Atwood electric jacks control panel will not turn on

[mikestock]

I have a 2006 Phaeton with Atwood electric jacks.
Since the coach has been in storage for a couple of months I started it up and ran the electric jacks to exercise them. They leveled up fine but when I tried to retract the right rear went into error mode with green and red lights blinking. The entire system stopped. This jack has been a problem in the past.

I made several attempts to reset and it continued to go into error. I tried raising the adjacent LR and RF jacks to get pressure off this jack but nothing worked. Red and green continued to blink for the RR jack. I went down to the panel, pulled and replaced the fuse for that jack. After that my control panel in the coach would not turn on. I tried it with and without the engine running, which shouldn't matter. I have an installation guide, which shows a couple of critical steps to installing the control panel. I tried the two critical steps to see if removing a fuse may have required performing a reinstall, but no good.

Upon search, I found that Atwood has sold out to Dometic and the Atwood customer service, which has been great in the past, cannot be found. Anyone have any expertise with Atwood electric jacks?

[haste_maker]

Thanks

[mikestock]

No. This is the controller that mounts in the basement. The purchase included the touch pad which I replaced but really didn't need.

[haste_maker]

Is this the part that mounts in the dash?

[mikestock]

Went to Red Bay and ought, what was supposedly a drop in Leppert replacement for the Atwood controller. What was in the box was an Atwood P/N 80618 Rev. 7 which was identical to the one I'm replacing. This was a pleasant surprise, since I had been told that the Atwood controller was no longer available.

If you are looking for an Atwood 80618 controller, check with Tiffin. This is not a substitute, but the original Atwood item.

[mikestock]

The bottom picture is the one I have now, except mine says Rev.7. I have already had one go bad about 3 years back, under warranty, and changed it out myself. Atwood customer service could not have been any better or nicer to deal with.

[BobGed]

dougrainer wrote:

OK, just look at any jack you have. IF your jacks have 2- 2 wire quick connects, then you have the updated Jacks. But, BOTH wire connects need to be connected. Also, the NEW style controller has a bunch of LARGE 40 amp ATC fuses on the control board. It is almost square and the OLD control board is enclosed and rectangular and NO visible fuses. Just trying to save you a 200 mile round trip. Yes, the 4 wire new Jacks the sensor sends the signal to the control board that monitors how many rotations the motor has turned. The OLD style board did not do that as the old jacks had no sensor on the jacks. Doug

PS, on the OLD system and you installed updated 4 wire jacks, you did not connect the sensor wires. Because there was nothing to connect the sensor too. IF you have the NEW style wire harness and Jacks and Controller, then someone has had the system updated before you purchased the unit. Years ago, Tiffin had an upgrade program at a reduced cost to update the old Atwood system to the new Atwood system. It may be your unit was one of those. Doug

Just as additional info to what Doug has posted. I had the new jacks installed in my previous coach.

Here is a pic of the old control module


And a pic of the new one that was installed

[dougrainer]

mikestock wrote:
I was at Red Bay less than a tear ago when I had to have one of the previously upgraded jacks replaced. They said the sensor wires were working and the controller could count the rotation and knew the position of each jack. If this is what you mean. When I go there Monday I will see Brent and ask him to check my repair record from last year and confirm that I had what I needed.

OK, just look at any jack you have. IF your jacks have 2- 2 wire quick connects, then you have the updated Jacks. But, BOTH wire connects need to be connected. Also, the NEW style controller has a bunch of LARGE 40 amp ATC fuses on the control board. It is almost square and the OLD control board is enclosed and rectangular and NO visible fuses. Just trying to save you a 200 mile round trip. Yes, the 4 wire new Jacks the sensor sends the signal to the control board that monitors how many rotations the motor has turned. The OLD style board did not do that as the old jacks had no sensor on the jacks. Doug

PS, on the OLD system and you installed updated 4 wire jacks, you did not connect the sensor wires. Because there was nothing to connect the sensor too. IF you have the NEW style wire harness and Jacks and Controller, then someone has had the system updated before you purchased the unit. Years ago, Tiffin had an upgrade program at a reduced cost to update the old Atwood system to the new Atwood system. It may be your unit was one of those. Doug

[Bruce_Brown]

eadeal55 wrote:
If anyone has an Atwood electric jack they want to get rid of, let me know. I have the 7500 lb ones on my Bounder.

I unintentionally pulled the micro connector off the back of the control panel when a rear jack alarmed a few years ago, and couldn't get it repaired or find a replacement anywhere. Had the jack's upper head rebuilt for $200, but without a control panel, there was no way to use them. Orange blocks became my friends.

