Motorhome steps

"just cut the wires between the motor itself and the controller"

Why cut the wires when you can simply disconnect the power/control wires by separating the (4 point) multi-connector leading to the controller?

Try any of the above suggestions but whatever you do, DON'T drive with the stairs extended. It's real easy to ground them out even at minor grade changes. Once you bend the stairs even a little, they will continue to bind up until they are straightened out. (if possible)

Chum lee

islandlady wrote:
Our steps are out and won't go in and we have a reservation for tomorrow. We either have to take the steps off or drive 20 miles with them out! This is the first time we have been camping this year and the steps have been working fine when hubby has been going in and out to check on the heat during the winter. What would you do?

Kick them a couple of times with the switch on and the door shut.
If that doesn't do it and with your limited amount of time, just cut the wires between the motor itself and the controller. This might come in handy for later and is also necessary for proper trouble shooting of the motor and by applying voltage directly to it and switching it's polarity for direction. For now and with the stop out, you be able to see and easily remove the pin that attaches the drive, thereby allowing you to manually retract the steps and for tying them in for now. You'll be installing male/female connectors to the cut wiring sometime later, whether you need a replacement motor or not.
Amazon has them and you'll save some money by removing what you have and matching it up with a power window motor, rather than a step motor, which is the same thing exactly.

Mine quit but I could hear the motor trying so I got down and sprayed silicone lube all over. Worked them around by hand and they work great. Make it a practice to spray every now and then. I hope your problem is so easy.

Start with posting the type of steps you have. If they are Kwickee steps you can go to there web site and they show you step by step how to trouble shoot this problem. It could be motor, linkage binding, wiring(no voltage getting to motor, mag switch, bad grounds, or control board. The web site shows you how to determine what is bad. If you tell us what you find you will get more detail help.

Sometimes they need to be lubed. If it has been sitting, that could be the problem if you can hear that the motor is working.

Do you have a magnetic switch on the door frame? Our steps wouldn't retract. Turns out the magnet was a little to far from the switch on the door frame. Grabbed the magnet and switch and squeezed them together. Steps retracted. Moved the magnet a little closer to the switch and has worked fine ever since.

BUB1988 wrote:
A few weeks ago a friend of ours had the same problem. His brother in law took a hammer and tapped the motor three or four times. The step motor has worked ever since. At least it would get the steps in, if it works.

That's a good idea. Sometimes the brushes in the motor lose connection.

Ditto on tapping it with a rubber hammer. Mine would not go in after sitting under the shelter. I had read somewhere that sometimes a piece of rust or trash would/could disrupt the connection. I tapped it and it has worked ever since without a hiccup.

A few weeks ago a friend of ours had the same problem. His brother in law took a hammer and tapped the motor three or four times. The step motor has worked ever since. At least it would get the steps in, if it works.

Try loosening the bolts that hold the steps to the frame. That worked for me once. When I realized they would work when loose, and not tightened down, I put some shims between the steps and frame and they kept working.