32YE livingroom slide failure

[John Locke]

My 2018 32YE slide for the living-room has a dead motor. The rear motor doesn't work, however the front motor is working and wants to push out the slide. Of course the slide goes out cock-eyed since the rear motor is dead, so I don't push it out very far, less than an inch when I test the slide. The rear motor doesn't even produce a buzz or groan as if it's stuck, it's simply dead, as if no power is going to the motor.

I'm wondering if anyone else has seen or heard of this failure mode. Is there a safety micro switch anywhere that might have failed that could disable power to each motor if broke? I don't see any fuses, I've looked everywhere as well the manual. I've read about other Winnebago rigs having a safety micro-switch that can break or fail.

My RV is practically new, only 4000 miles on it, hardly even used, and the motor goes dead for some reason. Unfortunately it's out of warranty by 5 months. It would be sweet if I could figure this out on my own. I'm quite mechanically and electrically experienced, but this RV hides things really well. I've exhausted my search, looked everywhere for clues of obvious failure points, but so far no joy.

[powercat_ras]

There is one slideout controller for each slide, with both motors on it. So, its not the slide circuit breaker feeding the controller. I would look at the slide controllers and make sure all the connectors are seated really well. There's a connector on the motor end, too. The slide controllers are all the same so you can substitute controllers to try to localize the problem.

I assume your slide uses Power Gear and all the manuals are online, you can access them thru links on WinnebagoInd.com

Good luck.

[John Locke]

Originally Posted by powercat_ras

There is one slideout controller for each slide, with both motors on it. So, its not the slide circuit breaker feeding the controller. I would look at the slide controllers and make sure all the connectors are seated really well. There's a connector on the motor end, too. The slide controllers are all the same so you can substitute controllers to try to localize the problem.

I assume your slide uses Power Gear and all the manuals are online, you can access them thru links on WinnebagoInd.com

Good luck.

Thanks for the tip. I opened the controller housings in the basement and didn't see anything obvious wrong, no fuses or circuit breakers. All the wiring seemed solid. I tried to decipher the LED error lights with no luck. This is a power gear/lippert system. It's the slimrack system from Lippert, same basic system that's on all the new ones. I visited the Lippert website to learn about how the motors and how the rack installs the slide and the motors in the RV wall. I found that the slide buttons used in my rig don't match what the Lippert website shows, as though Winnebago decided to use a different control button assembly inside the RV. Maybe they are Power Gear control buttons instead of Lippert, even though they are one company now. I did find evidence that Lippert changed their motors as some point, I think mid 2017. One motor type has an exposed spring on the side of the motor, and the newer one doesn't. You can see the spring from the outside in their drawings, but I have no idea what the significance of the spring is. I can't even see the motors in my RV wall, too well hidden. Since my RV was built in Mar or Apr of 2017, it may have the early motors with spring, but not sure, since I can't see them. I think I'll take the RV in for the repair, unless I can learn about more things to check.

[Ret.LEO]

I think being that short of time out of warranty and that few of miles I would ask them for a little "customer care" You never know "till you ask.

[John Locke]

Originally Posted by Ret.LEO

I think being that short of time out of warranty and that few of miles I would ask them for a little "customer care" You never know "till you ask.

Thanks for the suggestion. I was thinking of that, but didn't know exactly the best way to proceed (email or phone). I'll call Winnebago tomorrow at (800) 537-1885 and try to start that process.

[Ret.LEO]

I would call. It's a lot harder to tell somebody no speaking to them. Easy to say no in a email. Just stay friendly and polite. You just never know until you ask.
I wish you luck and please update us

[blueridge-fl]

Yes, let us know what happens. We have the same Vista model and year and I would like to put the results in my knowledge bank. Having previously owned a Winnebago trailer, I have had good experiences dealing directly with Winnebago. The dealers seem to be the weak link in their service chain.

[John Locke]

Originally Posted by blueridge-fl

Yes, let us know what happens. We have the same Vista model and year and I would like to put the results in my knowledge bank. Having previously owned a Winnebago trailer, I have had good experiences dealing directly with Winnebago. The dealers seem to be the weak link in their service chain.

I took the RV in to have the slide repaired at a Winnebago dealer nearby and called Winnebago. I explained it was out of warranty, but had less than 4000 miles. He magically knew who I was without asking who I was from my caller ID, he knew when the RV was sold and when the warranty was expired. He immediately said no problem, we'll "good will" this repair even though it's out of warranty because this just shouldn't happen.

The dealer said it would take 10 or more days to get to my RV, they're very busy. But that's fine as I don't have travel plans anytime soon. For the next couple months I'm simply making modifications to the rig, like Sumo Springs, Banks Headers, etc. I also have to make a dump hose rack in the dump compartment. The wife wants to change the fabric on the valance in the bedroom, as it seems to drive her nuts. Little things, little projects. Fun stuff.

I'm super happy with Winnebago's support on something like this out of warranty. The RV looks like new, hardly used. I hope this slide issue is only a fluke, not a pattern. So far nobody else has said they've had the same issue, so I'm thinking it's a "one off" fluke failure.

When I actually find out what happened to the slide motor I'll come back and update everyone.

[Ret.LEO]

Good news! Didn't hurt to ask.

[Wayne M]

My power gear slideout has a Schwintek Controller. Just wondering if that is what your system has.
Does your controller look similar to this?

[John Locke]

Originally Posted by Wayne M

My power gear slideout has a Schwintek Controller. Just wondering if that is what your system has.
Does your controller look similar to this?

No, mine is the SlimRack system, originally a PowerGear design I believe, but now it's branded with Lippert's name since Lippert bought PowerGear.

[John Locke]

UPDATE:

I got back my RV from Giant RV in Downey. The slide works, Yay!

They told me yesterday I owed $830 because Winnebago would only cover 1hr of labor to install the motor, and it took them 3hrs. Wow, big job it seems. They also said I had to pay for the motor, over $500. Here's the strange part, they said to get the part from Winnebago it would take 3 or 4wks, so we're looking at January. Without asking me, Giant opted to buy the part from a local source, apparently a distributor for Lippert, assuming I would pay for the part, instead of a warranty replacement from Winnebago. They never got my approval to pay for the part before they bought AND installed it in the RV, which is unethical, since Giant was told in the beginning that Winnebago would "good will" the repair, meaning the whole bill would be paid by Winnebago, I assumed. But Giant just goes off on their own and buys the motor and installs it. I've never had something repaired without first getting my approval for the cost, BEFORE they committed to buying parts and repairing it. So yesterday they call me and said the RV is ready to pickup, $830 due, so I told them I'd be there at 8:30 this morning, have it ready.

At 6:30 this morning (8:30 Iowa time) I called Winnebago to check Giant's story. I talked to the same guy I originally spoke to that agreed to "good will" the repair. Nice guy. I explained the situation and he ask me to hold while he looked into this. After about 4 or 5 min on hold, he says Winnebago did authorize 1hr of labor because that's what it normally requires. And he wasn't sure about the part issue, but committed again to pay for the entire repair. He said he would call Giant and approve the bill. I'm not sure how communications broke down between the authorized Winnebago dealer and Winnebago, but it finally all worked out.... with a little persistence.

When I arrived Giant I informed them Winnebago approved to pay for the whole bill this morning, just an hour ealier. So Giant's warranty coordinator called Winnebago and got the approval in about 10min.

It just seems strange how Giant handled this, assuming I would be OK paying $830 when Giant previously got "Good Will" approval from Winnebago for the repair. I'm wondering how that turned into paying only 1hr of labor and no parts?

Anyway, I'm extremely happy with Winnebago's support on this issue. However I'm now wondering how the motor went bad so quick. It rusted from exposure I assume. Apparently sitting and not being used, rusting from rain getting in somehow, the motor apparently froze. I'm wondering if the previous owner was camping a lot with the slide out during rain, or did rain get into the motor with the slide in. I assume he didn't store the RV with the slide out, but I'll be asking him that question soon. I'm worried that I'll have to replace that motor every couple of years to the tune of $900. Below is a photo of the bad motor with evidence of rust.

[Sue46]

You can probably find the motor on Amazon and do the repair yourself if you need to in the future. If it is anything like the Schwintek system you simply pop the motor out and put in the new one.



You don't know how the previous owner treated the MH. I would be surprised at any rust, that to me is not normal. You need to do some research on the internet about your system to see if there are any "tricks" to the care and feeding of your system.


I also would not go back to your dealer. He seems a bit shady do unauthorized repairs. Find yourself an independent repair person whose business is to do RV repairs. Also, if you ever need a part in a hurry call the Lichtsinn parts dept. in Forest City. They have a ton of parts and ship very fast. We have bought several parts from them and always have them within a week without expdiating the order.

[blueridge-fl]

In the case of a Lippert part failure, I have to wonder who is really covering the warranty for the part. In my experience, if you deal directly with Lippert, they cover the part replacement.

I agree with Sue and Tom. I don't think I would return to Giant. Find a good local mobile repair guy and you will get treated better plus not have the hassle of bringing your RV into the shop.

I'll have to keep an eye on our slide motors to see if there is any weather exposure. Where was the motor that failed located?

[John Locke]

Blueridge, the motor was on the left side living-room slide on a 32YE. It was the rear motor that was dead. Keep in mind I had no idea why this slide motor was dead, so the diagnosis was key. The last thing I would have guessed at failing would be the motor, being so new, a 2018. I assumed it was the controller electronics that failed, but my guess was wrong. Giant fixed it OK, but the management of the accounting is very suspect. This was my first experience with Giant RV in Downey, I won't be going back. I just can't trust them. There are other authorized Winnebago repair locations.

I found the motor available in Ebay for $472. Giant said it was $600 for their profit obviously, but they offered to discount it to $550. I'm sure they bought it from a distributor for less than $472. However Winnebago took care of it in the end.

It's still a mystery to me how to access this motor. The slide was closed, and wouldn't open, so how to you gain access to the motor? Even with the slide out I still can't see the motor.

