Slide Room Switch Beeping?

[RRman]

On our second to last trip, as DW was bringing in the slides, the switch starting beeping continously. She also thought the Kitchen slide was not rising up correctly as it came in.

I checked for obstructions and finding none we re-extended the slides and got the same continous beeping with the movement of the Kitchen slide. I just powered through it and it came in.

At our next stop with the slides extended, I used "Slide Room Lube" on the gears and gear track for the Kitchen Slide and when departing it came in normally/fine.

No where in the Instruction Manual does it describe this switch beeping (or having such a capability). So maybe we were hearing the nearby propane detector due to the power drain?

Your more experienced ideas are appreciatted!

[MIMF]

RRman, when you was bringing the rooms in, was shore power plugged in or the Bargman plugged into the back of your truck?

[RRman]

We were still on shore power. Since we have a residential Fridge we don't disconnect the 50 Amp cord until just before leaving anywhere.

[snfexpress]

The switch in ours is just that - a switch with no audio options. It sounds (pun intended) that it is your propane detector which will go off if a neighbor is idling their vehicle and the fumes reach the detector.

[dieselguy]

It may have been the propane detector reacting to a low voltage situation. My detector will peep a few times if say I unhook shore power and turn off the battery disconnect.

[MIMF]

RRman, I think it sounds like a low 12 volt issue, also. The LP dectector will sound of if the battery voltage is low.

Since you have a residential fridge in that Big Sky, is there an inverter that supplies 110 power to it when not hooked to shore power?

[RRman]

We have a Residential Fridge because the original Dometic leaked it's ammonia just after the warranty expired. We just plug it in before we go Camping and like any "ice chest" keeps it contents cold for the duration of any journey (so far never more than 6 hours).
No Inverter or battery bank like a OEM installation would have.
It gets very cold very fast, stays cold and is frost free, plus a little bigger inside and a lot lighter in weight.

I'm guessing that since we had not cycled the slides in 3 months, this first retraction was just a little stiff and power draining.
Glad it just alarmed the DW and didn't blow the Pump fuse!

The slides worked ok a few days later on our second campground stop.

[Art-n-Marge]

dieselguy has it spot on!! It was the propane detector. Since the slideouts use 12v power to operate and when using the slideouts can cause a huge draw on the batteries, the beeping occurs because the battery is being drained so low that the propane detector is sensing a low power condition which will cause the beeping. I've experienced this and have run into many causes.

My kitchen slide is much bigger than all the rest and will cause this phenomenon. The living room slides might get it and the tiny bedroom slide never causes it. The amount of power the slideout motor needs will cause the heavier draws on the battery, so I'm not surprised your kitchen slide causes the biggest draw (e.g. mine has the dining table, the chairs, the pantry filled with food and some other overhead cabinetry).

The better the batteries are charged, or being connected to shore power or the TV at the same time so that the converter and/or TV batteries help provide more 12V power and making sure the slideouts are well maintained and the resettable circuit breakers are higher rated (80 amp+) and these will help prevent this condition. If you need more details on what these all mean please ask. There are a few things that cause the slideouts to work harder than they need to and these can also cause a strain on the battery and then cause a drop in battery voltage which then causes the propane detector to "squeal" for help.

I have been reduced to one battery (the other failed) and the one battery will cause the propane alarm to squeal. If I don't want to hear it, I connect to shore power and this helps prevent the problem. In the future I am converting to more powerful 6v system and more batteries, but knowing what causes it is no big deal to me any longer.

I hope this helps.

[RRman]

Thanks for the advice!
I lubed the Slide gear and track afterwards. I also noticed the underneath/floor exterior rubber (?) wiper may be turning over a little in some places (sticky)on retraction. I will cycle the slides sometime and peel it down and maybe clean or lubricate the bottom wiper.

Interestingly since we part-time (more empty than full drawers) our Kitchen slide should not be so heavy (versus design) since the Residential Fridge wieghs less than the original (and weighs less leaving after consumption of contents) and replacing the Tube TV with Flat Screen also in that slide saved over 40 Lbs.

Maybe too the new (installed late last year) Propane Detector is a little more sensitive than the old one which expired. My Oct 04 Build Date Montana has gotten new Fridge, TV, wheels, Roof, Skylight vents, vent mechanisms, Propane and CO Detectors. I wonder what's next?