Bedroom slide switch - intermittent?

Warm weather finally allowed us to get the new-to-us Winnebago Adventurer out of storage for it's first thorough going over.  Lots of fun going through it and finding it was not as 'clean' as the sellers said it was (our eyes were glazed over I guess).  Found things like very high tire pressures (120 psi), gas struts that won't hold up the bay doors, cruddy hand shower parts and some other minor things but two things worry me.  The first is that the wall mounted lights over the bed do not work and I took one off and checked to find there is no power coming in.  All of the 12 volt CBs appear to be reset.  Not  sure of my next move but the previous original owner says they quit on him years ago and he never checked further.  Next is the one I really need help/advice on.  The slides all worked perfectly the first few times but last night when retracting the bedroom slide, nothing happened when hitting the switch.  Hit it both ways and after several attempts it finally worked fine and retracted.  Of course then a neighbor came over and we had to give the tour which meant run out the slides.  Worked fine but when trying to retract - nothing happened.  Even tried Extend a couple of times - nothing.  About a dozen tries later - it worked and my blood pressure returned to normal.  Seems like I have a defective slide switch but if anybody else has had this problem and knows of a solution, please let me know.  I hope Lichtsinn has these switches because I cannot find them on my parts list.  Several of the bay door gas struts are very weak too but I am sure this is common after 12 years and think I may be able to find replacements either locally or on Amazon.  Rotten weather moving back in - will this winter ever end?

Those lights on the wall over the bed are likely wired underneath the bed itself and the wiring is flexible enough to go in and out with the slide. Check under the bed itself for an access panel where you have access to the hydraulics and wiring for the slide. You may find a wiring connection that has broken or simply come apart with the movement over the years.

As far as the switch, The next time it happens, it should be fairly simple to just get to the back of the switch and just put a jumper across the terminals. If it operates, then you know it's a bad switch.

Now the lights. Do they have a separate switch? The lights we have is controlled by a switch mounted on the wall. If yours is the same, check for power there. You said you checked all the circuit breakers. The beakers are for the 110 volt lights microwave, converter etc. Typically lights over the bed would be 12 volt and if they are, it may be a bad fuse. Find out where the fuses are and check them.  I had the same issue with my last fifth wheel and that circuit had a fuse all by itself inside the front compartment separate from the rest of the fuses. You may have to try and trace the wiring back to the fuse if it's a separate one.

Bill, are you running the engine while running the slide in or out? That will prevent voltage drops and subsequent overheating of solenoid and motor for hydraulic pump. ( This was the advice of Forest City Winnebago tech) Do you have someone near the solenoids when the switch is not working properly to hear if it is trying to activate but unable to due to low voltage?

Just guesses here. You might check the connections at the switch and solenoid with particular attention to grounds.

Good luck.

You can also call Winnebago parts to see if the switches are still available. If so you can have any dealer order it for you.

Here are the Body, 12 Volt Wiring Diagram and Body, 12 Volt Wiring Installation diagrams for you coach which should be helpful in tracking down your problem with the bedroom lights.

Under the bed there is a switch that when closed says that the bed is all of the way in.  It may be on the hairy edge.  Also make sure that the bed is in fact all of the way in.

The slide switch problem definitely sounds like a battery problem. What is the state of charge of the chassis batteries? You can find out on the meter at the One Place Panel. You can also check the ground on the HWH pump in the front end of the frame behind the bumper. But as mentioned above, it is always a good idea to run the engine when moving the slides. Also make sure the emergency brake is on.

it is always a good idea to run the engine when moving the slides

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Except for those motorhomes that have an interlock that won't let the slideouts move if the engine is running.

I don't think I gave enough info in my post but here are answers to some of the suggestions/comments:
1.  Winnebago uses circuit breakers for the 12 volt systems in the coach.  Chassis stuff is handled by fuses.  I noticed a hum when I turned on a 12 volt light and on shoreline power.  That must be the converter doing its job.
2.  Chassis battery is in good shape; reads 12.2 or more on the One Place panel.  Plus I run the living room slide in and out with no problem and it is only the bedroom slide giving the problem.  But I will try running the engine next time we run the slides - no mention in the owners manual about whether engine should be running or not.
3.  Removing the Extend/Retract switch for the slide is a procedure I haven't figured out yet.  The switch is mounted high on the outside of the bathroom wall and has no apparent screws holding it in.  So I figured it must be secured from the back but the bathroom cabinet is mounted in that area and there appears to be a 2 inch or so dead spot between the end of the cabinet and the wall.  Hopefully, I don't have to remove that whole cabinet. Perhaps it is spring loaded and will pop out with a little prying behind the bezel but I hate to wreck it trying.  Will ask Winnebago tech for some advice on how to remove it so I can check.
4.  When checking the wiring for the wall lamps, I pulled out about 12 inches from the wall and it appears to come down from the top which on a slide does not make sense.  Can't find any area below the bed that is accessible to check a connection.  Basement air is below the bed but there is space for storage too.
5. I have all the wiring diagrams and layouts but after finding the wall lamps on the diagram I have no success in trying to trace the wires back to a specific connection point or circuit breaker.
This may be one for Winnebago at the GNR.  Those lights are pretty important to us.

