Landing gear switch

[Montana_2737]

My landing gear motor has been really chattering or rattling lately. I believe my battery may be going out and the strain due to low battery power caused it to chatter. Now I get nothing at all when I press the extend (bottom) portion of the switch. No rattle, no movement, no nothing. The retract portion of the switch works fine and there obviously is enough battery power to run the motor to retract the landing gear but nothing happens when extend is pressed. Anyone ever have this problem or have a fix??? I'm really tired of manually extending the landing gear. It is tough work!! Thanks for your reply. higgsrv

[H. John Kohl]

I would trouble shoot your switch. It may be faulty. If you have ohm meter/volt meter you can start by checking voltages. If not swap the wires on the switch.
good luck

[Sunseekers]

higgsrv
Something you might try is to plug the pigtail into your truck (you don't have to hookup to do this) and leave your truck running while trying the landing gear. This will help your weak battery and determine if the battery is the problem. Then if still not working properly go to checking out something else - like the switch.
Good luck!

[HamRad]

higgsrv,
I'll bet John is right. Check out that switch. Sounds like you may have a bad one or perhaps the wire is just not seated well.

If the battery will work retracting the gear then it should work to put it down since it should take less energy to lower than to raise. By the way we always do like Sunseekers says.... we either have the truck plugged into the trailer or we still have shore power while working the landing gear.

HamRad

[Montana_2737]

H.John Kohl, Sunseekers,Hamrad--Thanks for the ideas. I'll work on it tomorrow and get back in case someone else has problem. higgsrv

[sreigle]

Another possibility, if you are high enough to get it hitched up, raise the gear all the way then see if they will come down with no load on them. If not, then you know it's not the battery. I'd try the easier methods first.

Isn't there a relay that the switch trips to change direction of the motor?

[MIMF]

higgsrv,

Call Lippert Components at their 866 number. We will send you a new landing gear switch. It won't cost you much if anything.

[kdeiss]

If you own a Rv you should have and know how to use a Ac/DC VOM. Meter.
Volt Ohm AMP meter. In can really help in diagnosing thes type of problems just my 2 cents

[Montana_2737]

Thanks to all who responded. I did get hold of George at Lippert Components as MIMF suggested. Received a new switch and wiring harness Jan 6 at no charge other than postage to send the old switch back. Since only the switch was bad I pulled the new one off the four wires and replaced only the bad switch. On the back of the switch are two crossed pieces of metal(one passes under the other from corner to corner) which seem to act as fuses because one was completely melted away in the middle like you would see in a glass fuse (only the metal is much thicker). I'm sending the defective switch back to George so will call later and find out what his theory is as to why the metal was melted. New switch works fine. By the way, in case this happens to you I discovered a way to make the landing gear motor retract/extend without the switch. I have a Chicago Electric 3 in 1 Jumpstart Battery. I disconnected the (2)red and (2)black wires on the landing gear motor. By connecting my red and black battery cables to the red and black motor wires and using the on/off switch on the Jumpstart I could retract the landing gear.By switching the leads on the motor wires the gear would extend.Presume you could do the same thing with jumper cables attached to your rig's battery. (You just wouldn't have the convenient on/off switch of the Jumpstart. Also, if your rig was hooked to your fifth you would need really long jumper cables). The landing gear switch appparently just changes polarity of the wires to retract or extend. I don't believe there is a separate relay switch as sreigle suggested.

[MIMF]

higgsrv,

George works across the hall from me. I will tell him tomorrow that he got you all fixed up.

The explaination of how to use the jump starter and the fact that the switch for the landing gear reverses the polarity is absolutely correct. Good job! If there is ever anything else you need that concerns the slide system and landing gear components, just call us at the 800 number.

[RC and Samantha]

It's great to read about such wonderful customer support. MIMF I have read some of your posts today and it's really nice to have a rep who is taking the time to help us. Thank you very much.

Samantha

[sreigle]

Good info, higgsrv. Thanks for the update. I'll keep the jumper cable method in mind in case we ever have this problem.

[MIMF]

RC and Samantha,

I want everyone in this forum to understand that several of us at the office are RVer's also. When you have an issue or a problem with the slide systems it is our Company that built it. We understand your pain! Now that I am a member I'm here to help. If anyone has an urgent issue, please call us at the office on the 866 number. Otherwise, any questions I can answer, post them here.

We can make every other RVer in North America wish they had a Montana, too.

[MIMF]

Everybody, let me expound on my last post alittle more. I'm sorry for not saying this the first time. I am positive there are members of this forum that own other Keystone products (like me). That doesn't mean I won't take your questions. I will! Yours have as much prioity as anyone else. It won't matter if they are electric or hydraulic systems.

I am here to use for your entertainment.

[Montana_2230]

Thanks MIMF for your comments. Nice to know that folks like you belong to this forum. I am also a previous Outback (trouble free) owner. Traded my outback for my Monty. I am new to some of the newer things like multi slides and landing gear legs, etc. I am currently in the learning mode. trying to learn how to maintain all systems related to my Monty. Reading this forum and posts from folks like you are sure aiding my education. Thanks

[rames14]

MIMF -

I hope that some of the Lippert staff can make the rally this year at Pla Mor. Always good to have helpful people around. Thanks for the offer of future help and "amusement".

[MIMF]

rames14

I and my Supervisor were talking about it earlier this week. It will be either her or myself coming over to Pla Mor. We just need to know when the organizers would like us there. Perhaps it could be one afternoon just to have an "around the campfire" type of demonstrations and discussions. We will do what they want us to do and we may need someone to volunteer their Monty for visual-aid. I promise, we won't break anything.

[rames14]

MIMF -

That's great. Looking forward to meeting. It seems like a long ways off, but the time will go quick. I know I miss my unit with it in winter storage. I'm working in my work room downstairs to get some things ready for April 1. Then I need to incorporate some of the "improvements" from the rally. One item that I know many people have expressed here, is a way to carry bicycles on the back of a Montana. If there were any way Lippert could come up with an add-on that could be done at the rally, you'd have to beat us off with sticks. Just a thought.

[MIMF]

rames14,

I made a call to one of my cohorts. He has stated that your question is a good one for Keystone. It is there call.

We currently produce one that rolls in and out that has a bumper on it that mounts to tail of the frame for the Couger models. It is good for 200 lbs. If enough of you Montana owners would contact Keystone and express your wishes, I'd bet that it could be incorporated on Montanas in very short order. It would be simple matter for their engineers to get with our engineers and it could be down practically over-night. And I'd dare say that a retro kit could be designed for the rest of you folks.

It would take the consumers to express their concerns and desires. I don't have enough clout yet to walk across the street and say HEY!

[capn chris]

I'd sure like to second rames14's suggestion. Two bikes and no nice way to haul them. "Ladder rack stories" aren't pretty at all.