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Bob_Shaw's avatar
Bob_Shaw
Explorer
Jul 10, 2016

Slide-out motor problems

I have a 2008 Pilgrim Open Road 5th wheel and my bedroom slide-out stopped working. I traced the electronics to the motor, and I had juice all the way to the motor. So, I ordered a new motor, which was quite an experience with an old orphan unit. Part numbers were superseded, and no one kept up with what number coincided with the old.

Since my new motor is now on the way, I decided to test something that had been bothering me...I never tested the motor itself. So, I tested it... and it works. I tested it on the bench and it worked in both directions, so I got my jumper cable and connected the motor, via the jumper cable to the trailer wiring, and yes, it worked. Yes I did try turning the manual slide gearing to make sure there was nothing binding or hung-up there.

Ok gurus, what's going on? Do I just have an old motor that won't work under load, or am I looking at some other issue? When installed, the motor wouldn't even click or make any sound that I could hear. I just don't know what I'm dealing with at this point. Any ideas? What other information could I give you to help diagnose the problem? I'd hate to put the new motor in and find-out it still doesn't work.
  • Is it possible that you sheared a pin/bolt on the drive axle?
  • Is there a relay,fuse or circuit breaker close to the motor? I had a similar problem with a Cardinal 5th wheel and it was a fuse near the motor.
  • beemerphile1 wrote:
    Bad connection allowing voltage but not amperage.
    I connected my jumper cables to the wires where to motor would connect and the other end to the motor wires. When I operated the switch, the motor ran. So, in my estimation, a bad connection would have to be at the motor connection and they were tight, and when I removed the wire nuts, everything looked good.
  • Big Katuna wrote:
    What brand slide out?
    It's a Lippert above floor single slide-out.
  • Thanks Houston, mine is old enough that it's connected with wire nuts, not wire connectors, and they were tight and that is were I tested for power to the motor.
  • A corroded or faulty connection to the motor?

    After 3 hours of looking, we found two of the six teensy wires had backed part way out of the wire connector...

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