Electric slideout intermittent

[ram22]

I have a 2015 22FBS with one electric slideout that failed the last three uses. I purchased this trailer new and I'm sure I have less than 5,000 miles use. Each time I had to manually either extend or retract my slideout. It fails to operate as if the fuse is blown or wires are loose. I swapped the 15a fuse with a known good fuse to eliminate that. It has quit working in various positions - fully extended, fully retracted and yesterday, I let my finger off the switch half way retracted to move something further away from the path of the slide, and then it would not move after that. The trailer was level and lifting the slide from the outside did not help. In all cases I have to remove the trim (replaced staples with screws since this is getting to be a regular thing) and use the manual operation tool with my cordless drill. I test the electric operation after a little manual movement but have to continue manual operation (electric motor dead spot doesn't seem likely). But then the electric operation eventually works again, so I am troubleshooting an intermittent problem that only presents itself when I don't have time for the troubleshooting. Heartland did not have any wiring schematics or engineering drawings available for my slideout and gave some generic advice, loose wires or electric motor dead spots.
Any similar experience or troubleshooting advice or resources?
Thanks,
Mark from NorCal


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[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

Sounds to me like you might have a auto reset circuit breaker. It would be up in the front compartmnent. If you listen up front while someone else pushes the switch you'll hear it click off then a while later you'll hear it click back on.
I'm not thinking clear this morning yet but I think there's one in there. I'll look at mine when I get back home.

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[danemayer]

Hi Mark,

Just to review, although you changed a fuse, and the slide worked since then, it has also failed. And it has subsequently worked again. So the fuse you changed would not appear to be blowing.

Are you sure that fuse is where the power to the motor originates? Often, the slides are powered from a 12V DC mini-circuit breaker located near the battery. The breakers are usually covered by a red rubber boot. At a time when the slide is working, you may want to pull the fuse you replaced to verify that's the power source for the motor.

Pull the switch away from the wall to examine the wires and lugs on the back for loose or damaged connections. Be careful not to pull too hard as you might disconnect wires and not know where they go. In fact, it's a good idea to take a clear picture of the wires before doing anything else. Then if one comes off, you'll know where it goes.

I assume that when you took things apart to manually operate the slide, you had an opportunity to examine wire connections to the motor. Next time it fails, you could take a reading at those connections while someone else presses the switch. The red meter lead would be on the wire connection and the black would go to a known good ground in the trailer. When pressing the switch one way or the other, 12V DC should show up on one or the other of the 2 wires. Power toggles between the wires depending on how the switch is pushed.

 

[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

Confirmed you do have a auto reset circuit breaker in the front cabinet next to the batteries.
Replace that and it should hopefully solve the problem.

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[ram22]

Confirmed you do have a auto reset circuit breaker in the front cabinet next to the batteries.
Replace that and it should hopefully solve the problem.

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My batteries are mounted outside on the tongue. They are tied to the tow vehicle and trailer DC system with 3 tie busses with red rubber covers (pictured). I do not see any c/b's yet.

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[ram22]

Hi Mark,

Just to review, although you changed a fuse, and the slide worked since then, it has also failed. And it has subsequently worked again. So the fuse you changed would not appear to be blowing.

Are you sure that fuse is where the power to the motor originates? Often, the slides are powered from a 12V DC mini-circuit breaker located near the battery. The breakers are usually covered by a red rubber boot. At a time when the slide is working, you may want to pull the fuse you replaced to verify that's the power source for the motor.

Pull the switch away from the wall to examine the wires and lugs on the back for loose or damaged connections. Be careful not to pull too hard as you might disconnect wires and not know where they go. In fact, it's a good idea to take a clear picture of the wires before doing anything else. Then if one comes off, you'll know where it goes.

I assume that when you took things apart to manually operate the slide, you had an opportunity to examine wire connections to the motor. Next time it fails, you could take a reading at those connections while someone else presses the switch. The red meter lead would be on the wire connection and the black would go to a known good ground in the trailer. When pressing the switch one way or the other, 12V DC should show up on one or the other of the 2 wires. Power toggles between the wires depending on how the switch is pushed.

Good advice because my slideout is operating right now and even with the 15a fuse labeled 'Slide' removed! (pictured) WTH? And, FYI my tow vehicle is not attached but trailer is plugged into AC power and battery isolator switch (at top of photo) is on.

I also removed the switch. So far all I observe there is that the blue tape was touching the back of the left hand top kitchen drawer slide. I don't see any damage to the tape though (pictured).

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[ram22]

CORRECTION: battery isolator switch is pictured in another reply.


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[danemayer]

The CBS are under the rubber boots. The fuse labeled slide may be for outlets in the slide room.

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[ram22]

The CBS are under the rubber boots. The fuse labeled slide may be for outlets in the slide room.

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In the attached photo the red rubber boots are removed. Are these circuit breakers? If so, they must be auto reset only because I don't see any manual reset.

Ok, you're right! The light overhead dinette on slide does not come on, and a nifty red light illuminates on the fuse circuit board where I removed the #8 fuse.

