Living Area Slide Stops When Retracting

[jfbritt]

I have a 2011 Montana Mountaineer 295RKD. It has two (2) slides, living area and bedroom. Both slides are hydraulic driven. I use the ‘Extend / Retract’ switch on the control panel. Both slides activate in sequence when the switch is pressed, bedroom slide first then living area slide.

When the ‘Out’ switch option is pressed both the bedroom and living area slides extend fully. No problem.

When the ‘In’ switch option is pressed the bedroom slide fully retracts. The living area slide stops about half way in. Releasing the ‘In’ switch and pressing is again has no effect, nothing happens. If I press the ‘Out’ switch option for a second them press the ‘In’ switch, the living area slide will fully retract.

Anyone have any thought? Is this an electrical issue, possible short? Is it mechanical related to the hydraulic system? Is it the ‘Extend / Retract’ switch? Is it something else? Is it a prelude to a bigger issue that may be on the way? Has any experienced this problem? Any thoughts or suggestions will help?

[Rondo]

Jerry, it would be my guess that the 50 amp self setting breaker in the front storage compartment is bad and needs to be replaced. It has a tendency to weaken and it will even get hot and quit till it cools off to work again. You can go to the Search Engine at the tip of the page and key in anything concerning that self setting breaker and find a whole lot of postings about it. The cure would be to replace that 50 amp with an 80 amp as per a memo from Lippert/LCI has come out with. Since your unit is a 2011, I would guess that 50 amp breaker is wearing down and needs replacing. I'm sure there will be others that will come along and agree with me or give you some other help.

[Carl n Susan]

I think Rondo is correct - the 50 amp breaker is likely the problem. The switch is rarely a problem in my experience (not to say it hasn't failed before). An old adage from my troubleshooting days. "When you hear hoof beats; think horses not zebras".
I suggest doing a Search for "50 amp breaker" if you are not familiar with what they look like and where they live. Here are a couple of Threads to get you started.
https://www.montanaowners.com/forums...ad.php?t=72657
https://www.montanaowners.com/forums...ad.php?t=83308
https://www.montanaowners.com/forums....php?p=1250874 (no matter what I do, this Thread displays starting at Post #13. Be sure to go to the top and start reading at Post #1).

[rohrmann]

I read not too long ago that the hydraulic pump motor draws more amperage when running the pump in reverse, so maybe that is why retracting the slide has the stop and start problem. We never had a problem extending our leveling jacks before upgrading the breaker to the pump, but just like you are experiencing with the slide, raising the jacks would take several attempts to fully retract the jacks.

[RMcNeal]

The breaker is most likely the cause as stated above, however, when the switch on my hydraulic slides went bad, I saw a something similar. Out worked every time, but bringing them in would fail and I'd have to keep pushing/releasing the switch until it finally just gave up. The breaker is easy enough to test, if it isn't that, then my guess is your switch is bad.

[Daryles]

I agree on replacing the red 50A self resetting circuit breakers on the wall behind your batteries as others have recommended above.
However while you are doing this I would put your hydraulic system on its own 80A breaker.
Buy Bussmann or Blue Sea circuit breakers. Much better quality than others.

[BB_TX]

I also lean toward the circuit breaker. BUT. The symptom of hitting the extend switch followed by the retract switch to get the slides restarted retracting is not the "normal" malfunction related to the circuit breaker. Once the breaker heats and opens the circuit, it takes a few seconds for it to cool down and reclose the breaker contacts to allow the pump to run again. It may be that you are hitting the extend switch while the circuit breaker is still cooling. And by the time you hit the retract switch again it has cooled and ready to go again. Next time it does it you might wait 15-20 seconds or more before hitting the retract switch again (without hitting the extend switch) and see what happens. If it does not retract without first hitting the extend switch then I would suspect it might be the switch.