Slides and landing gear don't work?!!

[kingdaddy]

Posted this on the technical and troubleshooting forum too but would appreciate any help with this. Symptoms point to a problem with the converter.
Batts seem OK (have lights inside). Slides and landing gear worked OK this morning before the long drive today.
Thanks for any help.

[indy roadrunner]

Just a thought, but have you checked the fuses in the fuse panel? Also check in-line fuses that might be present. I believe the slide and landing legs motors both work off the battery so not sure where the converter comes into the picture. Check to make sure you have a good ground at the battery.

[7.3Ford]

Mike,

First try the remote, as it uses different circuits. If that does not work, try removing all battery power to remote to reset it. I installed a Audio Manual circuit breaker on the ground side of the remote control module, so I could reset it quickly. I have not had any more problems since I replaced the 50Amp Auto-reset breaker with a 100Amp Audio Manual circuit breaker. http://cgi.ebay.com/12-Volt-Car-Audi...item519845362b




100Amp Manual Reset - Replaced the 50Amp Auto-reset breaker.



Audio Breaker on Ground to Kill Power Quickly.

[kingdaddy]

My trailer did not come with a remote...by that I assume you mean a remote control for landing gear and slide operation? Should it have included one because nobody mentioned anything about that at all. Hard to believe it would have been overlooked?
The slides and landing gear worked fine yesterday morning when we left Texas. After traveling all day and late arrival (dark) yesterday, nothing.
The batteries operate the landing gear and slides, but through the converter correct? So if I do have good batteries (2 Interstate Deep Cycle) and I do have lights inside then it seems like it is either a converter failure or at least the power supply from the batts to the converter.
Waiting for a call back from the dealer service manager...

[dieselguy]

Since one can operate the slides and landing gear without being hooked to A/C current, I don't believe the "converter" normally has anything to do with supplying power to the landing gear or slides as they both are high amp draw items. That power would come from a fused line straight from the battery. The "converter/charger" charges the battery(s) and converts 120V A/C power into low amp 12V DC power to things like lights and furnace. In a pinch, the converter will supply enough power to operate the slides without the battery, but you're asking alot from it's rated function. Look for problems with fuses, breakers, switches, or grounds.

Here's a pretty good but basic explanation of what a "converter" is all about.
RV Converters, actually have a very simple task (supplying 12 volt power to lights, pumps and fans), but because their basic function is shrouded with fuses, and circuit breakers, converters appear to be more formidable than they actually are. Most RV converters are composed of the following parts:

Battery substitution power supply, and relay.
D.C. Fuses
AC circuit breakers
1. Battery substitution power supply. Chew on this description for awhile "Battery Substitution?" "Power Supply?" Yep! That's all that it is, a humming transformer that reduces 120 volts AC down to 12 Volts, and a couple of Diodes, to convert the 12 volts AC to 12 volts DC. When the converter is connected to shore power, is makes it own 12 volts DC to a limit of about 30 amps of power, and your rig's coach battery is switched out of the circuit by a relay. But, what about the fuses?

2. The converter box is a handy place to hang all of the 12 volt DC fuses.

3. And it's also a handy place to hang all of the AC circuit breakers (one of which is used to switch the converter AC inlet power on and off).

The relay only operates when you plug your rig into shore power. The relay closes off your house battery and allows the battery substitution unit to power everything in the coach. When the rig is disconnected from shore power the relay clicks back to a different set of contact points, and your rig will then be operating off of your house battery once again. Shore power is transformer power, house power is battery power, as far as your lights, heater, and pumps are concerned.

Battery charging occurs because the converter manufacturer, installed a "Bleeder Resistor", which acts like a trickle-down reducer valve, between the converter-to-house power connection (the one that feeds all of the DC fuses in the face of your converter box), and the battery connector, located right before the relay. When the converter is humming away on shore power, the bleed resistor allows a small fraction of the converter's 30 amp potential to be siphoned off to "keep the house battery charged". Most converters only allow three to five amperes to "bleed" through to feed the house battery. This is a primary reason that attempts to recharge a flat house battery using an on board generator, fail miserably. Flat batteries require a minimum of thirty to forty amperes of power to recharge quickly. A three amp charge rate would take forever (and it usually does - most people give up after three or four futile hours of running a thirsty generator to recharge a flat battery).

There's more that I haven't told you about. For the technically inclined, the transformer and diodes, are connected to a large AC condenser (capcitor), Don't ask how it works, be satisfied that the condenser is necessary to regulate or throttle the transformer so that it produces the correct amount of voltage.

TROUBLE SHOOTING THE CONVERTER

1. Switch on a couple of lights on inside the coach. Unplug your shore power. If your lights go out, the house battery is discharged, bad, or there's a dirty or corroded connection (susally near the battery or at the terminal posts). Older converters sometimes fuse the battery separate from the converter. So check all of the fuses.

2. Plug in your power cord to shore power, switch on a couple of lights, and disconnect the ground cable from the house battery. If the lights go out or get dim, you've got a problem in the converter transformer, diodes or relay contacts. But first, check all of the AC breakers to make sure that one hasn't tripped or was shut off. You can hear a electric hum when the converter has shore power (the hum comes from the transformer).

CONVERTER SHORTCOMINGS

1. Converters are only capable of supplying the rated amount of power (usually 30 amps)

2. Converters are sloppy about voltage level. When the load is low voltage is high, and vice-versa.

3. Batteries are subject to the effects of No. 2 above. The bleed resistor is too crude to regulate voltage.

4. Converters are not designed to recharge flat batteries or even partially discharged batteries, quickly.

5. Regulated battery chargers are much kinder to batteries and your rig's electrical components (we'll discuss regulated chargers in a future tech tip article).

[08UltraRider]

quote:Originally posted by kingdaddy

My trailer did not come with a remote...by that I assume you mean a remote control for landing gear and slide operation? Should it have included one because nobody mentioned anything about that at all. Hard to believe it would have been overlooked?

RC is included in the High Country.

High Country Package

•Gen II EasySet Remote Control


Subscribing.... I am interested what the resolution will be. I hope it's as quick as the problem came about.

[Phil P]

Hi dieselguy

Good explanation of the converter.

I haven’t had any problems with my house battery (one 12 V) but do carry a set of heavy-duty jumper cables long enough to reach from the front of the TV to the battery just in case.

I have noted no difference in the operation of the DC equipment when on shore power. I commonly have to operate the room slides and landing gear with the shore power connected. I will have to put a voltmeter on the battery next time and see if I get a voltage drop under load.

I will also have to gain access to the converter to see if there are any fuses there. My converter is locate aft of the basement and in front of the steps with the water pump where I have to remove the back wall of the basement to get to it.

Phil P

[7.3Ford]

Mike,

One more thing to check, make sure the battery disconnect is turned Clockwise. If you can remove the key, the battery power is off.

[kingdaddy]

Simple solution!
There is an in line fuse (30 amp) in the battery compartment that supplies both the slides and the landing gear. Yes, it was blown! Must have happened yesterday morning. I think my buddy put the landing up and kept the button pushed so the fuse blew? Anyway, easy fix after all (thankfully). Need to remember to not do that...
Ya, the converter had nothing to do with it, I think I misunderstood the service guy when he was explaining how the gear worked.
Anyway, thanks for all the help guys!

[NCFischers]

I put a band of black electrical tape around the drivers side front landing gear leg so I wouldn't blow the fuse (again). If I can see a bit of metal leg above the tape when I'm raising the landing gear, I haven't gone too far. Works every time.

[Rondo]

I've done like Jim by marking the landing gear leg except I marked mine with a permanent black marker and stop raising the landing gear when I hit that point! Knock on wood-- haven't blown a fuse yet!

[Ozz]

You should change out the fuse with an auto-reset breaker
http://s112.photobucket.com/albums/n194/JimsSue13/Ozzsmods101/Landing%20gear%20fuse%20upgrade%20to%20breaker/

[kingdaddy]

Sounds good to me Ozz! In the meantime I picked up a 5 pack of 30 amp fuses and will mark the landing gear legs to avoid this problem again. Same fuse for both the landing gear/rear stabilizers and for the slideouts too. Not sure which one caused the overload and blew the fuse but sounds like probably landing gear.

[Parts Ed]

Kingdaddy, looking at your picture of the TV and 5th Wheel the front jacks look to me as if they are retracted too far. It may be the angle or my glasses but that is JMO.

That is one thing that the dealer told me over and over, don't retract the landing gear past a certain point!!

Parts Ed

[8.1al]

We stop ours about 6" short of all the way up. Just didn't see any reason to and have never snagged them on anything yet in 7 years.

[kingdaddy]

Yep, I am putting a mark on the legs to avoid going up all the way again. Easy fix...I love it!