those adjustable supports to go under them and stiffen things up.  Problem now is if on an unlevel site and the front jacks are up fairly high the adjustable support needs to be supplemented with a board underneath it. I guess it is one of those 'whatever works' things.

Bill
 
From what I could see the steps are bolted to a piece of flat stock.  My ultimate plan is to pull them off and get some angle iron up there to bolt to.  I think this would be a good long lasting fix.

 
PancakeBill said:
My 2000 Adventurer motorized steps are springy.  Odd, my 1997 Southwind they are solid.  However over the years I have noticed this in many coaches, and they even make an adjustable support to solidify them.  I was curious,  loose attachment?  What could it be.  Well I looked as best as I could and it seems they are attached to a flat piece of steel.  I was thinking about pulling them off, looks easy,  wire connector and 4 bolts.  If I were able to reinforce with a bit of angle iron on the outer edge.  I think that would stiffen enough, or do I just get the support that RV supply places sell?
Click to expand...

My steps were a little springy and eventually stopped coming out all the way. Replaced the motor and now they're quite solid, pop out and back just fine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 615 (members: 9, guests: 606)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,922
Posts
1,387,489
Members
137,673
Latest member
7199michael
Back
Top Bottom