New Winnie Owners - New Adventures!

[LaurieG]

Hi Fellow Winnie Owners,
My husband Phil and I recently became RVers. We had one small trip so far and look forward to so many many more across the great USA! Our brand new Class A VistaPE27 has a problem with the front window's automatic shade. it will not raise and lower, must be a short in the wire. We can't get an appt with the service dept until August. My husband has electrical knowledge and has been working on trying to "find the short" in a wire but so far he can only determine what the problem "is not". HAS ANYONE HAD THIS PROBLEM with the front window privacy shade not working? Much appreciated, Laurie & Phil

[SarahW]

Hello Laurie and welcome. Sorry you're having a problem with the front shade.

Hopefully someone who knows something will show up to help!!

[Ranger Smith]

If it is a MCD shade there are 2 programming switches on the right side by the pillar that may have to re program the shade. Also it usually wont go down if not in park and possibly parking brake not on.

[LaurieG]

Thanks Ranger Smith for the suggestion, but we are sure that there is a short in a wire that we can't locate. Much appreciated. Laurie & Phil

[Ranger Smith]

If there is a short you would be blowing a fuse or tripping a 12volt breaker.

[LaurieG]

Yep, it is tripping the breaker.

[Ranger Smith]

Only thing you can do is trace the shade wires back. Probably pinched under a screw or something. Try disconnecting motor first and see if short goes away.

[LaurieG]

already did that, still no luck... anymore suggestions??

[Ranger Smith]

Does it trip when sitting there or when you activate the switch

[Ranger Smith]

You can go to Winnebagoind.com and click on rescources on the top and put your model and year and get all the wiring diagrams for it.

[LaurieG]

Thanks for that info! Getting the diagrams should help. Much appreciated!

[Ranger Smith]

That harness looks like it goes across under the dash and up the right windshield pillar

[LaurieG]

Yep, we removed the radio and used a wire short tracer and the short seems to be under the desk portion of the dashboard, an area we simply cannot get to. My husband does have the drawings. This is is really a tough one. It had this problem when we bought it but they said they fixed it. But apparently it was not a permanent fix. He continues to work at it, he's not a giver-upper. Any and all suggestions are appreciated.

[BobC]

This may be too far "out of the box" but, if you're 100% sure its a short and which wire is shorting, can get to either side of the shorted and inaccessible piece and are sure there are no components in between, you can always cut the wire (in accessible spots on either side of the short) and replace the entire shorted section with a new piece of wire, routing it so it's reasonably accessible using a "fish tape".

Alternatively you could run an entirely new wire and connect it in place of the old wire. It all depends on what's easiest. This approach could be the best solution since there's no risk of cutting the wrong wire, assuming you can positively ID both extreme ends. Either way, try to match the color code and label the repaired wire and the dead wires.

[Ranger Smith]

Usually all the wires on a winnebago are yellow and white and have a specific number and or letter and number like, wx1, wmm, etc. on the wire itself.


At this point I would possibly run a new wire

[BobC]

I'm not familiar with the Vista, but are you sure the desk isn't somehow removable giving you access? I know this is probably too much to expect but I thought it was worth asking.