Replacing a Faulty Slide-Out Solenoid…

I mentioned some time ago in several blogs that we were having trouble with our slide-outs suddenly and arbitrarily not working. These were seemingly random and seldom occurring events but very, very frustrating every time they failed. I read as much as I could on the forums and web in general but really couldn’t seem to isolate the issue.

We have four slide-outs which when properly working provide us a lot of inside living space. Our RV, with four slide-outs, seems more like an efficiency apartment than it does and RV. Well… that is if you don’t notice the driver and passenger seats in the front…

However, when it is time to leave and none of the slide-outs work, I mean, not even one! It can be very frustrating. I had read on several forums that the issue was due to the RV not being in Park (or recognizing that it was) or that the leveling jacks were not being properly recognized as being fully extracted. Another suggested issue was that the ignition switch was faulty and not being recognized as switched on. Well all these issues really didn’t help much as there was no real way to test them. Then when I opened the black plastic cover of my electrical panel I saw what you see in the top photo – a maze of wires and components!

Researching the internet some suggestions to solve my slide out issue were: (1) to turn off and on the ignition switch several times to get it to “wake up”, (2) to push the transmission selector to “Park” and “Neutral” several times to “wake it up” and (3) to engage the jacks to extract and then fully retract to “wake them up”. Well sometimes this would seemingly work and sometimes it wouldn’t. What worked the most, it seemed, was simply turning the ignition key on and off but waiting a minute or two in between attempts.

After taking some pictures inside my electrical panel I sent an email to Tiffin to help me identify the components in the compartment. So in photo above - A is the slide out solenoid (which Tiffin suggested as the likely culprit) and B is the 12 volt disconnect solenoid (if it was bad then I wouldn’t have any lights or 12 volt inside the coach). In photo below C is the two slide out control boards (I checked the 2 fuses in each one with a test light and they were good) and  D and E are the charging and boost solenoids for the emergency/auxillary start.

After speaking with a Tiffin mechanic on the phone we had determined that the solenoid was the most likely cause of the failing slides. The slide-out solenoid (see photo below – item with tape and the number 22906 on it) apparently would only occasionally fully energize and work properly. The only real way to test it was to wait till the next slide-out failure.

Well during one of several famous “Betty’s Shuffles” while we were staying at Betty’s RV Park the slide-outs failed again. The mechanic at Tiffin suggest I first try simply tapping the solenoid firmly with a small hammer to “wake it up” and if that didn’t work to run a wire across the two (positive and negative) terminals and bypass it altogether. Well after the first tap-tap with the hammer the slides all went in. Finally, I was able to determine the real culprit behind the infrequent failure of all slide-outs.

 

I ordered a new solenoid (above photo) and when it came I got all the necessary tools together to complete the task.

Tools Needed:

• Multimeter or Test Light – to easily check live current
• A 3/8 socket set to use on the nuts that need to be removed
• Phillips Screwdriver to remove solenoid bracket from bay wall
• Black Sharpie to number wires in sequence (also I use different color Sharpies dots to mark opposite ends of connections)

First I numbered the wires that were going to be removed and labeled them according to when they would go back on. Then I removed all the nuts that held the wires and solenoid bracket in place. Next in the picture below I swapped one wire at a time from the old solenoid to the new solenoid to ensure no mistakes in wiring were made.  I always take a before picture of the wiring just in case!.

Then I used the appropriate socket to tighten the nut holding the wires to the new solenoid terminals. Then attached the wires back in the correct sequence to the nut just above the solenoid.

With everything installed and tightened I was ready for the test! The new solenoid (below) was installed and ready to go to work…

Well it was indeed the problem as I have brought the slides in and out multiple times since the installation of the new solenoid. Hopefully my experience will help someone else out there that has a similar problem…

Visiting with old friends in our old hometown

Our first week in College Station was a bit of a blur. We spent a few days entertaining our new RV friends and after they left, suddenly it was Easter. Friends of ours from way back (Cheryl and Preston) invited us over for their annual Easter Sunday celebration. We attended this in the past so certainly took them up on their offer. We brought over a side dish and joined this rather large gathering of about 65 people all enjoying the great weather on Easter Sunday.

We had a blast reconnecting with many of our friends from when we lived here over five years ago. It was great to be able to see so many people we otherwise might have missed during our month long stay in the Brazos Valley. Besides seeing all our friends it was also fun watching their children and their grandchildren having such great fun on Easter Sunday. To top it all off the food was outstanding and it was really quite a feast.

 

We also had time this past week to meet up with other friends of ours. When our friend Jerry texted us to say he was heading over to our old favorite bar we hopped into the CRV and headed over to it. Duddley’s Draw (classified by Yelp as a dive bar) opened in 1977 way back when I was in college here at Texas A&M University. I spent a lot of my idle time (and money) at this place and made many friends there as well. Great place to get a beer and they have great sandwiches as well.

When we walked into the bar it was fun reminiscing about days gone by and it was even better that we ran into a few of the regulars I knew back then. We had a few beers and sat out on the nice sunny deck out back. Jerry showed up and we shared many stories and had a pleasant afternoon.

The next day we had to go back to Duddley’s Draw since another friend, Craig, had come up from Austin, Texas. He was stopping by to check on some investment property and afterward he, Jerry and another friend Paul met us at the bar. Later, Chris, another friend heard we would be there and joined us.  Once again we enjoyed shooting the breeze on the back porch. Jerry suggested we head over to a new tavern that opened this year called Rough Draft Whiskey Bar. Since they serve craft beer we had no qualms leaving my former favorite hang out.

Wow, Rough Draft is a really nice place that just recently opened. They have an excellent selection of Texas craft beers and the open concept as well and the decor offered a comfortable, relaxing ambience. We had another fun filled happy hour and may have found our future hangout for when we come back to town to visit. Anyone traveling this way should definitely stop in for a cold Texas craft beer at happy hour at this fun place.

It hasn’t been all fun and games though as Sharon and I had appointments for teeth cleaning at the local dental hygiene school.  I also had an appointment to visit with one of my former dentists to replace a crown that recently fell off for the second time in Louisiana. Dr Stephen Wright recently opened a new office on the south side of College Station called Wright Dentistry. I had my initial appointment with him to get a temporary crown as well as impressions for a new crown. I was seen almost immediately and treated with the utmost care. I now have a nice temporary crown and have another appointment before we leave to have my new permanent crown installed. Again, for anyone traveling through College Station I would recommend Dr. Wright as a very good dentist to care for any of your dental needs.

In the days to come we plan to visit with more old friends, play some disc golf, have some great Tex Mex food, attend a big festival called Chili Fest and get going with our spring cleaning.  And maybe just maybe relax a bit....