Bounder entry steps stuck retracted

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jeffz

Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2015
Posts
22
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
We just had our first successful camping excursion using our new (to us) 2014 Bounder. Everything went well except that when we arrived back home, our entry step decided not to extend.

Did some quick searching around and learned that there are fuses for the step switch and motor in the battery control compartment (which in this rig is in a basement bay above the propane tank) -- the fuses appear to be fine to me.

Where would you go next? I see a post further down in this forum about pulling the motor to replace some little rubber parts. Before I get into that, are there any other obvious troubleshooting measures I should go through first? I'm not sure how common it is for these to be stuck.

Thanks in advance,
Jeff
 
Is there a Step Switch? If there is and it is off step will not extend. Mine is located by the entry door.
 
There is a switch by the door. This one had confused me because it seemed the steps extended and retracted regardless of the position of that switch, at least with the engine on. With the engine off, the switch off allowed us to leave the steps extended for the weekend without retracting when the door was shut, which I preferred. But now I can't get the steps to extend with any combination of the switch and engine on/off.

In case it matters, the position where we park our RV at home normally only allows the steps to extend out about 7/8 of the way and then they gently hit a wood retaining border at the side of the driveway. This hadn't seemed to be an issue, as the steps would still operate normally and extend out as much as they could then stop. Now I'm wondering if this led to an issue either with the motor or with something in the step linkages getting bent or more likely to stick.

 
Switch ON steps should extend/retract with door's opening and closing. Switch OFF, steps should stay either open or closed with opening and closing the door unless key in ignition or engine running - the steps retract with door closing.
Interrupting the travel of the step mechanism may have done it a mischief. If fuses are good it may be time to check for voltage to the motor and good ground for the motor.
Good luck. 
 
I had the same problem with a '96 Bounder. Steps worked one day and not the next. Checked all electrical connections, all checked good, moved to the motor & gearbox, good there too. Spent a couple of hours super cleaning all of the pivot points and anything that looked like it should move. Really doused the pivots and movable parts with WD40, then followed up a few days later with a good dry lube. The steps worked perfectly for the last 2 years of ownership. I did do followup lubes every few months.

Hope this helps.

Corky
 
Check this. http://www.tiffinrvnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=82174
 
My steps, Kwikee Brand, intermittently will refuse to come out. Took me some time under the coach but the problem seems to be a bad spot on the motor armature. I have purchased a replacement motor but have not replaced it yet. When they act up, if I rap on the motor with a moderately heavy object they start working. I use a large screwdriver and hit the motor with the handke portion of the screwdriver.
One day I will get to replacing the motor, not too bad of a job as I have had it out multiple times before I figured out the cause of the intermittent operation.

Good Luck,
David
 
I had the same problem a Yoda.. They woudl stick and findally to get 'em to work I would crawl under and tap the motor a few times with a hammer handle (I held the head) TAP not Bash.


Finally I opened the transmission case, let the gears move a bit, now the motor stops on a good spot, steps work well.  Did not need to spend money on a new motor.
 
The Kwikee steps on our 2004 Damon MH stopped working in the extended position a few weeks ago during a time when I was working on another impairment.  I am not sure if the problems were related, and after I resolved the more serious issue, I removed the entire step motor assembly.  While fiddling around with it, I momentarily jumped the two motor contacts and it smoked a little.  This led me to rationalize that the motor was bad.  Then, I reversed the battery leads and the motor came to life, to my pleasant surprise.  I got under the MH and put everything back into place and it worked fine several times until it again quit in the extended position.  I've removed the motor assembly and need to locate a website where I can buy a new motor assembly for Kwikee part 903206000.  Appreciate any suggestions.
 
Well I climbed under to lubricate the steps and found at least one possible cause for the problem - a wire that I think must be the magnetic switch wire had drifted into a position where it's been pinched tight into the collapsed step. My guess is it's now damaged or severed?

I worked a bit on figuring out how to extend the steps out manually -- some searches and a YouTube video helped me find the pin the holds the arm coming from the motor to the top of the step assembly. I managed to get the bendable pin out of the clevis pin that holds the arm in, but I can't get the clevis bolt itself out to save my life. I tried both tapping it out from the small end and pulling on it with pliers from the head. It's difficult working in there with the amount of clearance I have with the steps retracted. I sprayed some WD-40 at both ends hoping that tomorrow it might be looser.

Man, do I regret parking the RV in a rock/gravel driveway. ;-)
 
Can you remove the motor with the steps retracted? I hate suggest brute force......
 
yfx4 said:
Can you remove the motor with the steps retracted? I hate suggest brute force......
Click to expand...

I don't know, can I? I got fixated on detaching the motor arm via the pin and didn't even take a good look at how the motor itself was mounted. Now it's dark.
 
You CAN remove the motor without removing the gear assembly by removing the 3 thin steel bolts.  I have done this on my second go round. 

However, since you are in the process of removing the motor and the gears, here is the way I removed them:

Extend the steps and place a large screwdriver (or something similar) between the end of the arm and part of the steps to help relieve the pressure on the pin.  I held the pressure steady on the screwdriver with my leg while I tapped a flat head chisel into the arm hole and drove the pin out.

Be careful when you take the 4 bolts off to remove the assembly, as I broke off one that was rusted.  Before you proceed to reconnect the arm to the step, take the pin and chamfer the end that will go into the arm hole.  This will greatly help in tapping the pin through.  Best luck to you.
 
I will check access again thus weekend. ..it is suck closed......we can use bricks at home......not on the road.
 
johnnydp said:
You CAN remove the motor without removing the gear assembly by removing the 3 thin steel bolts.  I have done this on my second go round. 

However, since you are in the process of removing the motor and the gears, here is the way I removed them:

Extend the steps and place a large screwdriver (or something similar) between the end of the arm and part of the steps to help relieve the pressure on the pin.  I held the pressure steady on the screwdriver with my leg while I tapped a flat head chisel into the arm hole and drove the pin out.

Be careful when you take the 4 bolts off to remove the assembly, as I broke off one that was rusted.  Before you proceed to reconnect the arm to the step, take the pin and chamfer the end that will go into the arm hole.  This will greatly help in tapping the pin through.  Best luck to you.
Click to expand...

My steps are stuck retracted, so I can't simply extend the steps to make removing the motor easier!
 
The motor is a common Window Riser Motor, Either GM or FORD depending on when the steps were made.. Alas, I do not remember the rest of it.  But it is a common motor you can get at Auto-Zone et-al.

For more info... You will need to search on Kwikee Step Motors and see what the forum turns up.
 
jeffz, sounds like you will need to drop the entire step frame by removing the four larger nuts (3/8?), if you can get to them.  GOOD LUCK!!
 
Have a helper, or use a jack to, wiggle the steps. This may take some pressure from the pin and allow you to remove it.
 
Well I got the steps fixed! They really were just stuck. What I'd said earlier about seeing a pinched wire was me misunderstanding what the folded up steps looked like -- the switch wire really seems to be routed up behind the step frame in a way that appears pinched but is not.

I started taking photos and some video once I was halfway through working on this. Here is is in case it helps anyone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WVh2UPhFas
 
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