Thanks to all for your suggestions/comments.  Just can't close without telling a tale on myself.  We decided to ride around the area in the coach today and it was fairly windy.  Just pulling out of the driveway we starting hearing a strange noise from the upper left front corner of the coach and I thought it was the CB antenna which is folded down to fit in storage.  But it continued and got louder depending on our direction and then I thought it was a stereo speaker hanging down in that corner so I removed the wires from it.  Problem continued until the wife said - "There is a volume control on the backup camera.  Try that."  Made little sense to me but it goes to show who has the brains in this outfit.  Turned down the volume and the problem went away.  Too much wind for the camera mic on the back of the coach.  Why aren't all problems that easy to solve.

Bill N said:

...
4.  When checking the wiring for the wall lamps, I pulled out about 12 inches from the wall and it appears to come down from the top which on a slide does not make sense.  Can't find any area below the bed that is accessible to check a connection.  Basement air is below the bed but there is space for storage too.
5. I have all the wiring diagrams and layouts but after finding the wall lamps on the diagram I have no success in trying to trace the wires back to a specific connection point or circuit breaker.
This may be one for Winnebago at the GNR.  Those lights are pretty important to us.
...

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Looking at the Body, 12 Volt Wiring Diagram for your coach, it appears that the two wall lamps in the bedroom are on WIRING DIAGRAM-OVHD, REAR which is on sheet 5, B-3 (page 12 of the pdf).  The power leads to the lamps should be a YEL wire labeled JC and the ground a WHT wire labeled NC.  This wiring harness connects to the WIRE ASM-SLIDEOUT, REAR via a two-pin connector.  Following this all the way back to the 12V Breaker Panel (as seen on page 5 of the Body, 12 Volt Wiring Installation diagram) we can see that the controlling circuit breaker is the 4th from the left in the top row, labelled LAMPS.  Since your other overhead reading lamps and wardrobe lamp all are working and they get power from the same JC wire the breaker and power supply are presumably OK.

According to page 4 of the Wiring Installation diagram the two-pin connector from the wall lamps appears to connect to the slideout harness under the head of the bed.  If this connector has come undone that would explain your problem.

cbeierl said:

Looking at the Body, 12 Volt Wiring Diagram for your coach, it appears that the two wall lamps in the bedroom are on WIRING DIAGRAM-OVHD, REAR which is on sheet 5, B-3 (page 12 of the pdf).  The power leads to the lamps should be a YEL wire labeled JC and the ground a WHT wire labeled NC.  This wiring harness connects to the WIRE ASM-SLIDEOUT, REAR via a two-pin connector.  Following this all the way back to the 12V Breaker Panel (as seen on page 5 of the Body, 12 Volt Wiring Installation diagram) we can see that the controlling circuit breaker is the 4th from the left in the top row, labelled LAMPS.  Since your other overhead reading lamps and wardrobe lamp all are working and they get power from the same JC wire the breaker and power supply are presumably OK.

According to page 4 of the Wiring Installation diagram the two-pin connector from the wall lamps appears to connect to the slideout harness under the head of the bed.  If this connector has come undone that would explain your problem.

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Thank you so much Chris.  I have been trying for two months to read those diagrams and figure all that out.  I know for sure that the wires are yellow and white and you are correct in that the other lamps share the same circuit and work fine.  So now I will go snooping around the head of the bed - take the mattress off and see if we can locate that two pin connnector.  Again thanks very much.

cbeierl said:

Looking at the Body, 12 Volt Wiring Diagram for your coach, it appears that the two wall lamps in the bedroom are on WIRING DIAGRAM-OVHD, REAR which is on sheet 5, B-3 (page 12 of the pdf).  The power leads to the lamps should be a YEL wire labeled JC and the ground a WHT wire labeled NC.  This wiring harness connects to the WIRE ASM-SLIDEOUT, REAR via a two-pin connector.  Following this all the way back to the 12V Breaker Panel (as seen on page 5 of the Body, 12 Volt Wiring Installation diagram) we can see that the controlling circuit breaker is the 4th from the left in the top row, labelled LAMPS.  Since your other overhead reading lamps and wardrobe lamp all are working and they get power from the same JC wire the breaker and power supply are presumably OK.

