landing gear motor - Montana Owners Club

captbanjo · 12-06-2006, 04:32 AM

I posted here a while back regarding my landing gear not going all the way back up when extending (the result being the RV didn't go as high as it once did). Update is, I took it to Arlington RV (RI) and they determined they had to replace the motor. Under $300.00 so the hit could have been worse. My question is: sometimes I had the habit of keeping the button pushed when it was fully lifted. I didn't do it for long periods of time but I wanted to be sure it was fully extended. This resulted in a few extra clicking sounds. Anyone know if this is a bad thing that could burn out the motor?

Ozz · 12-06-2006, 05:01 AM

It sounds like a clutch kicked out, the motor would have blown a fuse if it was locked up. I don't think you hurt it.

Ozz · 12-06-2006, 05:19 AM

Here is the Web Page for Lippert, hope it helps someone.
http://www.lci1.com/service_owners_manuals.html

Cat320 · 12-06-2006, 06:49 AM

When we first got our rig, on several occasions we held the switch a bit too long and it blew the fuse...a 40 amper. I now keep a couple of extra fuses...you'll have to get them at an auto store, Wal Mart does not normally carry any that big.

Tom Gina 06 · 12-06-2006, 07:25 AM

Anyone know if they have a slow blow resetable fuse that would work instead of having to replace them.

patodonn · 12-06-2006, 09:56 AM

Interesting point...I never bring the gear all the way up...stop it just short of the full up position...that way, I don't get into the possibility of breaking it by "ratcheting" or blowing a fuse at the end of the retraction cycle. Anything that makes that much noise and doesn't do anything can't be good for the mechanism.

It doesn't hang down at all, and is way above the level of the lowest point(s) on the TV.
JMHO

Illini Trekker · 12-06-2006, 11:19 AM

First thing I did was to make a mark around the stand with a felt tip marker. Mark it abuot an inch before leg is all the way retacked.

Ozz · 12-06-2006, 12:12 PM

Good call, Dennis, I did the same. I have a line then a squiqqly line.

richfaa · 12-06-2006, 01:55 PM

A word on that 40 amp landing gear fuse. When at our dealer last week having the W/D installed I thought I had better add a spare fuse to my "spare parts " box. Tne dealer said that when one of those go bad or show signs of weakness no matter what the Rv brand they replace it with a 80 amp fuse. So we have a 80 amp fuse..$30.00 in our spare parts box along with the spare shear pin bolts, the 1/4 inch bolts at both sides of landing gear motor shaft, Spare fuses , spare breakers and a bunch of other stuff... Oh..we checked the air pressure in the spare tire had not been checked since we took delivery in May 06...Pressure was 51 lbs..Check those spares guys..low presssure may be a cause for them falling off. I do the same with the landing gear legs..no need to run them all the way up.

Emmel · 12-06-2006, 03:14 PM

Heh Rich, are you sure you want to put an 80amp fuse anywhere in your Montana. I think the feed lines might have a chance of getting hot before the fuse would blow. They use a 40amp for a reason, don't you think?

mixperl · 12-07-2006, 01:01 AM

Hi, learned the hard way about the "clicking noise", when retracting or extending the gear. Both legs have a set of gears at the top that drive the legs up or down. The click is the sound of the gear teeth jumping over each other when the legs can't go any farther. So, eventually mine quit clicking and moving the legs. I brilliantly sheared the teeth off. $25 a gear and took me 4 hours to replace them. So, as others have posted, mark the legs and avoid the deadly "click". Good luck, mick.

richfaa · 12-07-2006, 03:45 AM

OOpps.. I said the wrong thing..did not mean the landing gear fuse..meant the slideout fuse....

captbanjo · 12-07-2006, 05:42 AM

According to the repair invoice, they replaced a clutch motor...whatever that means. But it's working now.

Cat320 · 12-07-2006, 07:06 AM

Rich...where is that slide out fuse? Seems I remember somebody saying it was under the red covers under the gear motor. However, when I pulled the covers off...doesn't look like anything is there just three wires bolted together??

richfaa · 12-07-2006, 08:20 AM

That is what you are looking at..The wires are bolted to the fuse.

Glenn and Lorraine · 12-07-2006, 12:14 PM

Mine was a 30AMP inline fuse and I replaced it with a 30 AMP auto reset circuit breaker.

Been working for nearly 3 years.

They are also available in 40AMP

richfaa · 12-07-2006, 03:18 PM

It is very cold out--15 degrees we had the slides out loading the camper for our Arizona trip and since more snow is on the way we closed the slides when finished..they did not like that at all at that temp..moved very slow and stopped 3 times..the main slide was very slow..What we are learning about this camper is it does not like cold weather at all..the furnace was working hard to maintain a 70 degree temp,,reinforces our suspicion that these things are not built for cold weather camping and our hat is off to all those that make it work..All the more reason to head to warmer climates for the winter...

Cat320 · 12-08-2006, 11:44 AM

richfaa..."What we are learning about this camper is it does not like cold weather at all"

I agree with your camper.

HamRad · 12-08-2006, 01:07 PM

My landing gear leg has a big red on white sticker that says "STOP" at the place where you bring the legs up. It must have been a year before I saw that sign! DUH!

HamRad

JH Sechelt · 12-08-2006, 01:47 PM

I just did the same as Rich, I paralleled two 40 amp breakers for the slides. Could not find any thing over 50 amps in circuit breakers where we live. Our slides worked OK when it is a little warmer, but stall 2 or 3 times when it is cold. each time the breaker trips it gets a little weaker. probably wouldn't be long until it tripped in the warmer weather.

J&D

You may also like: