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Old 08-01-2022, 08:45 AM   #1
armature_travelist
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M.O.C. #31417
Exclamation more than 1 issue

Recently,
I have had major problems with not only my 3 slides but, also with the electric in my 2003 Big Sky Keystone Montana.
I attempted to manual override my slides to get them inside however during the process it was noticed that my slide would only move about an inch per hr or more of manual overriding the lippert hydraulic system. During the process I also noticed the inside button seemed to no longer be working. My bedroom slide moved in and out just fine with the inside button. However, now said motor doesn't even make the slightest sound of function.
The problem started with my living room slide. It would work and then just stop moving about half way thru the transition. Eventually it got to the point of not at all. Not sure if it's worth the money to call for service tech or if the issues are fixable and reasonably priced. Any suggestions on how I can get all my slides in for moving?

There's also the electric problem, a while back I was in the kitchen using my foodie ninja with dinner and out of no where the trailer lost power. We reset everything and after noticed there was no power running thru our whole kitchen side. We were able to change the GCIF plug in our bathroom and replaced a 30v fuse however nether of those solutions restored power. It wasn't long after the first time the power went out that we noticed our fridge started acting up as well. Due to the power going out we had to run it off the propane, witch is a huge hassle and pricy due to having to refill ever week just to keep it cool enough for our groceries. Any suggestions on how to fix this issue as well?
 
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Old 08-01-2022, 09:30 AM   #2
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I'd bet that your second issue is causing the slide issue. Your likely not getting 120v current to your converter to keep yoir battery charged (slides run off the battery). You need to find the source of your shorepower issue first. A multimeter and some knowledge on how to use it will be most helpful (YouTube is a good resource). Test the shorepower receptacle first and post again with your findings.

If you need to operate your slides try using a 12v battery charger (plugged into a known working outlet) and fully charge your battery and then try the slides again.
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Old 08-01-2022, 10:03 AM   #3
armature_travelist
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I did try jumping the battery as well as charging it but that wasn’t enough for the job.
Shouldn’t I be able to move the slides manually by the rack and pinion?
If so, then the next step would be figuring out how to pull the bed slide in? I checked under the bed but, didn’t see any motors so how would I be able to manually move that one?
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Old 08-01-2022, 10:42 AM   #4
Carl n Susan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by armature_travelist View Post
Recently,
I have had major problems with not only my 3 slides but, also with the electric in my 2003 Big Sky Keystone Montana.
OK, I think you meant to write you have a 2013 Big Sky Montana. A 2003 model Montana only had two slides and there was no Big Sky option back then.

Quote:
I attempted to manual override my slides to get them inside however during the process it was noticed that my slide would only move about an inch per hr or more of manual overriding the lippert hydraulic system. During the process I also noticed the inside button seemed to no longer be working.
The manual process of using a drill motor is slow but I didn't think it was that slow. The inside switch not working is likely a result of to the batteries being dead due to your earlier electrical issue. As RipNC wrote, fixing the electrical will get the battery charged and make the switch operable again. At least it will allow further troubleshooting

Quote:
My bedroom slide moved in and out just fine with the inside button. However, now said motor doesn't even make the slightest sound of function.
I bet the bedroom slide is a cable slide and uses a 12V motor to extend/retract. Once again a dead battery will prevent this motor from running. The motor for it is above the slide out on the wall. It too has a manual way to operate using a drill motor and a flexible cable.

Quote:
The problem started with my living room slide. It would work and then just stop moving about half way thru the transition. Eventually it got to the point of not at all. Not sure if it's worth the money to call for service tech or if the issues are fixable and reasonably priced. Any suggestions on how I can get all my slides in for moving?
This is the classic sign of a failing 50 amp self-resetting circuit breaker in the 12V feed to the hydraulic pump. This is a under $10 fixable problem. It is around $30 to fix it right by upgrading the 50 amp CB to an 80 amp one. A Search here on 50 amp CB will uncover lots of help.

Quote:
There's also the electric problem, a while back I was in the kitchen using my foodie ninja with dinner and out of no where the trailer lost power. We reset everything and after noticed there was no power running thru our whole kitchen side. We were able to change the GCIF plug in our bathroom and replaced a 30v fuse however nether of those solutions restored power. It wasn't long after the first time the power went out that we noticed our fridge started acting up as well. Due to the power going out we had to run it off the propane, witch is a huge hassle and pricy due to having to refill ever week just to keep it cool enough for our groceries. Any suggestions on how to fix this issue as well?
It definitely sounds like you have an electrical problem on one leg or at least one circuit. You need to start checking voltage at the fuse box and each 120V breaker. Also look in the back of the refer (from outside) to see if there is 120V present at that outlet. It is confusing that the refer works on 120V as that also requires 12V to the circuit board. That implies the converter is producing 12V but not charging the battery. That may be due to the 50 amp CB has failed and won't let the charge into (or out of) the battery.