I built my first car motor at 15yrs old ('61 Corvair), and I'm an fairly astute with electrical circuitry (I sell industrial computers), so I have no problem replacing something like this myself. However, there's a secret to accessing this motor that I need to learn about. There's no room to access the motor from the inside when the slide is in, it's block by the TV wall. Maybe it's simply removing the exterior fascia trim, as stated at the end of

this Lippert video.

UPDATE:
I found another video from Lippert on accessing Winnebago slide motors from the outside. Although my rack mechanism isn't the same as shown in this video, I'm confident that accessing it is likely identical, since the slide trim is Winnebago's design.

Winnebago Slide Motor Access

[Morich]

This is a new RV (2018?) but you bought it second party?
There may be some hidden things going on that might have caused the premature failure. Keep in mind that this is purely a theory with no evidence except what I know can happen. There are going to be lots of things like cars, trucks and motorhomes which are damaged in some of the massive flooding we have had all across the country. These may be called "total" by insurance but still sold, repaired and resold as "new" . Perhaps do a really careful look at the end which might have gone in the water and this motor space especially. Is it possible that the motor went bad/rusted after being flooded?
Maybe a check of the VIN to see what might turn up?
I bought my new-to me from a broker I know and he has to be really careful to avoid the lemons. Others are not so picky!

[John Locke]

Originally Posted by Morich

This is a new RV (2018?) but you bought it second party?
There may be some hidden things going on that might have caused the premature failure. Keep in mind that this is purely a theory with no evidence except what I know can happen. There are going to be lots of things like cars, trucks and motorhomes which are damaged in some of the massive flooding we have had all across the country. These may be called "total" by insurance but still sold, repaired and resold as "new" . Perhaps do a really careful look at the end which might have gone in the water and this motor space especially. Is it possible that the motor went bad/rusted after being flooded?
Maybe a check of the VIN to see what might turn up?
I bought my new-to me from a broker I know and he has to be really careful to avoid the lemons. Others are not so picky!

Thanks for the concern but it's not relevant. The RV looks like new and smells like new, but it's second hand. With the motor sitting 10' high in the wall there would be other obvious signs of flooding, it certainly would not smell new. A carfax report was done before even considering the purchase, had nothing reported. I do wonder how it got wet, which is something I intend to investigate now that I have the RV at home. Might be a potential design flaw with inadequate water proofing. Maybe the milder climate here in California will be less risk for the same failure, anyway that's what I'm hoping.

[Morich]

Originally Posted by John Locke

Thanks for the concern but it's not relevant. The RV looks like new and smells like new, but it's second hand. With the motor sitting 10' high in the wall there would be other obvious signs of flooding, it certainly would not smell new. A carfax report was done before even considering the purchase, had nothing reported. I do wonder how it got wet, which is something I intend to investigate now that I have the RV at home. Might be a potential design flaw with inadequate water proofing. Maybe the milder climate here in California will be less risk for the same failure, anyway that's what I'm hoping.

Good deal, glad to be wrong! There are so many things out there to catch, I hate to think it happens when we buy RV's to try to have fun. Ten feet high would rule out my theory for sure! Maybe it just was your turn? Sometimes it just seems that we get it for no reason. Enjoy.

[blueridge-fl]

My 2018 32YE has a different slide system than the one in the video. I believe it is called a slim rack. During our walk through, the dealership told me that whenever someone comes in with a problem in a Schwintek system they just replace it with the new slim rack system because they are much more reliable. Unless, of course, your name is John. :-)

I wonder if your inability to see the motor is because it is in a different location on the slim rack system. The Schwintek video does seem to call out a chicken and egg problem with replacement when the motor fails with the slide in.

[John Locke]

Originally Posted by blueridge-fl

My 2018 32YE has a different slide system than the one in the video. I believe it is called a slim rack. During our walk through, the dealership told me that whenever someone comes in with a problem in a Schwintek system they just replace it with the new slim rack system because they are much more reliable. Unless, of course, your name is John. :-)

I wonder if your inability to see the motor is because it is in a different location on the slim rack system. The Schwintek video does seem to call out a chicken and egg problem with replacement when the motor fails with the slide in.

Mine is a slimrack system fortunately, however when looking at the design in the Lippert website it appears the motors are located in the same place, up high and in the wall. The rack in the video is the older style, since been replaced with slimrack.

Interesting to note with Winnebago, while I was at Giant RV I went through their indoor showroom to kill some time. One of the Winnebago Forza coaches I saw used the same slim rack system, however it wasn't strong enough. The geared rack was bent, or bowed pretty bad. It appears the slide out compartment was way too heavy for the slim rack system. Later I wanted to show my wife, but they had rolled the slide in so it the rack couldn't be seen.

Other Winnebago DP rigs on the showroom floor used a massive hydraulic ram system that is located under the slide. These DP rigs are way more than I can afford, but are very nice inside. However I would caution anyone buying one to make sure it doesn't use the slim rack system, as it's better suited for lighter weight slides. If you can afford a Forza, make sure it's got the hydraulic slide system.