A couple years later I'm sitting in a friend's '08 Phaeton, and realize he has the exact control panel I need. His on/off button was broke, so he called Tiffin right there and ordered a new one...$107 + shipping. His came in and it worked, so I had him order me one. That was Dec 16. Plugged it in and all 4 jacks worked and leveled as advertised. Worked OK for 10 months until the left front jack over extended and alarmed. Jacks would not retract so I had to unplug it (12v 2 wire plug at jack), spin the emergency retract nut, plug it back in and then they all retracted. Tried to use the jacks one more time after that with same results - over extended, alarmed and wouldn't retract. Haven't used them since. That was Oct 17...orange blocks are still my friends.

I was told that the jack is bad, maybe a flat spot on the motor, and I needed to replace it. Same friend with '08 Phaeton bought 2 new rear 15000 lb Atwood electric jacks from Tiffin late last year and installed them himself. I was going to have him check with Tiffin to see if they had any 7500 lb jacks in stock, but haven't got around to it.

PM Sent

[mikestock]

I was at Red Bay less than a tear ago when I had to have one of the previously upgraded jacks replaced. They said the sensor wires were working and the controller could count the rotation and knew the position of each jack. If this is what you mean. When I go there Monday I will see Brent and ask him to check my repair record from last year and confirm that I had what I needed.

[dougrainer]

mikestock wrote:
I do have the updated jacks. I plan to go to Red Bay on Monday. I feel confident that if Brent says the new controller will work, Tiffin will stand behind it.

Yes, you have the updated jacks, But are the Sensor wires at each jack connected to the wire harness? If not, then the new control board and touch pad will not work. Your Motorhome HAD to have the updated wire harness installed also. Brent did NOT state it would work if you did not give him the correct info. He stated it would work as long as all 4 jacks have the 4 wire connections AND the Wire Harness has been replaced with the updated harness. Doug

[mikestock]

I do have the updated jacks. I plan to go to Red Bay on Monday. I feel confident that if Brent says the new controller will work, Tiffin will stand behind it.

[eadeal55]

If anyone has an Atwood electric jack they want to get rid of, let me know. I have the 7500 lb ones on my Bounder.

I unintentionally pulled the micro connector off the back of the control panel when a rear jack alarmed a few years ago, and couldn't get it repaired or find a replacement anywhere. Had the jack's upper head rebuilt for $200, but without a control panel, there was no way to use them. Orange blocks became my friends.

A couple years later I'm sitting in a friend's '08 Phaeton, and realize he has the exact control panel I need. His on/off button was broke, so he called Tiffin right there and ordered a new one...$107 + shipping. His came in and it worked, so I had him order me one. That was Dec 16. Plugged it in and all 4 jacks worked and leveled as advertised. Worked OK for 10 months until the left front jack over extended and alarmed. Jacks would not retract so I had to unplug it (12v 2 wire plug at jack), spin the emergency retract nut, plug it back in and then they all retracted. Tried to use the jacks one more time after that with same results - over extended, alarmed and wouldn't retract. Haven't used them since. That was Oct 17...orange blocks are still my friends.

I was told that the jack is bad, maybe a flat spot on the motor, and I needed to replace it. Same friend with '08 Phaeton bought 2 new rear 15000 lb Atwood electric jacks from Tiffin late last year and installed them himself. I was going to have him check with Tiffin to see if they had any 7500 lb jacks in stock, but haven't got around to it.

[dougrainer]

mikestock wrote:
Great news.

I spoke with Brent Bullard today from Tiffin. He said they got 7 of these control panels and touch pads from Leppart. They are supposed to be drop-in replacements and the price from Tiffin if only $377 as compared to $495, direct from Leppert. You do have to replace the touch pad with the one supplied.

If I can't get mine up and working this weekend I will drive to Red Bay Monday. It's just over 100 miles from me.

According to Brent, he tried to explain to you the parameters of the Control boards they have. UNLESS you have the new style 4 wire Jacks, the Control panel and Touchpad they have in stock WILL NOT work with the Older style 2 wire jacks. If all 4 of your jacks are the newer style 4 wire jacks AND you have the updated wire harness to all 4 jacks, the New part/s, will work. They also do NOT have the Jacks in stock at all and cannot get them anymore. Doug

[Bruce_Brown]

fred42 wrote:

mikestock wrote:
My problem is that the control pad will not start. Brake on, transmission in neutral, motor running.

Did you mean: "transmission in Park"?

Also, I can have my engine running, trans in Park, Brake on and my control panel will not turn on. I have to have the slides in as well.

There is no transmission "Park" on a DP. It's as he said, in neutral and the parking brake set.