The first place I would start if the 50 amp CB. The battery not being charged explains a lot of your symptoms.
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Old 08-01-2022, 11:26 AM   #5
armature_travelist
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I am not mistaken:
https://youtu.be/5l_2tF1kBLU
It’s every t isn’t crossed nor is every i dotted however, it’s about 98% the same as what I currently have.
It’s a very outdated camper and currently incredibly hard to find information on it.

I will most definitely look into correctly fixing and upgrading from the 50 to 80 amp and see if that might fix our issues. I appreciate all the input this is the most information I’ve been able to obtain since the beginning of my research for the camper
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Old 08-01-2022, 11:57 AM   #6
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OK I stand corrected. I forgot they made that style in 2003. Once I saw the video I remembered it as one of my friends had the same model but not a Big Sky. Forget the part about the cable slides. That didn't come until later.

I would start with the 12V system and ensure it is working. The converter should output 13.6 or so volts. That flows to the two self-resetting CBs in the battery area (on the back wall with red plastic caps). Ensure there is equal voltage on each side of each CB. Then the flow goes to the battery which should also measure 13.6V.

Once the 12V system is good, then if the slides don't work, it is time to troubleshoot the wiring to them.
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Old 08-01-2022, 12:58 PM   #7
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Good friend had a 2008 3295RK and loved it. If you ever want to remove the old TV I will tell you the secret we found to removing his.

You might also take a picture of the 12 vdc auto reset circuit breakers in the front compartment and post here in case you have any questions about that. Not sure how much they changed over the years. I had a 2007 Montana.
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Old 08-01-2022, 08:00 PM   #8
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We had a 2002 3295rk which is very similar. We did have to replace the solenoid that controls the slide motor. It’s located behind the motor on the platform. If that goes bad it would not start the motor to run the hydraulic unit. Have someone push the slide button on the inside and then use the plastic handle of a larger screwdriver to tap on the solenoid to see if it engages the motor. Just a thought.
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Old 08-02-2022, 05:40 AM   #9
ChuckS
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If you manually over rode the hydraulic slide outs correctly it should take no more than a couple of minutes to retract or extend them using a drill

I have three hydrauilc slides and and close or open all of them in about 3 minutes max.. or less

If you didn’t open the Hydac valve for the slides all the way that could be your issue.. the normal state of tha5 valve is Closed via spring pressure and open via solenoid

You have to use an Allen wrench and open the Hydac valve to allow fluids to flow
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Old 08-02-2022, 04:25 PM   #10
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Check every cell in your batteries too. If the batteries aren't up to snuff nothing works right.
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Old 08-07-2022, 01:25 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by armature_travelist View Post
Recently,
I have had major problems with not only my 3 slides but, also with the electric in my 2003 Big Sky Keystone Montana.
I attempted to manual override my slides to get them inside however during the process it was noticed that my slide would only move about an inch per hr or more of manual overriding the lippert hydraulic system. During the process I also noticed the inside button seemed to no longer be working. My bedroom slide moved in and out just fine with the inside button. However, now said motor doesn't even make the slightest sound of function.
The problem started with my living room slide. It would work and then just stop moving about half way thru the transition. Eventually it got to the point of not at all. Not sure if it's worth the money to call for service tech or if the issues are fixable and reasonably priced. Any suggestions on how I can get all my slides in for moving?

There's also the electric problem, a while back I was in the kitchen using my foodie ninja with dinner and out of no where the trailer lost power. We reset everything and after noticed there was no power running thru our whole kitchen side. We were able to change the GCIF plug in our bathroom and replaced a 30v fuse however nether of those solutions restored power. It wasn't long after the first time the power went out that we noticed our fridge started acting up as well. Due to the power going out we had to run it off the propane, witch is a huge hassle and pricy due to having to refill ever week just to keep it cool enough for our groceries. Any suggestions on how to fix this issue as well?
You need real deep cycle batteries, a pair of 6V Trojan T105's is the gold standard unless you use it enough to go Lithium. The hydraulics need more power than shore power can deliver. It is extremely likely you will need to replace the battery. Fix that then see what is left.
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