Bedroom slide breaking shear pins
I have a 2005 GB cruise air with 3 slides. Livingroom, kitchen and bedroom. When bringing in the slides I hold down two switches. When the slide is completely in or out it stops automatically and ...
Forum Discussion
I have that same control module on our dual slide GBM motorhome. If you made it this far without that module acting up, you're doing well. Mine started acting up after about the 3rd year of ownership, but part of that was because the GBM techs didn't adequately tighten the ground connections for the module and about 6 inchs of the copper ground wire charred up.
Then, a couple of the relays started becoming intermittent. When I went to replace them, the printed circuit board looked like it had been soldered by a complete newbie to a soldering iron. I replaced all of the relays and resoldered every connection, PLUS cleaned up all of the wires at the connectors. It's been working great for about the last 8 or 9 years, and just the other day started acting up. I think it's another cold solder joint issue 'cause when I slam the controller, it worked.
Now, as far as it having a current sensor, I AM and electrical engineer and if it doesn't have one, I would be very, very surprised. The system acts EXACTLY as if that module senses over-current conditions when the motor begins to load down. When the slide motor reaches the end of it's travel, the motor starts slowing down and the relay in the module cuts off the power. I've NEVER broken a shear pin on one of my slide motors. (I have had a mounting boss on one of the motors break off...because the tech at GBM mounted it with a screw that was too long and bottomed out in the boss...but I digress! :-) )
I ordered one of their "replacement" modules before I tried to fix mine, but while waiting for it to arrive, I got mine working, so I just put their replacement away. Well, just for ha-ha's a couple of years ago, I tried connecting it to see if it would work. NOTHING! And the replacement is a potted assembly so you can't tamper with it. Grrrr!!! Oh well, I ate that expense.
I'll try to pull my controller out this weekend and take a closer look at the components on it, but I'm pretty sure it DOES sense current load. I'll verify that it has the circuity in it this weekend.
As for the people who designed that controller? I wouldn't trust them as far as I can throw 'em. My plan for this winter is to replace my aging controller module with a little 12VDC PLC.
Not sure if ANY of this helps, but I DO think that module should disconnect the power to the motor when the motor reaches the end of its travel BEFORE any pins break. Of course, it is possible the wrong grade shear pins have been installed. Then I guess you would experience broken pins before the module cuts off the power.
Oh, I almost forgot...did you say you have to push two buttons to operate each slide? The motors on our motorhome have electric brakes on the shaft of each motor. Our control panel has one switch for IN/OUT and one for BRAKE RELEASE (or some such) for each slide. You should only have to press the brake release button when you try to crank in the slides manually. It will release the brake so cranking can be done more easily. The brake SHOULD release automatically by the controller when you extend/retract the slide with the IN/OUT switch.
At least, I'm pretty sure that's how they worked. Give me to the weekend to take a closer look and refresh my memory a bit.
Good Luck,
~Rick
Then, a couple of the relays started becoming intermittent. When I went to replace them, the printed circuit board looked like it had been soldered by a complete newbie to a soldering iron. I replaced all of the relays and resoldered every connection, PLUS cleaned up all of the wires at the connectors. It's been working great for about the last 8 or 9 years, and just the other day started acting up. I think it's another cold solder joint issue 'cause when I slam the controller, it worked.
Now, as far as it having a current sensor, I AM and electrical engineer and if it doesn't have one, I would be very, very surprised. The system acts EXACTLY as if that module senses over-current conditions when the motor begins to load down. When the slide motor reaches the end of it's travel, the motor starts slowing down and the relay in the module cuts off the power. I've NEVER broken a shear pin on one of my slide motors. (I have had a mounting boss on one of the motors break off...because the tech at GBM mounted it with a screw that was too long and bottomed out in the boss...but I digress! :-) )
I ordered one of their "replacement" modules before I tried to fix mine, but while waiting for it to arrive, I got mine working, so I just put their replacement away. Well, just for ha-ha's a couple of years ago, I tried connecting it to see if it would work. NOTHING! And the replacement is a potted assembly so you can't tamper with it. Grrrr!!! Oh well, I ate that expense.
I'll try to pull my controller out this weekend and take a closer look at the components on it, but I'm pretty sure it DOES sense current load. I'll verify that it has the circuity in it this weekend.
As for the people who designed that controller? I wouldn't trust them as far as I can throw 'em. My plan for this winter is to replace my aging controller module with a little 12VDC PLC.
Not sure if ANY of this helps, but I DO think that module should disconnect the power to the motor when the motor reaches the end of its travel BEFORE any pins break. Of course, it is possible the wrong grade shear pins have been installed. Then I guess you would experience broken pins before the module cuts off the power.
Oh, I almost forgot...did you say you have to push two buttons to operate each slide? The motors on our motorhome have electric brakes on the shaft of each motor. Our control panel has one switch for IN/OUT and one for BRAKE RELEASE (or some such) for each slide. You should only have to press the brake release button when you try to crank in the slides manually. It will release the brake so cranking can be done more easily. The brake SHOULD release automatically by the controller when you extend/retract the slide with the IN/OUT switch.
At least, I'm pretty sure that's how they worked. Give me to the weekend to take a closer look and refresh my memory a bit.
Good Luck,
~Rick
