Bed will not Retract

[Doc Roads]

The bed frame needs to retract to pull the slide into place.  It moves an inch in or so and stops.  I can move it back out.  I suspect it is an alignment problem.  This problem cropped up after I raised the lower section to inspect the wiring beneath it.  I applied a little side pressure and it moved a little more (like a millimeter!).

Any ideas on why it?s not moving and/or what can be done?  The Winnebago manuals do not address this problem.

edit by staff - changed message icon to topic solved

 

[Kevin Means]

I have one of those beds too Doc. Since the problem started after you raised the lower section, I'm guessing that it didn't go back into the correct position, and now the mechanism is binding somewhere. The only thing I can suggest is to re-do what you did, and see if you can pinpoint what's binding.

Kev

 

[nitrohog1]

Doc, there is a limit Switch located behind the motor be sure that nothing is hitting it when the slide goes in. Like Kevin I have a similar bed on my small bedroom slide that will not let come in unless the bed is lifted in the upright position. I searched under the bed and found one of my puppies toys had jammed it.
Herbie

 

[Doc Roads]

Thank you Kevin and Herbie!  I will have another go at it.  Fortunately, I am not going anywhere in the next month or so, which gives some time to fiddle with it.  I?ll post an update with the results ...

 

[Doc Roads]

Problem solved!  I got under the platform and inspected the structure .... All of it looked good ... gear alignment looked good ... electric motor looked good ... track and gears were clean and straight.  Herbie mentioned a limit switch and there isn?t one on the motor.  There are limit sensors for each direction: full in and full out.  I found them by tracing wires and checked to see if they moved.  They moved just fine by pushing the plunger in and out.  I also checked the wire connections.  Bingo!  The connector clicked in significantly on the forward switch. Problem found and solved.  Somehow, the connection was backed out of the slot just enough to have short connection.  Hope this helps anyone else with a similar problem.  Many thanks again to Herbie and Kevin for the logic and inspiration!  )

 

[Rene T]

That?s awesome. Thanks for getting back to us.

 

[Kevin Means]

Glad to hear it Doc!

Kev

 

[John Canfield]

............The connector clicked in significantly on the forward switch. Problem found and solved.  Somehow, the connection was backed out of the slot just enough to have short connection.  ...........

Same issue on our fairly new Splendide combo washer/dryer several years ago. We went to the distributor in Elkhart for service. After pulling the unit out he found a plug-in connector on the main circuit board that wasn't fully seated  : . Somebody wasn't paying attention on the assembly line.

Thanks for the update  )

 

[Doc Roads]

Update to my update!
The bed failed to retract again. I went through the same drill with the sensor connection and found the sensor had failed this time. As I checked the connection, there was a crunching sound inside the sensor switch. I used a short piece of wire to bypass the switch and the bed moved. So, I have two new sensors on order. I found there are two sensor switches exactly the same for inner and outer limits that detect full in and full out. One will replace the broken one and other is a spare. BTW, the rotor mechanism that moves the bed is the same rotor mechanism that moves the slides ... it is simply a smaller application and is installed on the horizontal.

 

[John Canfield]

Thanks for the update squared . Some parts are just poorly engineered or misused by the OEM when building a product. Our cabinet drawer catches (latch) fail after a certain number of cycles. I think Winnebago used an appropriate catch but the catch wasn't engineered properly for what would be a reasonable lifetime. Shame on the part engineer/product manager.

 

[John From Detroit]

You reminded me of a radio issue I had with my Intruder.. Darn radio would work then cut out and in and out and in and I was saving major barbershop money (Pulling my hear out. not really) trying to figure it out. Well I found a box with a bunch of RCA plugs (also called Phono plugs, Coxial audio connectors) and all those were good and tight. There were also a pair of multi-pin MOLEX plugs.. pushed on one of them and heard the CLICKS as the latches snapped locked.. yup. they only plugged it in half way...

I should have sent 'em a bill.. I bill at 150/hr and that would have been about 3 hours work to find that bad connection.