2nd electric motor front legs? - Montana Owners Club

mazboy · 06-06-2011, 11:58 PM

i am having trouble with lifting my front end on my 3150.
anyone else?
has anyone added the 2nd electric motor to their front end?

Phil P · 06-07-2011, 01:07 AM

Hi

We had real problems with our front legs. Slow to move popped fuses every time we hooked or unhooked etc. I removed the remote receiver because the wiring in it is too small. I replaced the receiver with a fuse block and fused the 4 wires to the appliances it operated in accordance with the motor manufacturers recommendations. That fixed my problems. The legs work well and I haven’t popped a fuse since.

Phil P

mazboy · 06-07-2011, 08:19 AM

went to a dealer they think motor to small for lifting trailer..... seems to lift most times but then other times it heats up and can't lift. have not blown any fuses. any thoughts?

Art-n-Marge · 06-07-2011, 08:37 AM

I am starting to hear about this problem more and more with you folks with newer (and heavier rigs). I wonder if they've changed the motors to meet the new weights? With my year of rig it was under installed slideout motor breakers and now it's underpowered landing gear motors. Many rigs from my generation have now upgraded to larger breakers for our slides. I wonder what will be found about the landing gear.

I wonder if this is an example of the manufacturer trying to keep costs down and transferring it to owners to upgrade as needed. I wouldn't be surprised. I hope more will post their experience and what they did to remedy it.

btw - is the dealer going to do anything about it? When I had my slideout problems the best the dealer did was upgrade the existing 40 amp to a 50 amp and this was still not enough. Then the MOC informed me of Lippert's recommendation to upgrade to 80 or 100 amp and now my problem is solved (I went with 80 amp). I haven't had any issues with the landing gear, but others have had broken gear and the like. Being underpowered is a new one for me.

Phil P · 06-07-2011, 09:08 AM

Hi

I have been listening to the increase in fuse or breaker sizes. With the exception of the power to the motor for the slides I haven’t found any wire sizes larger than #10. The wire for the pump motor on the slides looks to be about a #3.

The charts show the maximum amperage for a #10 wire to be 30. The maximum for a #3 is 100.

Now think about what you may be doing by increasing the fuse / breaker on a #10 wire to 80 or 100 amps.

Our trailer came with one circuit breaker on the wire to the hydraulic pump motor of the slides and one 30 amp fuse for the rest of it.

Now the real problem with our trailer was the manual switches were wired thru #12 wires at the remote reviver box. I talked to Lippert about it. They didn’t have any answers.

By removing the remote receiver and replacing it with a fuse block and fusing each of the 4 leads with the size fuse recommended by the manufacturer of the motors not Lippert and still using the 30 amp fuse that Keystone had installed in the lead from the battery to the receiver and using it to power the fuse block I fix all of my problems.

I haven’t experienced any slow motor performance or popped fuses since this modification.

Phil P

Art-n-Marge · 06-07-2011, 09:15 AM

Forgot to mention that possibility that since things get warm and don't reset any fuse or breaker, the motor might not be the problem. Phil makes a lot of sense here. I have heard of problems with implementation like improper wire problems like wrong gauge of wire. In Phil's case it sure seems like the culprit. Sometimes a manufacturer relies on a specification without regard to real world or changing weight and maybe weak wires is another cause. The motor might be just fine.

In the case of slideout motors the wire gauge was #6 (or #4, I forget) and therefore not a problem. The weak point was underrated auto resetting breakers.

dieselguy · 06-07-2011, 09:30 AM

I've had a 3150RL for over a year ... no issues with the landing gear motor and I use the remote 75% of the time. Is the connector shaft between the landing gear legs rubbing hard on the thru holes in the sheetmetal? Do you notice any glaring scuff marks on the landing gear legs pointing to something bent or dinged? Have you greased the 2 grease nipples on the front of the landing gear legs inside each of the propane tank compartments? Although these grease nipples just drop grease inside the tube, it might be worth a try.

Krusher · 06-07-2011, 10:53 AM

Actually thought about installing hydraulic jacks one of these days. Just have to take some measurments, find the time, and find the money.
http://www.hwhcorp.com/ml43044.pdf

mazboy · 06-08-2011, 01:23 AM

well thanks from all.

getting the second motor put on thursday or friday.

My issue was never fuses or sticking, the legs just would not go up. I can't believe that this is happening...nothing but problems with my 3150. I guess again I will try to ask montana to reminburse me for some of this cost.

the 5000 pound electric motor is NOT enough for these trailers. montana needs to go to a heavier motor or dual electic motors.
I'd like to hear from others who have this specific problem of lift.

Phil P · 06-08-2011, 06:28 AM

Hi

We are operating our trailer at 15,180 lbs. I did weigh it without the TV. When I get to the trailer this afternoon I will check the weight slip and see what the weight was on the legs.

Phil P

Phil P · 06-08-2011, 11:11 AM

Hi

When we departed for our summer trip last summer we weighed our trailer fully loaded and ready to travel.

The trailer with out the TV hooked up weighed 15,180 Lbs. the axels weighed 10,700 Lbs and the legs weighed 4,400 Lbs. our trailer is placarded for a max weight of 15,905 Lbs.

We carry most of the weight we put in the trailer in the basement. We have pulled it several times with about and additional 500 Lbs. in the basement. That would still only bring the legs up to about 4,900 Lbs.

The first time we use this unit was a month after we purchased it and it was at least 1,000 Lbs lighter. On this trip we had all kinds of problems with the legs to include the selling dealer having to replace the legs but not the motor and transmission when we returned.

After several trips I did the modification I have previously posted. All problems with the legs were corrected by this modification. One thing to note. After the first trip we used the manual switches on the side of the trailer most of the time.

Here is the reason for this.

http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/...ad.php?t=44499

Phil P

Phil P · 06-08-2011, 11:24 AM

Hi

I have more information.

First I don’t have a generator in the front of the trailer but I do carry a couple of the EU2000I's with paralleling device.

I have checked the tag on the motor that drives the legs. It is marked 12V 31 A. This unit would require #10 wires and a 30-amp slow blow fuse to make it operate correctly.

Phil P

mazboy · 06-12-2011, 02:26 AM

well, my 2 legs and electric motors are in.....heck of a way to waste $1000.00. we'll see what happens this summer.

Crowley RV in Bristol, CT worked hard to get it all done by 5pm friday.....I'd highly recommend them if you are in need of RV service in that area.

richfaa · 06-12-2011, 04:10 PM

yes the front legs are verrrrrry slow..I mean veryyyyyy slow.. We have never blown a fuse and we have plenty of time to watch them go up and down so we will spend the $$$ for a second motor for Fuel.

Phil P · 06-13-2011, 12:43 AM

Hi

Speed wasn’t the issue with us. Like richfaa says we generally are not in a hurry. The real problem was when we popped a fuse before we got the TV out from under the trailer it was quite difficult to change it.

I am not sure if the speed changed after I made the modification to the electrical system. Now the electric motor never gets so hot you cant hold your hands on it. That was not the case before.

If you have looked at the picture I posted you can see that the front legs had to be operated to lift the trailer high enough to load the trains in to and out of the TV.

Phil P

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