2009 vista 30B slide issue

On my above motor home, I have an issue with the slide out.  Here is what it does:

When it is in, and I push buttons trying to go out, it always sticks in at rear and will not start to go out unless I physically push out on the slide, after several attempts and resets, it usually will go out?the error code says: stall on rear actuator.

Then when it is sliding out, the front end does not go out all the way by about 1 inch?error code says: stall on front actuator.

When pulling in the slide, from the extended position, it works fine and comes all the way in.

My question is there some kind of adjustment/fix I can do to get this to work properly.

Thank you for any help.

Kevin Kelly
Iowa






Edit by staff - changed message icon to topic solved

Hi Kevin, welcome!  Who makes your slide mechanism?

John,

I do not know, is there some way to find out?  It just looks to be 2 electric motors that does the work I think.

Kevin Kelly
Iowa

How about in that big suitcase of manuals that came with the unit (unless the previous owner(s) did not leave them behind...) Other than that, call Winnebago Customer Service with your coach serial number and they will be able to tell you. I suspect Lippert-Schwintek....

Alfa38User said:

.. I suspect Lippert-Schwintek....

Click to expand...

Either Lippert or Power Gear.  We know it's not HWH since he gets an error code.

If he has seen the motors it is a Power Gear.

Kevin, are the electric motors under the slide with one on each end. And, which slide is it.

Ok, I did some digging and here is the unit, that it says it has in the manual:

Kwikee, FLS digisync room slide, Each arm is moved by a single start acme screw and driven by two stage parallel gearbox and 12 VDC motor.  The system is made up of two drive arms each consisting of an inner and outer tube, which slides within one another.

I do operate it with the engine running and the parking brake on as required.

It is the only slide, behind the driver seat.

Thank you for all the inquires and hope to hear from you all again, on what to do.

Kevin Kelly
Iowa

Here's a three page service "manual" that might help.

Here are a few things you may want to try:

Level the MH before you operate the slides

Check that the battery voltage is at least 12.6 - 12.8 vdc

Run the engine during slide operation

Check where the motor gearing contacts the acme screw for dirt or any obstruction, or worn parts

If the slide motors have built in brakes, test to make sure each is fully engaged. You may need to disengage and then reingage each one.

Finally, shut off your battery disconnect switches for both chassis and coach batteries for at least 60 seconds.

These last three points are from my Power Gear (Kwikee) manual which is similar to yours except for the acme screw and controller. It suggests a possible obstruction of the rear motor operation and a partially engaged motor brake on the front motor operation. Disconnecting the chassis battery is suggested to try to re-sinc the controller with the slide position. I am suggesting operating the battery disconnects on both batteries in the event your slides operate using coach batteries, improbable but can't hurt.

I have a very similar slide on my Vista.  Often seems to struggle.  I have cleaned the sliding components and waxed the slideout  to reduce friction in the seals--still trips to fault codes about 1 out of 3 times. The fault usually occurs at the end of the extension, as one side lags.

The Acme screws are hidden and not to be lubed. Ditto for the gearbox-motor. But I hear a fair amount of what sounds like lack of lube in these components.

I would like to know of a fix myself.

Have you called Winnie or Kwikee tech service? I would inquire about the motor specifics and about the enclosed parallel reduction gearing. Maybe they have discovered it needs a more powerful motor or a rebuild of the gear reduction box after a few years of use.

Winnie usually recommends that you don'tr lubricate any of the external bars but if you have and the slide still fails at times about the only things left are the motor and gear box or the possibility of the slide not being or holding its square during transit.

I would try to measure the current flow through each of the motors during the entire stroke, both out and in to see if it is fairly constant. I would also do the same with voltage to see if there is some loss between battery and motor.

Larry,  I think your suggestions on measuring current and voltage is good.  Kwikee will not sell components- you get to buy the motor and gearbox together- big bucks. If it was easy to get to, I would pull the motor and check out the gearbox and motor bearings. I would also like to spray some dry lube on the acme thread, as I think that is where most of the noise (and resistance) is coming from.  Kwikee uses a plastic nut on the thread to provide the motion. I spent my career in design and manufacturing and have used many acme thread actuators. Dry lube really reduces friction. When I bought my coach last year, it had suffered from a degree of lot rot. I pretty well have all other systems working well. It does seem that my slide out problem is being reduced with activity.

Hope Kevin gets it solved.

I haven't had a look into the circuit yet, but I have learned on the forum that some slide controllers monitor the motor current. When the slide hits the outer or inner stops the slide will stop which increases motor current. The controller sees this increase of current and at a certain point shuts off the motor.

A miss adjusted or dragging (obstructed) slide may cause the current increase prematurely, before the slide has completed its full movement, and the controller may shut off the motor before the slide has been driven to its final destination. This is why I would try to check that the motor current (after it's initial spike) is constant throughout the slides full motion. Ideally, it would be informative to monitor both motor currents during the slide operation to see if both motors are in sinc. It may take a recording device to accomplish that and by then you may be at the factory looking at the square of the slide.

Hope that a little exercise helps the slide operation.

BTW, that acme thread is acting like a worm gear and, as such, is the brake -- it won't turn backwards without energy applied to the motor. My system actually has a motor brake that can be disengaged which disconnects the motor from the slide mechanism.

One other thing -- the controller probably does not apply current to the motor. It probably operates a relay which handles the high motor current. You may have a relay for each slide direction or one relay may handle both directions. You might want to have someone operate the slide while you listen for the relay operation. A burnt contact or two on the relay may be causing the entire problem.

Kevin-  I just found a recall on the controllers for this slide.  See link     

http://support.powergearus.com/techdocs/82-S0502.pdf

I am going to contact Powergear and see if this update is still available.

Good find, David!

It appears that this fix should solve the problem in both of your rigs.

Couldn't help but notice the recall stating that your slides are operated by the coach battery.

Hello everyone,

Just wanted everyone to know what I finally got fixed my slide out problem.  I was unable to figure out the problem going threw kwikee.  I finally took it to Us Adventure a Winnebago dealer in Davenport, Iowa.  This is what they said they did:

"Slide not squarely in opening, very low in front and entire slide too far forward creating room to bind up while extending and retracting.
Correction:  'Adjusted front rail assembly up and both rails forward so would center room in opening.  Lubricated both rail/roller assemblies, conditioned seals, tested operation several times.  Works good at this time."

Total cost $402.50-- sometimes you just have to take it to a dealer, have no idea how this would get so far out of adjustment, but I bought it used.  Have not tested it myself as been below zero all week.

Kevin Kelly

Glad you got it going Kevin, thanks for checking back in with the resolution.