REAR STABILIZER MOTOR

[jackel1959]

Let me start out by saying if this topic has been discussed here before, I could not find it using the "Search" function.

While preparing to leave from our last trip to the coast a couple of weeks ago, I hit the button to retract the rear stabilizer jacks and could hear the motor running as normal. After a few minutes, I looked back at thee jacks and they were still on the ground. So I got out the manual crank handle and cranked them up into position with no problem. These are a lot easier to do than the main landing gear....trust me!

So on the drive home I am thinking about what the problem could be and figured it was either a shear pin or the motor shaft. Shear pin the easiest and cheapest to replace, but if it was the motor I would need to get a new one. How expensive could that be, right

When I took everything apart I found the shear pin to be fine, but the "notched" end of the motor that engages the shear pin shaft had cracked and broken off. After reviewing my owner's manual for the stabilizers and reading there were "no serviceable parts" on/in the motor itself, I figured a new motor was in order. Again, how much could that cost, right

So the next morning I placed a call to Lippert for a replacement motor. I spoke with a very nice lady there and told her what I needed, she verified the part number with me and then told me the cost was $352.95 I asked her to repeat that which she did and told me I could buy it online from them a little cheaper. When I looked at the price on the Lippert website it was still $315.00

I had the make and model of the motor which is a "Klauber C800" so I decided a Google search was in order. I found a couple of different places online that sell them and some links to different forums discussing this very component and price issue. Some dealers want to charge upwards of $525 and that's just for the motor!!!

I ended up buying mine e-bay motors from "rvoutlet" for $189.00 w/shipping. Here is the link: Klauber C800 (scroll down the page a bit to see the motor). The motor arrived within 2 days and is a direct replacement for the original and works great. It was a very easy job with 4 machine screws holding the motor to the mounting bracket and 2 DC connections. Less than a 1 hour job.

I also found some information on other forums where the manufacturer, "Klauber" will ship directly to the customer, but they will only ship COD. The motor does not show on their list of products for DC Parallel Shaft motors, but if you contact customer service they should be able to hook you up. Klauber part number: K01285C800. I don't know what the cost is today from them because I didn't want to deal with COD, but back in 2011 it was $126 plus shipping and $10.50 for COD. Here is the rest of their contact info:

Klauber Machine & Gear Co.
1101 Geartech Parkway
Pacific, MO 63069
636-257-3002
636-257-3005 Fax
sales@klaubergear.com
www.klaubergear.com

Hope this info helps someone out there

Jack

[Art-n-Marge]

Markup... love the markup... Like the saying goes, "Don't pay retail". But good luck finding a wholesaler, because part of the retailer contract seems to disallow wholesalers from making themselves easy to find. $189 versus $352. Good job! And don't forget the probable $120 per hour labor you saved yourself.

[DQDick]

That's why I bought a socket that fits the manual drive fitting. When my motor finally fails I'll be running them up and down with my drill that I already own and securing them up there with a bunge cord.

[jackel1959]

quote:Originally posted by DQDick

That's why I bought a socket that fits the manual drive fitting. When my motor finally fails I'll be running them up and down with my drill that I already own and securing them up there with a bunge cord.

With the rear stabilizers we have, they stayed up and in place without the use of a bungee. Our previous travel trailer had the manual jacks and I used to use a power drill all the time to put them down and up. I like this system much better....push the button the jacks go down.....push the button jacks come up.

[DQDick]

True, when it works. If my motor failed I'd worry about the worm gear slowly working it's way down, but that has a lot to do with the wonderful interstates I drive on.