HWH Slide Out Only Extends With Ignition On

[Vectra 04]

When opening the slide out the the HWH motor sounds like it is trying to work but if I turn the ingnition key on the room goes out .Anyone any ideas

 

[uchu]

I believe that the engine has to be on in order for the slides to work. At least that's how it works in my motorhome.

 

[dcorbtt]

I believe that the engine has to be on in order for the slides to work unless the batteries are fully charged, even then the light to turn the engine goes on . That's how it works in my Motorhome.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Insufficient battery power driving the slide moor(s). When you add the chassis battery via ignition key, it works. All recent motorhomes recommend have the engine running when moving the slides. More voltage is better!

 

[John Canfield]

but if I turn the ingnition key on the room goes out

So that means if you just turn the key on but don't start it the engine the motor changes pitch and the slide goes out or the motor sounds the same but the slides go out. How does the slide function with just the generator running?

I don't remember if the engine needs to be running to extend the slides on our former sister of your Vectra ('05 Horizon), I think we could put the jacks down (same control electronics for jacks and slides) with the engine stopped but operating the slides and jacks will benefit with the engine running

Gary's idea about battery voltage is something to follow up - how old are your chassis and house batteries?

 

[Vectra 04]

MY vectra is the same as Johns ,it worked like his and now the ignition has to be on . I have new batteries. I must have a weak connection somewhere. thanks for the help.

 

[John From Detroit]

Connections do sometimes need cleaning and not just the ones at the battery.

Strange thing is my Motor home had an interlock Ignition on and Slides did not.
I think the jacks worked but not the slides. Different maker different method.

 

[DonTom]

Insufficient battery power driving the slide moor(s). When you add the chassis battery via ignition key, it works. All recent motorhomes recommend have the engine running when moving the slides. More voltage is better!

I never needed to run my engine in my Class A for the slides, with my old lead-acid 225AH worth of batteries.
And I certainly never will with my new 400AH Lifepo4 batteries

I recall the slides take a lot less current than I expected. Something like 8 amps, IIRC

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I never needed to run my engine in my Class A for the slides, with my old lead-acid 225AH worth of batteries.
And I certainly never will with my new 400AH Lifepo4 batteries

I recall the slides take a lot less current than I expected. Something like 8 amps, IIRC

-Don- Reno, NV

Agreed it's not always necessary, but as batteries get older or the slides increase in resistance some extra power is beneficial. When this sort of problem arises, running the engine for more consistent is one of the first things to try.

 

[TheBar]

I've always heard overloading a car battery shortens its life. I was taught to turn the headlights off before starting. And start the engine when jump starting. What I've heard is it can cause the battery acid to boil increasing sulfation. So the engine should be running.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

As slide get bigger and more of them, problems with powering them became more widespread. Well over a decade ago the RVIA changed their design standard for motorhomes to the use of the chassis batteries for slide & step power and recommending that the engine running when deploying slides.

 

[DonTom]

As slide get bigger and more of them, problems with powering them became more widespread. Well over a decade ago the RVIA changed their design standard for motorhomes to the use of the chassis batteries for slide & step power and recommending that the engine running when deploying slides.

My 2022 Class A uses the house battery for the slides but the chassis battery for the steps.

And AI agrees:

"The slides in a 2022 Entegra Coach Vision 27A are operated by the house batteries.

According to the specifications for this model, the house battery system consists of (2) 6V AGM (220ah) batteries located on a slideout tray"

But the slides now run from my new 400 AH worth of Litime Lifepo4 batteries.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I'll stand by what I said about the RVIA standards, but that doesn't mean every coach is designed that way.

 

[DonTom]

I'll stand by what I said about the RVIA standards, but that doesn't mean every coach is designed that way.

Does the RVIA do anything useful? I understand it is for standards--but not enforced--so doesn't that make them useless?

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[John Canfield]

I've always heard overloading a car battery shortens its life. I was taught to turn the headlights off before starting. And start the engine when jump starting. What I've heard is it can cause the battery acid to boil increasing sulfation. So the engine should be running.

Battery chemistry has changed dramatically in the last 20 years or so (actually in the last ~30 years.) Chassis batteries are engineered to provide very high current for short periods of time expressed in cold cranking amps or CCA. So high current (hundreds of amps) is fine and how the battery is designed to function. Adding headlight current to the starter current is rather insignificant, however, there's always a however - a battery used for starting that's near end of life can benefit somewhat from eliminating any other current draw.

And of course house batteries are designed for a certain amp-hour discharge and that depends on battery chemistry, plate arrangement/size for traditional batteries, glass mat, (leaving out lithium batteries) etc. Generally speaking discharging most batteries lower than 50% is discouraged and can result in decreased battery capacity and life. But this might or might not be relevant to lithium chemistries, that's a whole 'nother discussion.

Not sure what you mean about starting the engine when jump starting, that's standard protocol for me and I'm sure of the majority. Perhaps you mean let the jump pack charge the dead battery, remove the jump pack and then try to start the engine?

 

[TheBar]

Battery chemistry has changed dramatically in the last 20 years or so (actually in the last ~30 years.) Chassis batteries are engineered to provide very high current for short periods of time expressed in cold cranking amps or CCA. So high current (hundreds of amps) is fine and how the battery is designed to function. Adding headlight current to the starter current is rather insignificant, however, there's always a however - a battery used for starting that's near end of life can benefit somewhat from eliminating any other current draw.

And of course house batteries are designed for a certain amp-hour discharge and that depends on battery chemistry, plate arrangement/size for traditional batteries, glass mat, (leaving out lithium batteries) etc. Generally speaking discharging most batteries lower than 50% is discouraged and can result in decreased battery capacity and life. But this might or might not be relevant to lithium chemistries, that's a whole 'nother discussion.

Not sure what you mean about starting the engine when jump starting, that's standard protocol for me and I'm sure of the majority. Perhaps you mean let the jump pack charge the dead battery, remove the jump pack and then try to start the engine?

The discussion was about slide motors which may be a lot bigger draw than headlights. The fact is, overstressing anything shortens it's life. Even humans.

The majority likely were never taught the proper way to jump start a car. I haven't jump started anything but my lawn tractor in 30 years or more.

 

[Brad Buchanan]

I've always heard overloading a car battery shortens its life. I was taught to turn the headlights off before starting. And start the engine when jump starting. What I've heard is it can cause the battery acid to boil increasing sulfation. So the engine should be running.

That is interesting. I was taught that if you turn the headlights on for a few moments you get a few more amps to the starter.

 

[Brad Buchanan]

The discussion was about slide motors which may be a lot bigger draw than headlights. The fact is, overstressing anything shortens it's life. Even humans.

The majority likely were never taught the proper way to jump start a car. I haven't jump started anything but my lawn tractor in 30 years or more.

You are extremely fortunate.

 

[TheBar]

That is interesting. I was taught that if you turn the headlights on for a few moments you get a few more amps to the starter.

Anything someone makes up on social media never requires proof. Instead there are people who believe everything on the internet is true.

As one of our most illustrious posters recently said "a lie repeated often enough becomes the truth."

That rumor has been around for at least 20 years. If that were true the manufacturers would turn the headlights on automatically before starting. Instead the opposite is true.

Running the headlights for 10 seconds is not going to warm up a 30 lb battery by even a tiny fraction of a degree, or "circulate" the battery acid. Or did I miss when they started putting battery acid pumps in the batteries? Gosh durn, what'll they think up next?

 

[Vectra 04]

Called HWH and they said to turn the key on and that Winnebago must have wired the coach different ,but I will clean all connections Thanks for the help