Stair cover

[Sean Donohue]

New issue.. Stair cover stopped working.. first after we had it over the steps making the exit difficult and reentry ungraceful. Replaced fuse and it retracted. Now it keeps popping fuses and is inop... At least is isnt over the steps.

[Keith Oliver]

Is there an adjustment somewhere for the "close out".  Mine closes immediately (when I have air), but takes about 5 minutes to decide to retract, after I have hit the switch.  Even if I push on it, it won't go in against the air pressure.  When it does decide go retract, it does so with a bang.  Difficult and ungraceful in spades!

[Sean Donohue]

Sounds like we have different methods of operation. I believe mine is electric because I use to hear the motor running. I am going to try and pull on it later to see if it moves. I have been reading on other websites that this is a bear of a repair and might just have to live without the use of the step cover until I can learn more.

I would classify this as a red diagonal write up, Flyable!

[Joel Ashley]

Our cover is air driven.  I assume that the switch(es) are the only electric component;  that said, I would not expect a simple air solenoid to blow fuses.  But something is causing too much current flow, either in short bursts or enough over time to overheat the fuse metal.

I was hoping others here would bring some familiarity with step cover mechanics, because I'm not versed beyond our experience when the coach was new, and BCS in Bend tweaked ours to quiet it's tendency to rattle on the road.  Related to that, I can proffer that it needs to be fairly accurately aligned within the guide slots.  As I recall there also was some frame or step component underneath that the mechanism dragged or caught on, and required a smidge of adjustment for proper clearance.  If the cover is being restricted somehow, the provided air pressure may not overcome it.  Conceivably the restriction not allowing a complete travel to fully open or fully closed, may keep an electric component open too long, overheating it's wires and fuse.

I'd also check air hose connections for possible leaks or poor fitting, and also switch and solenoid ground connections.

I'm just speculating in hopes my 2 cents will offer at least a little more insight than you had.  Still hoping someone more knowledgeable about cover mechanics will weigh in for you.

Joel

[Sean Donohue]

Hope so too, Joel. I will dig into it once we are back home later early next week. because the Cats and Dogs like to lay on it, I tried to give it a pull to extend it and it now free floats in and out for the time being. I am sure it is either the motor running with a drag/bind and blowing the fuse or a blown motor. either way, I will post the cure of the ills.

[Ken Buck]

My stair cover sounds like an electric motor moving it in and out. I'd bet a good look at yours will find some gummed up rails or loose component causing the motor to jam and overheat. I don't see an easy way to access it, but it looks like sliding my generator out and then coming up from underneath would get you close.

Ken

[Sean Donohue]

That is the plan for next week, will keep posting

[Sean Donohue]

Well I has been a bit more than a week. The stairs are electriclly driven by a small motor that drives a screw jack pusing the mechanism in and out. I removed the cover from the mechanism, 12 wood screws, 4 on each side and 4 more on two brackets near the back. If the cover is stuck in the in position this might be difficult, I just yanked on the cover and it released from the mechanism, more on this later. I replaced the fuse and tried the switch again only to blow the fuse. I manually turned the screw jack and it moved but without a reference did know it it was too hard or not but it did move smoothly. Next I removed the mechanism by removing the two screws by the top of the stairs, extended the Generator out and removed the one screw located about center of the coach, and traced back the wire bundle to the front left electrical panle compartment. I disconnected the wire bundle and tried the switchs again and the fuse held. I pulled the mechanism out, it is a tight fit but with the passenger chair moved back slightly it is not a problem. I then tested the motor with a 25 amp Fuse and blew that and a 30 amp. Ordered a new motor, $120, it arrived without the connector so I just spliced the connector and heat shrunk the connector to seal it. When I yaked the cover, the sepration accord at a point where two (left and Right side) pins fit into a plastic bushing. I think it was engineered this way to allow the cover to be manually extend as I did, but who knows. I simple spread the mechanism to reinstall the pins into the plastic bushings. The cover now operates just fine.

[Ken Buck]

,So then to be clear, you did all this from inside? Or did the cover on the mechanism come off from underneath?

Ken

[Sean Donohue]

From both, inside and outside, once you get started you will see. Thee one screw in the center that I needed the genset extend for and the wiring were the things I had to do under the coach.

[Ken Buck]

Thanks. I hope to never have personal experience with this procedure, but it's nice to have an idea where to start.

Ken