slides stall - Montana Owners Club

ard103 · 03-01-2009, 02:56 PM

We are new to a used 2006 3400RL. When we bring the slides in about 3/4 of the way through the sequence the drive system will just stop. Releasing the slide switch and then pushing it again will make the slides start moving again. This will sometimes happen twice, maybe three times when bringing the slides in. This happens when just running on the house battery, hooked to the tow vehicle, and/or hooked up to shore power. The house battery was almost dry when we purchased the unit. We filled it with distilled water but have not done a hydrometer check on it.

Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions.

Alan

**Rondo** · 03-01-2009, 03:02 PM

You should have plenty of replies to this one! I'd say it's just the unit getting hot and causing the self adjusting breaker to over heat then start again. I may be wrong and it seems to me that if you to the the search engine at the top of the page you can type in slider stalls and possibly come up with some other threads on this same subject. If it were me however, I would definately have the battery tested since it was dry! When you filled it, did you charge it also? If not, I would give it a good charge and then have it checked to see that it will hold a charge yet! Keep us informed on what you find out!

Waynem · 03-01-2009, 03:03 PM

Welcome to a good forum Alan.
The topic of slide stalls has come up several times. When I had the 2008 3400RL it did the same thing. It was under warranty. The dealer called Lippert, the manufacturer of the slide mechanisms and Lipper told them what many on this forum have stated. Add a parallel 50 amp breaker to the exisiting breaker. They did and it takes care of the slide stalling. The breaker should be on the wall in the battery compartment and typically are covered by a red plastic protector.

In the mean time, pull in, or put out, the 3 street side slides and then pause 15 seconds and put the LR slide out. That seemed to have helped me. It lets the breaker cool down.

exav8tr · 03-01-2009, 03:12 PM

Alan, First, and foremost, "WELCOME TO THE BEST DARNED FORUM ON THE WWW"!!! I have a '06 3400RL and have never had that happen, wife operates the switch while I walk around outside as they come in or out and she never has a problem. I have never checked the amperage of our slide breaker, maybe I have a larger one. I know that if they bind a little, they could blow that breaker. I might think about having a dealer check the alignment of the slides. This is just my humble opinion....In any case, hope you get it fixed without much ado.....

Trailer Trash 2 · 03-01-2009, 05:36 PM

Put in a bigger fuse for the slide motor that will stop the problem.
I have dub 50's in mine.

**Rondo** · 03-01-2009, 05:55 PM

Don- where are your dub 50's located? I'd like to do the same on my 2980 if possible. I haven't had the problem as of yet but just want to make sure I don't! Where was your original fuse located also? You can PM me or email me. Thanks! Rondo

Dean A Van Peursem · 03-01-2009, 06:41 PM

We had the same issue on our late 2006 3400RL which was fixed by the dealer by replacing the original circuit breaker for the slides. The problem has not returned. Some other owners have had dual circuit breakers installed to solve the problem. However, sticky slides may be causing the problem but you should be able to quickly isolate the problem by the process of elimination. Should be a fairly quick and easy fix.

indy roadrunner · 03-02-2009, 01:14 AM

We had the same problem. The resettable circuit 50amp breaker would pop and seconds later reset. In message to Lippart they advised adding the 2nd inline 50 amp fuse and even sent me instructions on how to install as someone has already posted a picture of. I have not had a problem since. I purchased the 50 amp reset fuse at NAPA. I must have a grand total of $10 invested. Not sure but it was cheap to fix. Be sure to use same size wiring so as not to cause a problem with wire being too small.

ard103 · 03-02-2009, 03:23 AM

Thanks for the info so far. The RV is kept in storage about 20 minutes from the house so I will take all the replies and go look at all of them together.

Thanks again

Alan

Trailer Trash 2 · 03-02-2009, 03:32 AM

If anybody is interrested in getting the PDF file regarding the fuses on the slide pump that I received from Dale when he worked for Lippert, send me your E-mail address in a PM and I'll gladly send it to you, it is a complete how to do it .
TT2

Fire5er · 03-02-2009, 04:49 AM

We had the same problem with our 2007 3400RL. Reading this forum I found that some were having the same problem as we were and it was that the ground wire for the slide motor not grounded correctly. I found that my ground wire for the slide motor was grounded to the plastic tray that the hydraulic reservoir sits in. Moved the ground wire connection and no more problems. Your have and will get great info here to fix any problem with your rig. Great people here. Good luck, and let us know how you fix your issue.

FLSTS03 · 03-02-2009, 08:48 AM

Alan,
Thanks for the post. We have an '06 3400Rl and it is doing the same thing. I just wrote if off to normal(new to this RV thing) anyway Sounds as if the MOC'LY CREW has solved another one for us. I am intrested in the grounding problem Fire5er found. Couldn't a bad or no ground cause the breaker problems mentioned earlier? Steve

capn chris · 03-03-2009, 03:59 AM

The simplest fix for me was to replace the 50A autoreset breaker. Less than $10 and 10 minutes time. Found mine at an RV dealer. Bought 2 so I'd have a spare. Haven't needed it, yet. Find the breaker on the wall above the battery w/red cover, wired inline from pump motor. Disconnect battery. Unhook and remove old breaker and install new one. Reconnect the battery! Voila!!! Also check all wire fittings to motor, as mentioned, and keep the slide mechanisms lubed. Good luck.

sreigle · 03-09-2009, 10:44 AM

Alan, if I may suggest something for you to check out before spending the money for a breaker and the work to install it... Yours is a 2006 unit. I'd bet the slide mechanisms have never been lubricated. Below the slides (except the bedroom slide) you'll see two square bars with teeth on top. If those teeth are dirty, clean them best you can, then lubricate them with a non-sticky lubricant, like silicone spray or dry teflon spray.

The breaker has been the culprit in many situations, including in our prior Montana. However, putting in a larger breaker may just be masking the real problem of dirty slide mechanisms. A dirty slide mechanism causes more resistance, which requires more amperage to overcome. It will cause heating and eventual popping of the breaker. If you put in a higher amperage breaker, then the higher amperage it can draw may be able to complete the slide movement before the resistance of dirty slide mechanisms creates enough heat to pop the bigger breaker.

If cleaning and lubing the slide mechanisms doesn't solve the problem, then I'd try the breaker.

Just a thought. Been there.

Another thing, this one taught me by the fine folks at the Keystone Service Center. When you purchase a lubricant for your slide mechanisms, first spray a piece of cardboard, then throw dirt on it. Hold the cardboard vertically. If the dirt sticks, toss that lubricant and get something else. Otherwise, it will accumulate dirt on your slide mechanisms.

Silicon spray usually seems to be ok, I think. I use a TFE-101 spray. Some folks here have an online source for it. But lubricant that won't attact dirt is a good choice.

ard103 · 03-12-2009, 01:30 AM

Thanks for the advice on the slide lubrication. There was a can of official slide lubricant in the RV when we bought it. I sprayed the slides sparingly, but I will look at the bars again tonight.
I purchased a replacement 50 amp fuse yesterday at the RV dealer for 4.99, but the studs look to be smaller on the new re-settable fuse than I remember them being of our unit. If the new one is smaller, I will not be putting it in.
We will not have internet access this weekend so I will post the results of more lube versus new fuse next week.

Thanks again to all for the help and advice.

Alan

Trailer Trash 2 · 03-12-2009, 10:13 AM

A quick note to all interrested in getting a PDF file from me. I am away from my home computer and dont have the file on the lap top I will be home on the 15th then I'll send to all that asked.

TT2

ard103 · 03-15-2009, 07:26 AM

Slide stalling is solved.

I replaced the auto-reset breaker and the slides now move full motion on a single holding session on the switch.

While the slides were out I re-lubed them just to make sure.

Thanks again to all for your input and help.

Alan

Exnavydiver · 03-15-2009, 07:53 AM

I also noticed in your first post that when you got the rig that the battery was dry and you refilled it with distilled water. Replacing the battery would also help the system, if the plates sulfated up while dry then the battery may not be producing full power... Dave

ard103 · 03-15-2009, 12:14 PM

Yes, I do need to get a load check done on the battery. It looks to be new, the tabs were not punched out when it was purchased but the plates look pretty good. I wish I could get the RV into the yard at the house. Maintenance would be so much easier.

KathyandDave · 03-15-2009, 04:10 PM

I'm glad everything worked out. But, I'm a little nervous about the advice to add a breaker (or fuse) in parallel to the original one. In the case of a short or resistive short circuit, would this not allow the current to increase to twice the value of the lower-rated breaker and possibly overheat the wiring or the motor? It seems sketchy to me to bypass a safety device. The replacement option seems fine - apparently the original breaker was more sensitive than its rating?

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