95 Adventurer/P30 parking brake switch (Not RGS or Autopark!)

[Ksouers]

After all these years I finally have a question I haven't been able to find an answer to.

Ultimately I've started having problems with my HWH jacks, I can't get the unit to turn on. I know it is related to the "emergency" brake, the parking foot brake. The idiot light for this pedal has started acting up and only working intermittently, I suspect the switch is of dubious reliability. Of course the jack controller won't turn on if the light/switch fails. The control box does turn on when the parking brake light is lit.

So, my dilemma: Where is this silly parking brake switch? There are so many wires under and in the dash I can't trace anything to find the switch. And what does the switch look like? A picture would go a long way in trying to identify the culprit.

Many thanks to everyone for many years of enjoyment here.

Kevin

 

[Lou Schneider]

Welcome to The RV Forum, Kevin! Glad you decided to come out of the shadows, so to speak.

I couldn't get a clear picture of my 1997 P30 parking brake assembly, but without autopark it's the same as the P30 van. Hidden way up high above the parking brake pedal arm.

See if this helps ... #10 on the closeup drawing.

https://nemigaparts.com/cat_spares/epc/chevrolet/53p-p/04/tp04-329/

 

[Ksouers]

Thanks Lou. I think that diagram will be very helpful. There is so much stuff packed into that small area I can't really see anything. I should be able to feel for it. I'm hoping the wire is simply loose and just needs a little push back into place. The diagram shows a path to disassembly, and part numbers, if necessary.

Oh, and thanks for the welcome, though I've been lurking for many years.

Kevin

 

[Ksouers]

Lou,
that diagram worked out perfectly. Thank you. I identified the switch almost immediately. The pic is taken from below, the switch is the white plastic part. It’s a tight fit. I just barely got my fingers in there to clean off the connector and exercised the plunger in case it was sticking. All working fine now.

Kevin

 

[Lou Schneider]

Glad it worked out, and thank you for reporting the results!

 

[Ex-Calif]

Good to know for us P30 HWH folks...

My to do list is the inoperative steps - so much maintenance, so little time - grrr....

 

[Ksouers]

Good to know for us P30 HWH folks...

My to do list is the inoperative steps - so much maintenance, so little time - grrr....

Funny, I fixed the steps issue a couple months ago. I replaced batteries last spring and very shortly after that the steps stopped working. I tried several things; switches, wire connections etc, double check the battery hook-ups (I took pictures, of course), all to no avail. It was a low priority as thanks to COVID we weren't going anywhere for some time anyway. The big disappointment was I had installed the steps new in 2013 or 14. Surely they last longer than 6 or 7 years.

One day I was futzing around in the pilots seat when the step unexpectedly extended. Ok, so it works, but I couldn't get it to repeat. I eventually disconnected and cleaned, then reconnected, the the 4-pin cable underneath and it's been working properly ever since.

Good luck with the to-do list. Gremlins are no fun at all.

Kevin

 

[darsben]

Almost 8 years a member and only 4 posts. This is a man of few words

 

[Lou Schneider]

Good to know for us P30 HWH folks...

My to do list is the inoperative steps - so much maintenance, so little time - grrr....

The Quickee steps on my 97 Safari Trek stopped working shortly after I purchased the rig. They'd go out and then not retract. Troubleshooting quickly isolated the problem to the motor, it was receiving voltage but not turning. There was a dead spot on the armature corresponding with full step extension.

The motor assembly is a Ford power window drive motor. I could question the wisdom of putting a motor assembly designed to live inside a door underneath the RV fully exposed to road splash, but that's another discussion.

The new motors look similar but close inspection shows the surface of the new gearbox isn't compatible with Quickee's mounting platform. Quickee said the only fix is to replace the steps.

I took the motor out and ran it for about 10 minutes to polish the armature. Then re-assembled it, figuring even if the polishing didn't work at least I had a good chance the dead spot would be in a different location than at the end of travel.

It's been working fine so far (6 months later).