Montana Hydraulic Slide out Issue - Montana Owners Club

Swish · 08-25-2019, 09:11 AM

I have a 2013 Montana 3900FB. The slide outs have worked for years but recently I had the rig in to fix a leveling issue that turned out to be the control panel. Several weeks later I went to extend the main living area slide outs and the LH slide moved without issue but the RH side would only move a few inches. The fuse tripped and reset so I activated the switch/pump again and the RH side moved another inch or two. When I released the switch, the residual pressure in system continued to move the RH slide out very slowly (jerky) no more than 1/2 inch. I continued to activate and release the switch about 20 times and eventually the slide out went full open. When I closed the slide-outs, the LH side moved first and closed normally but the RH side took 20 (or more) switch actuations to get the slide out closed. Bottom line is the leveling system works perfectly, the batteries and pump works fine, the fuse trip function works good, and the LH slide out works fine. Normally either the LH or RH slide out will move first depending on which one is easier to move probably depending on the level of the rig.
I don't mind taking it in for repair but any insight would be appreciated if anyone has seen this before. Thanks, Mark

BB_TX · 08-25-2019, 09:57 AM

It is actually an "auto reset circuit breaker", not a fuse. And the undersized 50 amp auto reset circuit breaker has been a much discussed problem for many years. In general the fix has been to replace that 50 amp with an 80 amp. Lippert has even approved that modification.

But it seems that one slide may actually have a real problem. Typically the heaviest slide will tend to be the most problematic. But tripping at every half inch is really a lot. Tripping 4-5 times before complete extension or retraction is more the norm.

I guess if it were me, I would go ahead and replace the breaker with an 80 amp and see if it corrected the problem. Every time that breaker trips it burns the contacts a little more and makes the problem worse. If the 80 amp trips then you know you do have a slide problem.

Here is a pic of my old auto reset breaker.

rohrmann · 08-25-2019, 12:31 PM

This is the breaker I installed in our rig. I only replaced the breaker that goes to the hydraulic pump, left the other one alone. If, like on our rig, there are two cables leaving the load side of the old breaker, just install the cables the same way. The second cable is the one that feeds 12 volts to your main panel. You may have to enlarge the holes in the ring connectors because the posts on the new breaker are a bit larger in diameter than on the old breaker. I also show a photo of where our breaker is located. https://www.amazon.com/Bussmann-BP-C...t-video&sr=8-1

Swish · 08-25-2019, 02:36 PM

Thanks for the replies folks but it's not the breaker. I know this because of the way it used to operate. Sometimes the RH side would go first and now only the LH side moves and the RH will move slightly, load up and stop, and when I release the switch the slide out will move ever so slightly as the pressure dissipates. Now the one change that happened is they put a new control panel for the 6 point leveling system. Was there some sort of independent control of those slide outs on that panel???

BB_TX · 08-25-2019, 03:11 PM

Could be something restricting fluid flow to or from that hydraulic cylinder. Do you have isolation valves to the slides to block a slide from moving? Could be the isolation valve is not fully open. Maybe a hydraulic line has somehow gotten pinched or crimped. Either of those could cause the pressurized fluid to slowly bleed thru and explain the creep.

At some point I would still replace that breaker. You can see by the picture how badly burned mine was after tripping a number of times.

dhuhn · 08-25-2019, 04:36 PM

You may want to see if they turned the hydraulic off to slide there are manual knobs under level up controls.

Swish · 08-25-2019, 04:37 PM

Bill & Patricia,
I'm going to look for those isolation valves again, I have not found them yet. I do have these control nobs called Hydraulic Room Control with one switch labelled DS (Drivers Side???) and the other called OCS (Opposite Control Side???) underneath where my Leveling Control panel is on the LH side of rig. The shop was in that area replacing the panel. I wonder...I should look there and see what I see. Thanks again!
Mark

2013 Montana 3900FB

2009 Dodge 3500

dhuhn · 08-25-2019, 04:44 PM

Mark those are the ones I was thinking about just make sure there all on

Swish · 08-26-2019, 02:14 AM

Roger that. By the way I have a correction to my posts. The switches are DS & ODS and they stand for Door Side and Opposite Door Side. I won’t have results for a couple weeks until I get back home. (Up North at Mother I n laws house). Thanks, Swish

Swish · 08-26-2019, 02:19 AM

Thanks. That is good to know that Lippert approved the 80 Amp circuit breaker. I’ll get one ready to swap.

Cheers, Swish

BB_TX · 08-26-2019, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swish

Bill & Patricia,
........
. I do have these control nobs called Hydraulic Room Control with one switch labelled DS (Drivers Side???) and the other called OCS (Opposite Control Side???) underneath where my Leveling Control panel is on the LH side of rig................

I still live in the dark ages with manual isolation valves on top of the pump. Are those control knobs on electric switches that operate electric solenoid isolation valves? Or are the knobs actually connected to manual hydraulic isolation valves behind the panel?

beeje · 08-26-2019, 09:29 AM

Our unit has 4 slides and 4 knobs. One knob for each slide. The knobs control the flow of hydraulic fluid to each slide. In my case it is very rare to ever use them.