According to page 4 of the Wiring Installation diagram the two-pin connector from the wall lamps appears to connect to the slideout harness under the head of the bed.  If this connector has come undone that would explain your problem.

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Btw, the WIRE ASM-SLIDEOUT,REAR is shown on sheet 7 (page 14) of the Wiring Diagram.

That chassis battery is fairly low state of charge, 40 to 50% discharged. It should read 12.6 to 12.7 volts fully charged . That coupled with the length of the wiring to the rear slide causes quite a voltage drop.

Battery State of Charge Chart
http://modernsurvivalblog.com/alternative-energy/battery-state-of-charge-chart/

The switch snaps in. Here is a video on how to remove and identify rocker switches
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jPR1ny8Cww

John Hilley said:

That chassis battery is fairly low state of charge, 40 to 50% discharged. It should read 12.6 to 12.7 volts fully charged . That coupled with the length of the wiring to the rear slide causes quite a voltage drop.

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Thanks John.  Actually I was kind of working from a poor memory on that chassis battery voltage reading.  It may have been higher but the coach is back in storage now and not available.  The chassis battery is a brand new one the previous owner installed before I bought the coach.  Next time at the shed, I will get a reading on that chassis battery.  Pity that the shore power won't maintain the chassis battery also.  Might have to look at a Trik-L-Start (not sure of spelling).  Like the YouTubes you referenced.  I did find the switch in the Parts Catalog and the thing is comprised of 4 pieces (plate, rocker switch, cover, and housing).  The video shows how easy it is to get out if you have access to the back but I don't currently have that and if it has those wings on the back I don't think prying is going to work so it looks like the hold bathroom cabinet has to be removed - yikes.  BUT FIRST I will work on seeing if voltage drop is the problem.

Thanks to all who replied and offered advice/assistance.  Will keep this thread informed when solution is found.

Bill,

I was having intermittent problems with my slides for several trips, worked then for no apparent reason would not. Then, while getting ready to return home from my last trip, realized not only slides not working but levelers not either. That was the first time I'd tried to use them after the slides didn't work. Long story short, my Tour has the HWH system and one of the solenoids was bad. I replaced both and all seems well. Famous last words. Good luck.

On my '96 Adventurer 34RQ, the slide will not work if (1) the jacks are not down and (2) if the emergency brake is not set.

Are you a fan of Louisville basketball?

If so, am looking forward to the UK/UL matchup next week . . . 

Bob Buchanan said:

On my '96 Adventurer 34RQ, the slide will not work if (1) the jacks are not down and (2) if the emergency brake is not set.

Are you a fan of Louisville basketball?

If so, am looking forward to the UK/UL matchup next week . . . 

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Jacks were down and emergency brake was set Bob.  Only the bedroom slide is balky, LR slide works great.  Sorry you have the wrong Cardinals.  I am a rabid St. Louis Cardinals fan but we do use Louisville bats. ;D  Good luck on the BB games. But I gave up on BB several years ago - about the time they all decided that defense was obsolete. ;D

TerrySt said:

Bill,

Long story short, my Tour has the HWH system and one of the solenoids was bad. I replaced both and all seems well. Famous last words. Good luck.

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My coach has the HWH system too so I better look for the location of those solenoids.  I don't look forward to having the slide stuck out while on the road.  Not too sure Roadside Assistance would cover that ;D

We have a 2007 Winnebago Journey 36 G with the HWH leveling/slideout system. We had exactly the same problem with our bedroom slide, couple years ago.  Thought I would break the switch by having to constantly move it on and off to get the slide to extend and retract. What I found was underneath the electric hydraulic pump up front under the steps the whole system is grounded to the frame with a welded on stud. There are two or three cables fastened there. Remove the nut and cables and wire brush every thing good and clean and put battery corrosive protector on everything and put back together. Mine has worked great ever since. There is also a grounding stud on the rear frame for the engine stuff around the battery compartment, I also cleaned these. These get corroded from water  being splashed on them from the tires.
Hope this helps, Bill