Slide problem, sorta...

gMw · 04-20-2008, 12:53 PM

My living room and bedroom slide both work, when we first bought the Journey, it made no difference which slide we extended 1st. Last year, well actually the fall of 2006, if the living room slide was extended 1st, the bedroom slide wouldn't extend. Pressing the bedroom slide switch, nothing, the pump doesn't run, nothing... If we wait for about 5-10 minutes, the bedroom slide extends normally. Even when the bedroom slide won't extend (or retract) the living room slide will retract and/or extend normally, all the time. If the bedroom slide is extended first, it works normally, and then the living room slide extends normally.

For fun, I changed the bedroom slide switch, no difference. I've check fluid levels, no problem there. I've also taken apart all of the electrical connectors at the hydraulic unit, checked for loose connections, cleaned the connectors, and so forth, no change...

I called HWH customer service, the person I spoke to never heard of a problem like this.

BTW, I just put in new batteries, both chassis & coach, no difference...

Anyone else seen a slide problem like this? Any ideas as to what the problem might be?

gMw · 04-20-2008, 12:53 PM

My living room and bedroom slide both work, when we first bought the Journey, it made no difference which slide we extended 1st. Last year, well actually the fall of 2006, if the living room slide was extended 1st, the bedroom slide wouldn't extend. Pressing the bedroom slide switch, nothing, the pump doesn't run, nothing... If we wait for about 5-10 minutes, the bedroom slide extends normally. Even when the bedroom slide won't extend (or retract) the living room slide will retract and/or extend normally, all the time. If the bedroom slide is extended first, it works normally, and then the living room slide extends normally.

For fun, I changed the bedroom slide switch, no difference. I've check fluid levels, no problem there. I've also taken apart all of the electrical connectors at the hydraulic unit, checked for loose connections, cleaned the connectors, and so forth, no change...

I called HWH customer service, the person I spoke to never heard of a problem like this.

BTW, I just put in new batteries, both chassis & coach, no difference...

Anyone else seen a slide problem like this? Any ideas as to what the problem might be?

Dmadzia · 04-20-2008, 01:51 PM

Wow, that's a good one! Out of curiosity, do your jacks still work (will they raise the coach any) after the living room slide is out?

On mine with HWH, everything is tied together (all use the same pump and reservoir).

gMw · 04-20-2008, 02:13 PM

Jacks work, no problem there. As you indicated, it's one pump and one reservoir for the hydraulic system. And the front and rear slides use the same motor/pump solenoid, which should rule out the solenoid.

Dmadzia · 04-20-2008, 02:41 PM

Personally, I would keep trying HWH. I hear they are usually really good at helping. You just have to get in touch with the right tech.
Good luck!

smlranger · 04-20-2008, 03:50 PM

I've had similar problem since I got this rig in 2005. I called the original owner and he said the selling dealer (he bought the coach new) could never fix it. The fix is to start the coach engine. My BR slide may extend but then it won't retract. Sometimes, if I wait for a period of time, BR slide will move. It is intermittent. However, starting the engine always cures it.

I talked to HWH when I got the rig and they could not help me make a diagnosis. My independent RV mechanic spent two hours testing everything, including the switch, and could not figure it out.

We just live with it and try to remember to extend or retract the BR slide before shutting down the engine.

porscheracer · 04-20-2008, 04:00 PM

$2 says the lockout relay for the rear slide is mis-wired, from the factory. That's what happens when you use a mechanical relay tree to do logic.

skigramp · 04-20-2008, 06:54 PM

gMw -

I have a similiar intermittent slide problem ...

Occasionally, my rear slide will not move when my front slide is either all the way in or out ... our <span class="ev_code_Red">"work around"</span> is to move the front slide to an intermediate state ... then the rear slide will operate as it should! ... then we move the front slide to where we want it to be ...

I think my rig has some sensor that has an intermittent malfunction ... but I have not been able to isolate it ... and we have developed an easy to implement work around ...

Try jiggling your ignition switch ... moving your front slide to an intermediate position ... to see if you can develop your own "workaround"

herbtrout · 04-20-2008, 07:19 PM

I had a simular problem. checked the voltage at the solinoid with the switch pressed and found it about 9 volts. I put a reley in the circuit and now it works every time. the wire to the switch in the bedroom is quite long so a voltage drop is to be expected.

gMw · 04-21-2008, 01:28 AM

Thanks for all the replies, kinda confirms my suspicion that there's a design issue.

After reading smlranger's reply and solution, I was thinking voltage problem, due to the long wire run. herbtrout, thanks for your input and solution, I'm going to try the same solution.

For ease of installation, I'll install the relay at the room solenoid, hookup should be simple and quick, with an added plus of not having to trace wires inside the coach.

smlranger · 04-21-2008, 03:50 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by herbtrout:
I had a simular problem. checked the voltage at the solinoid with the switch pressed and found it about 9 volts. I put a reley in the circuit and now it works every time. the wire to the switch in the bedroom is quite long so a voltage drop is to be expected. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Low voltage has always been my suspicion since it always works when the engine is started. HWH did have me check voltage at the motor when the rear slide is moving and it was about 10v.

Adding a relay is a great idea.