Hydraulic slide outs

When I open up or close the slide outs, while using the wall switch or the switch next to the pump it keeps shutting down and looses power. After a few seconds it clicks and gains power again. I was thinking the hydraulic fluid could be low. I was going to add fluid but see no visable line to fill the fluid to on the tank.
Does anyone know how far I can add fluid up to?? It is a 2009 bighorn with three slide outs.
 

TedS

Well-known member
Recommended fill is about 1 inch from the top with all slides retracted.

Or, like mine is behaving, the auto circuit breaker is getting weak and opening too soon. The 'click' is the auto reset of the breaker. My dealer is either going to replace the breaker with a higher rated one or add another one in parallel with the original.
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
You can fill your reservoir to about 1/2 inch from the top when all the slides are in. When they are out your level will be at about the halfway point. There is a seam on the tank that will indicate about 1/2. Use any ATF. I use Ford.
If your hydraulic pump motor is kicking out then it sounds like you may have a weak breaker. I believe it is 50 amp.

Peace
Dave
 
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jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
The hydraulic mechanism has a breaker. On some coaches the installed breaker was 50 amp and should have been 80 amp. You can add another breaker to bring it up to the correct size. The breakers are located in the battery compartment and auto reset. You can buy them at an auto parts store such as NAPA.
 
Great, thanks for all the info. I will look at it this weekend and upgrade to the heavier 80 amp model!! Thats exactly what its doing and keeps resetting. It seems to be getting worse over time too.
 

branson4020

Icantre Member
The hydraulic mechanism has a breaker. On some coaches the installed breaker was 50 amp and should have been 80 amp. You can add another breaker to bring it up to the correct size. The breakers are located in the battery compartment and auto reset. You can buy them at an auto parts store such as NAPA.

Jim is right. You can parallel a 40A or 50A with the existing 50A, although Lippert recommends you replace the 50A with an 80A, which is a cleaner set-up.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
My manual recommends Mercon V which is synthitic transmission fluid. Same as all the Ford late model TV's (super duties since 99) use. It most likely wont hurt to mix it in a pinch but some hydraulic/transmission fluids contain additives that others dont.
 
Well I was at my fifth wheel this weekend and followed the wires and never saw the 50 amp breaker. I have the same set up just like pictured in Johndars photos!! When bringing in the slides today they did keep stopping and I would hear a click like a breaker resetting but I dont see it!!!
 

codycarver

Founding Wyoming Chapter Leader-retired
Well I was at my fifth wheel this weekend and followed the wires and never saw the 50 amp breaker. I have the same set up just like pictured in Johndars photos!! When bringing in the slides today they did keep stopping and I would hear a click like a breaker resetting but I dont see it!!!
Mine are mounted on the wall behind the battery.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Just like Bob's photo. There is normally only one breaker that has the TINY reset switch on the end of it. About the size of a pimple on a mouse.
 

Dale Smith

Active Member
my 2011 Bighorn 3055 is also experiencing the stuttering of the large living room slide during its travel inward. I went out today and purchased two more 50 amp breakers and replaced the slide room control breaker with a new one and the problem has gone away.......... temporarily I expect. This is the second time that I have replaced that breaker to temporarily solve this problem. During my travels today to try and find replacements, I was able to locate the Lippert replacement 80 amp breaker but I did not purchase it at this time. The gentleman behind the counter indicated that it would be approximately $$90 for the breaker. He indicated that if it was him he would be asking Lippert systems to supply this replacement upgrade part. My question here is, has anyone had any success or experience with requesting this item from Lippert? It is quite a difference from the 50 amp breaker at approximately 5 dollars each.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks.
 

jnbhobe

Well-known member
I think at one time lippert was recomending to put two 50 amp breakers in paralell so when one popped the other would take over and the first one would reset. This was 10 yr ago on a Keystone Challenger.
 

branson4020

Icantre Member
I think at one time lippert was recomending to put two 50 amp breakers in paralell so when one popped the other would take over and the first one would reset. This was 10 yr ago on a Keystone Challenger.

Jon is right. As I posted earlier, you can parallel a 40A & 50A breaker, which gives you about 80A, or two 50A breakers, which gives you about 100A. Not as clean an installation as a single breaker, but much cheaper, and in this case, OK electrically.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
That is what I did. Parallel two 50 amp breakers. That is the fix I was told to do by Lippert. I did that 3 years ago and it is still working fine.
 

TedS

Well-known member
Just though I'd pass on what my dealer measured for current draw when moving the slides. 78 amps to the hydraulic pump motor and the voltage was pulled down to 11.3. I had reported to him that the slides or landing gear would stop and I had to wait for the breaker to reset. Guess I will replace the 50amp breaker with an 80amp as suggested by Lippert.
 

Dale Smith

Active Member
I have a 2011 Bighorn 3055 with the same slide out travel problem as described above. The 50 amp breaker intermittently disconnects during inward travel of the large slide. It then reset itself and the slide starts to move again. I have purchased two new 50 amp breakers for this location. I have installed one of them, replacing the one that was tripping out quite readily. Since I am not electrically handy, I need to ask how to put these two breakers in parallel to be able to not have these interruptions in power. The two terminals on the breaker indicate battery side and the other one accessory side. I'm expecting that I need to mount the second breaker side-by-side with the one already installed but am unsure how to do the connections in order to achieve the parallel requirement. I am hoping that someone that is electrically strong can answer this post and provide me with direction.

Thanking you in advance!

Dale :)
 
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