Battery/Kwikee steps issue 2015 Vista 27N

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Wayne M

Amazon, search for Kwikee step motor. From $29 on up.

Thanks, I had a ebay seller offer to sell for $24 but he couldn't ship until Tuesday. I found Amazon seller asking $42 but I am expecting it today. I think my root cause is the bolts were loose or coming off, but I will not know for sure until it is fixed. I have a trip planned this weekend with toad, so if Mobile Tech doesn't fix, the RV may not make the trip.

[dkoldman]

I received the Kwikie motor today. Amazon can be incredible at times. I ordered yesterday on a Sunday and received on a holiday today.

The Mobile Tech just sent me chat saying he will be at the house tomorrow at noon during my lunch hour

Fingers crossed that it is the motor and that he can fix loose bolts so it does not repeat what I think caused the gears inside the motor to strip around shaft.

I will be sure to have cold refreshments for the Mobile Tech, last time he really liked the Blueberry Powerade. I may get a few donuts on the way back from the office.

[Wayne M]

Good news. Hope all goes well and you'll be "stepping" away on wheels.

[dkoldman]

So the Mobile Tech comes by the house today, and 1 hour later the new motor is install, my bolts are tighten properly and lubricated. He asked for water and I gave him the Mountain Berry Blast Powerade and if you could see his face light up

He charged $130; so counting parts I spent $175 total.

No 1 hr drive to the dealer, no 45 minute wait to get checked in, no 4 week wait time to get started, of course when they do start, they have to diagnose it first because they can't go by what I tell them; then after 6 weeks it is ready, I go pickup and the bill is somehow at least $600, I pay; they bring the RV around and sure enough the steps are retracted. So I flip the On/Off switch and the steps extend, seemingly happy I get in the RV and low and behold the steps don't retract!!!. They go get the mechanic who spends 45 additional minutes and then ask what did I do So they say they need more time. So my wife and I drive 1 hour back home with no RV. Mind you both of us had to take off work to do this. A week later they call me to tell me the controller was actually bad too. Now I have to come up with $850 to fix it. If I don't authorize them to fix, then they charge me their diagnose check out fee of $240. Rinse and repeat when we drive down to pick it up the second time.

You might see why I try to use this Mobile tech whenever I can. There are good ones out there.

[Wayne M]

Okay, but is it working correctly???

You didn't say anything bad about the mobile tech so i'm going to "assume" all is well.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Wayne M

Okay, but is it working correctly???

You didn't say anything bad about the mobile tech so i'm going to "assume" all is well.

Yes it is working correctly. It has always worked correctly but Sunday a bolt on one of the steps had falling off, and the motor was trying to extend; but it couldn't so it burned / stripped the gears that turn the shaft inside the motor. I prolly could have rebuilt the gears but the new motor was so cheap. 5 years old anyway.

I actually thought I was crowing about the Mobile Tech, but must have done a poor job. Ironically, the last time I was at a WBGO Dealer was when they charged me a diagnostic fee because they could not find why my Kwikie Steps would randomly retract They should have known about the 9 pin connector but never checked it.

I was trying to show how much time we saved by having the Mobile Tech. I didn't have to take anytime off and my wife did not even have to be involved. It all occurred on 1 day and not two trips to a dealer to take to shop and later pickup.

I am thinking about buying another motor this time from ebay for $24 to keep as a spare part. I already have a brand new controller that Kwikie sent me a few years ago.

More importantly, my trip this weekend is no longer at risk if I wish to take the RV and the toad.

The Mobile Tech has been to our house several times now, he was the guy that fabricated the steel support mounts for hood that had one of the OEM mounts break free from the epoxy. A very poor design by WBGO.

[Wayne M]

Well, having a spare motor means it will never fail again. :-)

Glad it is working.

Sometimes we get an excellent mobile tech, and sometimes....

Have a safe and fun trip.