Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks: Rpod 180 slide out inoperable

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Rpod 180 slide out inoperable

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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=11899
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Topic: Rpod 180 slide out inoperable

Posted By: Presitla99
Subject: Rpod 180 slide out inoperable
Date Posted: 14 Jul 2018 at 6:27pm

My slide out is frozen, fortunately inboard. The fuse is good. There is no voltage to the in/out switch. No lights illuminated on the Lippert control board. No hum from the motors. Any ideas? Thanks.

Replies:

Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 14 Jul 2018 at 7:17pm

It is 12V operated, do you in fact have 12V?

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Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."

Posted By: Presitla99
Date Posted: 14 Jul 2018 at 7:20pm

Yes. Lights and refrigerator work on battery which if fully charged.

Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 14 Jul 2018 at 7:43pm

Here is link to troubleshooting manual:

https://www.granddesignrv.com/sites/default/files/Schwintek-In-Wall-Troubleshooting-Guide.pdf

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Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."

Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 14 Jul 2018 at 7:49pm

Here is where it starts:

System Inoperative
Controller
1. Locate Controller (Fig. 1).
2. Activate switch.
3. Look for the status LEDs on the controller to light while switch is activated (Fig. 1E).
4. If status LEDs light, but no error codes are present, skip to page 9 of this guide to do a visual inspection
of the mechanical portions of this system.
5. If status LEDs do not light, and no error codes are present, check the following:
A. Check for 12VDC in to controller (red and black terminals) (Fig. 1D).
B. Check for 12VDC at switch connection on both extend and retract (Fig. 1C).
C. Check the battery for 12VDC.
6. If error codes are present, refer to the label on the controller for error identification.

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Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."

Posted By: Presitla99
Date Posted: 14 Jul 2018 at 8:11pm

Very helpful Mike. Thanks. If I get to the point of needing to test for 12vdc in the controller it’s going to the dealer for warranty work. When the slide is inbound the controller is about 4’ away from the access panel so one needs long arms or a skinny body to enter that cavity. I have neither. The option then is to remove the motors and manually push the slide out to gain access. Then if there is no juice it’s back to the dealer but only after bracing the slide in the inbound position.

Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 14 Jul 2018 at 8:48pm

If the dealer is convenient to you, it would be good to take it in, but checking for 12v DC is cheap and easy and something you will need to do at least several times during your RV ownership. You can get a shirt-pocket test lamp for a couple of bucks at Walmart or a meter for under $10. You can spend up to a $100 or more at Lowes, Home Depot, or online, but the cheap meter is fine for simply checking for voltage.

For the effort involved I wouldn't even think about hooking up my pod to take it to the dealer before I checked the voltage.

Good luck with the slide. I hope it's something simple!

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2010 176
FJ Cruiser

Posted By: Ben Herman
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2018 at 7:39pm

And please report back once you get it figured out. Always good to know what folks do when stuff like this happens...

Posted By: Presitla99
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2018 at 7:07am

And the culprit was: disconnected ground at the controller. It was hard to see because it fell behind the rats nest of wires and plumbing beneath the sink. Probably was loosely connected to begin with and repeated opening and closing of slide over time ultimately disconnected it. Through this ordeal I discovered that warranty service on an RV is unlike warranty service on a car. Car dealers appreciate warranty service even if you did not buy the car from them. Not so with RV dealers. If you don't buy from them they give you a repair date far in the future and you are prioritized after their other customers. And they get paid at the time of the service leaving you to get reimbursed from your selling dealer or the manufacturer. My repair date was 6 weeks in the future and they acted like they were doing me a favor at that.

Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2018 at 11:01am

Glad you,or they, found it and got you up and running. Hopefully that will be the only time you have a warranty issue, and you don't have to deal with the way dealers work. It's stupid in a way..

BUT if you realize the way RV repairs, and most importantly, the way RV owners act, it's pretty easy to understand, to a point, WHY they do what they do.

Also, note, if you go to almost any RV manufacturers website, and I know for sure FR's, and the R-pod site, they say "but local" and specifically point out why..

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