I don't think the OPs issues are hydraulic related. I think one of the 2 rails/mechanisms under the slide or something on one side is binding up.

Swish · 08-26-2019, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BB_TX

I still live in the dark ages with manual isolation valves on top of the pump. Are those control knobs on electric switches that operate electric solenoid isolation valves? Or are the knobs actually connected to manual hydraulic isolation valves behind the panel?

I'm going to assume that they are not electrical, an electrical switch would be quite simply on and off. These controls act just like a hydraulic flow control knobs. I'll know for sure when I open up that panel in September when I get home. Recall that that area was the last area the shop was when they replaced my 6 point auto leveler control panel. No telling what they did when in there. I didn't have any idea what those knobs were for until this forum so I appreciate everyone who has helped me gain understanding

Mark
2013 Montana 3900FB
2009 Dodge 3500

Swish · 08-26-2019, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beeje

Our unit has 4 slides and 4 knobs. One knob for each slide. The knobs control the flow of hydraulic fluid to each slide. In my case it is very rare to ever use them.

I don't think the OPs issues are hydraulic related. I think one of the 2 rails/mechanisms under the slide or something on one side is binding up.

I appreciate the further insight. I opened and closed the slide outs (door side and Opposite door side) just before I towed here to the shop. Several weeks later I picked her up after they troubleshot and replaced my leveler controller which is right above my DS and ODS Hyd Flow Control Valves on the LH leveler panel. I brought her home and leveled her and then a couple weeks later I went to open both slides and that is when I noticed the issue. To me it's not binding as it doesn't move at all until the ODS side is full open. I will check that after I look closely to see what the shop has done to either the knobs or to the hyd lines to those valves. Thanks for sharing!

Mark
2013 Montana 3900FB
2009 Dodge 3500

beeje · 08-26-2019, 06:30 PM

Your post provided a little more incite. In an all hydraulic slide unit (with one slide switch )the slides are all connected together. The slide with the least amount of resistance moves first (usually closest to the pump), then the next, then the next and so on.

My 4 slide unit will sometimes act differently depending how and where it is situated. This is how they usually work.

My bedroom slide always moves first until fully open, then the fireplace/tv slide moves around 1/2 way, then the stove/fridge slide starts to move and goes 1/2 way, then back to the fireplace/tv slide until it is fully open, then back to the stove/fridge slide till its fully open, then the dinning couch slide starts and continues until its fully open.

When closing, the bedroom closes first, then the tv starts to move along with the fridge slide, the tv closes first then the fridge, then the dinning starts to close.

Hope this helps you out as it is not always the same every time.

ChuckS · 08-29-2019, 08:10 AM

After verifying all slide out isolation valves are open .... these mechanically shut off flow of fluid to a specific slide out cylinder... I would crawl underneath and clean and lubricate each slide out gear packs.... two per slide out. If one is rusty and dirty it will place an extra load on hydraulic system as slide starts to move

There is also an adjustment to synchronize the slide out motion of adjacent slide-outs

Swish · 08-29-2019, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChuckS

After verifying all slide out isolation valves are open .... these mechanically shut off flow of fluid to a specific slide out cylinder... I would crawl underneath and clean and lubricate each slide out gear packs.... two per slide out. If one is rusty and dirty it will place an extra load on hydraulic system as slide starts to move

There is also an adjustment to synchronize the slide out motion of adjacent slide-outs

Thanks for that advice. I did check those gear packs and lubed them with silicone...(can't really remember what it was but whatever lube was recommended).

I'm hoping it's in the hydraulic flow control valve for the door side. Thanks again

Mark - 2013 Montana 3900FB & 2009 Dodge 3500

glendodom · 09-01-2019, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swish

Thanks for that advice. I did check those gear packs and lubed them with silicone...(can't really remember what it was but whatever lube was recommended).

I'm hoping it's in the hydraulic flow control valve for the door side. Thanks again

Mark - 2013 Montana 3900FB & 2009 Dodge 3500

Check the latest Lippert operating manual for the in-frame slides, it notes you do not lube the gears or tracks, you simply put some light synthetic oil on the sides of the gears at the shaft on both sides. Not that this has anything probably to do with the slide issue at this point.

Barefoot Bill · 09-01-2019, 06:08 PM

Our big door side slide has trouble going out and in when powered only by the battery but is fine when connected to shore power or generator. You might try that. In our case, the slide has a rotted floor section that causes extra drag and the battery may be weak. Some things to deal with this winter. But we made it to Alaska and back this summer.

Swish · 09-06-2019, 04:39 PM

Doh I say Doh. So it turned out to be that my hydraulic flow control valves were not set to the fully open position. This caused the door side slideout to creep out and in. For some reason, the opposite door side slide out appeared to work okay...that probably has something to do with the characteristic of the valve. Anyhow, both valves are set to open now and the slides work perfectly.

If it wasn't for this forum I would not have known what those valves do and control but now I do thanks to you all. Another lesson learned is always return to the crime scene...What area was worked on last, go back to that area and look closely.

Hopefully the photo attached okay showing the valves near the leveling system.

Thanks, Swish
2013 Montana 3900FB, 2009 Dodge 3500

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