Lippert Slide-Out extends but does not retract

[AV8_Tuna]

Road Warriors,

I have a new to me 2007 HR Alumascape 5th Wheel. It has Lippert through frame electric slide outs. My living room slide will slide out fine but when I try to retract it nothing happens (I press the switch and nothing, the motor doesn't try to spin). I have to manually retract it a few inches then it will retract via the switch/motor just fine (plugged in to shore power, battery at a high state of charge). I have swapped the switch out and it still did it (I swapped the living room switch with the kitchen switch. The living room, with the kitchen switch, would not retract and the kitchen, with the living room switch, would extend/retract fine). I'm at a loss, the work around is ok for now but ideally I would like to be able to retract the slide with only the motor and not have to do the partial manual retract thing. I originally through the actuator arm was over extending so I adjusted where it connects to the slide out so it did not extend as far but this did not help. I appreciate any advice or recommendations. Thanks in advance.

-Marc

[AV8_Tuna]

Update. I disconnected the actuator arm and turned the motor by hand, reconnected everything and she extends all the way and will retract with only the motor. Looks like bad spot in the motor was the cause. Learn something new every day!! Thanks again for all the advice.

Marc

[wa8yxm]

There are multiple causes but here is one that costs nothing but a bit of time to fix.

Remove all power from the system (Often the battery disconnect will do this)

Cycle the slide out switch like 50-100 times.. Just push and release, Push and release.

Option 2.. if you can open the panel you can check to make sure all 3 wires are attached (one may have come off) and if so remove the CENTER wire and do the above 50 - 100 cycles then re-attach the wire

A guarantee I can not give you .... but the cost is $0.00 so your money is already refunded with a 🙂

[dougrainer]

bighatnohorse wrote:

j-d wrote:


Just thinking, is it possible those motors get damaged on the way OUT? We run it till the slide's fully extended but hold the switch a little longer? That would pass current through a stalled motor and surely heat it up even more than running it with slide in motion.

I like that thought. The switch is supposed to be held a few seconds. But I've had an RV salesperson tell me to hold it for up to 30 seconds. And another one say to hold it for 10 seconds.

As I understand it, these motors have revolution counters. So it would only require 2 or 3 seconds max to ensure they've reached the stop point.

You do NOT have the same system. The Op's system has NO counter. The Scwintek dual motor slide system has the counter. You ALWAYS hold the slide switch for 10 seconds after it fully extends or retracts on your type dual motor system. This keeps the slide in correct timing. Doug

[firemedic1992]

I have the same problem with my 2003 Triple E Topaz. I spoke to Triple E and was advised to replace the Slide out controller. I’m going to try that before I replace the motor.

[AV8_Tuna]

All,

Thank you for the replies. I will look into the possibility of the dead motor. I admittedly don't know much about electric motors but I'm getting a lot of hands on learning working off the grips with the used trailer.

-Marc

[bighatnohorse]

j-d wrote:


Just thinking, is it possible those motors get damaged on the way OUT? We run it till the slide's fully extended but hold the switch a little longer? That would pass current through a stalled motor and surely heat it up even more than running it with slide in motion.

I like that thought. The switch is supposed to be held a few seconds. But I've had an RV salesperson tell me to hold it for up to 30 seconds. And another one say to hold it for 10 seconds.

As I understand it, these motors have revolution counters. So it would only require 2 or 3 seconds max to ensure they've reached the stop point.

[BFL13]

AV8_Tuna wrote:

BFL13 wrote:
You could have too much weight in the slide out area for the motor to pull it in up over the hump at the edge of the floor outside. Had that. Needed to pull the heavy bed-sofa (ours is a loose type) onto the main floor, then the slide came in easily. Then put the sofa back out onto the slide area.

I have the heavy sleeper as well. I’ll give it a shot. I would think I would be able to at least hear the motor attempt to move the slide though. Thanks for the response.

-Marc

Yes, it would make that rattle you get when the slide is all the way in or out. That is not the motor sound though. I don't understand Doug's idea. Everything works going out and coming in except for the first couple of inches coming in. So how can there be a bad spot in the motor? However Doug knows these things and I am just guessing.

It is like the motor might be running (and you can't hear it) but is not grabbing onto the mechanism until it gets closer where it can engage. But if something is loose how can it go all the way out by motor? It is not loose when pushed but only when pulled?

[j-d]

dougrainer wrote:
This is a common problem. You have a BAD motor/trans assbly. By manually moving it you allow the armature windings to work. Doug

What ^^^DOUG^^^ said! Dead spot in the motor, and it's coming to rest right there. Just reading your OP, I'd've said that too. I don't work on a lot of RV's but many many motors, whether starters, pumps, windows, and so on.

Might just be a fouled spot on a commutator segment and I've cleaned lots of them up with good results. But reading through the load it bears, and Doug saying "common problem" I think it's possible that one portion of the armature winding, or its connection(s?) at the commutator segment(s?)

I have this "fix everything" mentality, and I'm trying to drive it at least into the background and do more "replace with new" projects. Especially when the system is critical or the labor to get into and back out of it is extensive.

Just thinking, is it possible those motors get damaged on the way OUT? We run it till the slide's fully extended but hold the switch a little longer? That would pass current through a stalled motor and surely heat it up even more than running it with slide in motion. My latest tinkering was a GM starter motor. I was amazed at how little run time it needed to get warm to the touch. And I was running it no load on a table top with a portable start pack. I'm sure your slide motor is a permanent magnet motor like this starter is. That means no windings in the motor housing, only the armature. So the armature's all that much hotter, to soak heat out through the magnets to the shell where I could feel it. Armature was probably too hot to hold.

[dougrainer]

This is a common problem. You have a BAD motor/trans assbly. By manually moving it you allow the armature windings to work. Doug

[AV8_Tuna]

BFL13 wrote:
You could have too much weight in the slide out area for the motor to pull it in up over the hump at the edge of the floor outside. Had that. Needed to pull the heavy bed-sofa (ours is a loose type) onto the main floor, then the slide came in easily. Then put the sofa back out onto the slide area.

I have the heavy sleeper as well. I’ll give it a shot. I would think I would be able to at least hear the motor attempt to move the slide though. Thanks for the response.

-Marc

[BFL13]

You could have too much weight in the slide out area for the motor to pull it in up over the hump at the edge of the floor outside. Had that. Needed to pull the heavy bed-sofa (ours is a loose type) onto the main floor, then the slide came in easily. Then put the sofa back out onto the slide area.