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08-02-2015, 12:35 PM
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#1
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Ogden
Posts: 638
M.O.C. #13862
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What's sparking under my bed?!?!
This might be serious. I just got back from a trip. I have a 2013 3400rl, with maybe 4,000 miles on it. I have my bedroom blacked out for sleeping, so it's really dark in there. I am hooked up to shore power at home here and I was in the trailer opening it up to empty it out after the trip. I was standing at the base of the stairs, operating the bedroom slide button to run the bed out. Upon activation of the room slide button I witnessed a bright flash, like a spark, coming from under the bed. Up about where your shoulders might lie if on the bed. Right at ground level. I stopped immediately, and activated the button again. Same spark. No noise, but it was a bright flash! I at first assumed it was the slide motor bushing sparking as motors do. But wait a minute I thought! The motor is overhead, not under the bed! The only thing under there power wise I know of, is 120 V Romex for the bedside outlet.
Now I am afraid I have a piece of 120V wire that has abraded, or been damaged somehow that is arcing when the bed slides. I don't even have any idea how to open it up and get to it to look for whatever might be arcing. Can anyone say "potential electrical fire"? A nice comforting thought right under where you sleep!
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08-02-2015, 01:08 PM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Lake Gaston
Posts: 8,773
M.O.C. #12156
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Assuming your bedroom slide is cable driven, believe you have nailed the problem.
__________________
Mike and Lorraine
2002 3655 FL, 2005 3650RK
2010 3665RE, 2015 3910FB
F350 crew cab dually 6.7
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08-02-2015, 01:26 PM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Ogden
Posts: 638
M.O.C. #13862
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by 1retired06
Assuming your bedroom slide is cable driven, believe you have nailed the problem.
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Yes, it is cable driven. There's no motor down there.
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08-02-2015, 01:57 PM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Ogden
Posts: 638
M.O.C. #13862
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I am really interested in what I'm going to find! I can say right now, without even looking, that if it is an abraded, or damaged 120V wire, it is another example of sloppy work by Keystone, and inherently dangerous, sloppy work at that.
There is absolutely NO WAY Romex can get damaged or worn in normal slide extension if it is properly routed and secured. Not in a trailer that only about 8 trips under it's belt. Just no way... I will be taking pictures as I go, so as to document what is wrong and I will forward it to Keystone. I'm guessing I'll get zero concern from them.
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08-02-2015, 02:30 PM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Wilsey
Posts: 18,799
M.O.C. #11455
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Also, please share with the group what you find.
__________________
Dick, Joyce, Diego, Picatso and Gustav
2017 3720 RL, and 2013 HC 343RL
Pullrite Hitch, IS, Disk Brakes, 3rd AC, Winegard Traveler, Bathroom door mod, Dometic 320, couch for desk swap, replaced chairs, sun screens, added awnings, etc.
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08-02-2015, 06:48 PM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Ogden
Posts: 638
M.O.C. #13862
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OK, it is definitely serious! I unscrewed the veneer bottom panel under my bed, and lifted it out. What I saw shocked and scared me. There are two big white connectors with a large wire running between them and Romex leading into each. My best guess is it is a flex connector to allow for bedroom slide travel.
One one side of the connection, the wire was rubbed, frayed badly, bare wires showing with the insulation rubbed right off them, and burned carpet! This outlet is on a GFI breaker that did not trip even with it shorting out!
I took several pictures. I would post them here if I knew how. I'm calling Keystone tomorrow. Under my bed...Where I sleep. A potential electrical fire. Wonderful.
As I mentioned above, this trailer has been on the road for only about 4,000 miles. This isn't years and years in the making. Stay tuned...
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08-03-2015, 02:01 AM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Lake Gaston
Posts: 8,773
M.O.C. #12156
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Not good. Lucky you caught it.
__________________
Mike and Lorraine
2002 3655 FL, 2005 3650RK
2010 3665RE, 2015 3910FB
F350 crew cab dually 6.7
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08-03-2015, 05:00 AM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Port Orchard
Posts: 1,153
M.O.C. #3403
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If you are a Facebook user and a member of the Montana RV Owners Group on Facebook you can post your pictures there, and it is very easy to do there. https://www.facebook.com/groups/145940634090/
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08-03-2015, 05:02 AM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: McKinney
Posts: 7,156
M.O.C. #6433
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Good thing you saw those flashes of light before something bad happened. Let us know what Keystone does.
On a side note. If the short was from the hot wire to the neutral wire, it would not trip the GFCI outlet. A GFCI outlet compares the current flowing into the hot wire to the current flowing out the neutral wire. If there is as little as 5 milliamps current difference it will trip. However, if there were a short from the hot wire to the neutral wire, there would be no difference in current flow. However, in a case like that I would have thought it would trip the breaker in the load center.
If you click on the HOME icon above and scroll down there is a link to a posting photo tutorial. You must store you photos on a photo hosting web site (such as photobucket.com, or many others) so that you have a url link to them.
__________________
Bill & Patricia
Riley, our Golden
2007 3075RL (recently sold, currently without)
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08-03-2015, 07:05 AM
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#10
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Redlands
Posts: 460
M.O.C. #9135
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Just curious, does the 3400 have outlet's by the bed? Just wondering what it feed's.
__________________
2011 3150RL
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08-03-2015, 07:26 AM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Ogden
Posts: 638
M.O.C. #13862
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by drknapp
Just curious, does the 3400 have outlet's by the bed? Just wondering what it feed's.
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Yes, there is an outlet on the bed frame, left side (as viewed standing at the foot of the bed, looking towards the head).
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08-03-2015, 07:26 AM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Ogden
Posts: 638
M.O.C. #13862
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Fire5er
If you are a Facebook user and a member of the Montana RV Owners Group on Facebook you can post your pictures there, and it is very easy to do there. https://www.facebook.com/groups/145940634090/
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Thank you! I'll post them there.
UPDATE: Pictures posted there!
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08-03-2015, 05:17 PM
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#13
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Ogden
Posts: 638
M.O.C. #13862
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08-03-2015, 05:19 PM
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#14
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Ogden
Posts: 638
M.O.C. #13862
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UPDATE: Keystone called me today, had my pictures, and are very on top of it. So it seems anyway. They indicated they will now wait for the report back from the dealer when I take it in on the 19th. Stay tuned.
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08-03-2015, 08:52 PM
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#15
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Ogden
Posts: 638
M.O.C. #13862
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ANOTHER UPDATE: I did a bit more sleuthing and I found the cause of the short and showed some more pics. of what I found:
http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/...ad.php?t=65547
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