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[ram22]

I see a single strand of copper wire coming from the green wire and visible between wraps of the blue tape (pictured). After removing the tape and the wire nut I can see that single strand and also there is another strand now broken off and stuck to the outside of the red wire nut. Not impressed with Heartland seeing this sloppy looking splice, although I'm not sure if any of this is a factor in my intermittent problem, but one thing I do remember doing yesterday between the time the slideout worked and then didn't work, is 'slamming' the kitchen drawer closed (read... firmly closing).

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[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

It's is probably one of theses circuit breakers.

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[ram22]

It's is probably one of theses circuit breakers.

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My instinct is that this is not a c/b issue because two of the times it was during the first attempt of the day to operate the slide, once retracting after camping and once extending after driving. Yesterday, it was after partially retracting slide with no interference or unusual sound.


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[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

Your wires look fine.
It seems like a circuit breaker issue to me !!!!

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[danemayer]

Those mini-circuit breakers are all auto-reset (except for one that connects the battery to the Power Converter). If for any reason the motor pulls too many amps, or if the breaker is weak, it will trip. After 5-15 seconds it will reset.

So if the slide stops again, wait 15 seconds and see if it starts moving again. That would give you a very high confidence that replacing the breaker would be effective.

 

[ram22]

Those mini-circuit breakers are all auto-reset (except for one that connects the battery to the Power Converter). If for any reason the motor pulls too many amps, or if the breaker is weak, it will trip. After 5-15 seconds it will reset.

So if the slide stops again, wait 15 seconds and see if it starts moving again. That would give you a very high confidence that replacing the breaker would be effective.

I have done that a number of times where I wait and periodically try without success before I start removing trim panels to get access for manual operation.


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[danemayer]

I have done that a number of times where I wait and periodically try without success before I start removing trim panels to get access for manual operation.


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If you don't get an auto reset, it's probably not the breaker. That would suggest an intermittent connection, or a failing motor. But before you get to more difficult and more expensive actions, you might want to spend $10 and 10 minutes replacing the breaker. When the slide is working, you can disconnect the output side, one breaker at a time, until the slide is disabled. Then reconnect and confirm the slide is working.

The input side of the breakers gets power from the battery. There's usually a copper buss bar connecting the breakers on the input side.

 

[ram22]

Ok, well if those are c/b's then the left one is connected to the battery (isolator switch) and it looks to me like the middle one (red wire) goes to the trailer DC system and the right one (red wire) goes to the tow vehicle. I'm sure that if I disconnected the middle one then the trailer DC system would be isolated. However, with the tow vehicle disconnected (no power to the right c/b), it looks like removing the left c/b would also isolate the batteries from the trailer DC system. That would be my guess with no shore power. I'm not sure how the shore power and converter tie into the trailer DC system.
Thanks, I'll consider that inexpensive replacement for troubleshooting. Meanwhile, I did remove and reattach one of the 4 wire nuts behind the switch and secured the wire bundle away from the kitchen drawer.

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[CLB]

I see a single strand of copper wire coming from the green wire and visible between wraps of the blue tape (pictured). After removing the tape and the wire nut I can see that single strand and also there is another strand now broken off and stuck to the outside of the red wire nut. Not impressed with Heartland seeing this sloppy looking splice, although I'm not sure if any of this is a factor in my intermittent problem, but one thing I do remember doing yesterday between the time the slideout worked and then didn't work, is 'slamming' the kitchen drawer closed (read... firmly closing).

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Thank you for the picture of the fuse panel I have a 2013 21 fbs I'll go get a picture of the breaker button. Use a small screwdriver. By the way here is how my cover is labeled lol

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[ram22]

Thank you for the picture of the fuse panel I have a 2013 21 fbs I'll go get a picture of the breaker button. Use a small screwdriver. By the way here is how my cover is labeled lol

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danemayer's reply on 8/20 was correct, that fuse labeled Slide is for the light over my dinette only. It does not protect the slide motor.


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[PondSkum]

Did you ever find the issue with your slide motor not working? I'm having the same issue now in my RW bedroom slide. It happened over the summer when we were packing up to come home from a trip, and I had to manually retract the slide with my drill. Then when I got home, it was working fine again, and I haven't had trouble again until last night. Slid it out a little to help the wife put sheets on the bed, and it wouldn't go back in. I pulled the switch off the wall and checked with my voltage meter. There is power at the switch, and the switch is working. I have power going to the wires at the motor when the switch is pushed. But the motor does not run. I got my drill and ran the slide closed manually a few inches, then had the wife hit the button and it started working again. I'm certain that it's not a breaker, because I had power at the motor connection wires when pushing the switch, but the motor didn't run. Maybe a dead spot in the motor, or the motor is going bad?

Also, after dealing with that, in the bedroom I can reach the motor without removing any panels... but if my kitchen slide stops working, I have no idea how to remove that upper wood panel to reach the motor. I didn't see any screws holding it, is it just glued or stapled on?? How do I remove it?

- - - Updated - - -

Also, the picture above of the fuse panel labels.. that's how mine looks with scribbled handwriting on them that you cannot make out half of what's written.... pretty ridiculous in a rig like this..