Slides

[Steven Harper]

Our Main slide will not come in or out... It was working fine... checked fuses o.k. things are fine. Book on our 2008 Beaver Contessa says there is a curb side Slide Room Module located beneath the rear curb side cabinet... where is that cabinet located? We can't find that module... We have a 42 foot beaver contessa Rome

[Steven Harper]

We have a 2008 Beaver Contessa.  Been parked at camping site for four days.  Slides working fine.  On our way home today our awning on the drivers side (Big slide) was flapping in the wind.  It was really really windy....  We stopped and extended our big slide so the awning would retract.  We did it once and awning not in all the way so we did it again.  This time the slide came in all but about 10 inches.  Switch quit working.  We were going to attempt to bring it in manually but our generator slide would not come out.  In the manual it says there is a slide room module located beneath the rear curbside cabinet.  It has a fuse and a auto-reset circuit breaker.  Where is the cabinet.  I can't find anything.  We finally got our coach home.  Slide is still out.  I plugged into fifty amp and the two bedrooms slides come out but the two front slides do not and the generator slide still does not work.   Can somebody help me please.  Has anybody else had problems with their awning coming out when it is windy while driving??

Thank you for your help.

Karen
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[Steven Harper]

Does anyone know where the circuit breaker is for the two front slides??  I think this might be my problem for the slides not coming in and out.  Thnks.


Karen
2008 Beaver Contessa
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[Mike Humble]

We have had no problems with our 2008 Contessa.  The only thing I can find is a fuse labeled slide in the bath fuse closet.  Behind the black cover, not in the circuit breaker panel. It is 15 amp.  We have heard of the awning coming out, but have not had it happen to us.  Good luck.
Mike Humble

[Gil_Johnson]

It sounds like your hydraulic pump is not working.  That's the fuse, breaker, or relay you should be looking for.

[Joel Ashley]

Karen, give Loren a call in Bend.  He can probably tell you what to do:  1-800-843-2967.

I doubt if it's solenoids, since it sounds like they've got 3 slides not working - front curb and street and generator - not likely 3 sets of solenoids go out at once.  One of the bedroom slides is probably electric, but the other is hydraulic and it's working - so the pump must be okay.  Must be a fuse related to the front end hydraulics.  If the slide topper didn't retract initially because material jammed, that could have stressed the slideout and blown a fuse or breaker.  I've had the topper on my driver's side front slide lose a bolt in the reel mechanism on the front end, so the material wouldn't roll up, hanging out and pinching the slideout, though it didn't blow a fuse or breaker.  It's always a good idea to do a walkaround just before driving off.

Sounds like there are two problems to deal with - first fix the slideouts, but then figure out why the topper awning failed, cuz it'll do it again.

-Joel

[Steven Harper]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their input on our slide problem.  We finally figured it out.  I am not technical so will try to explain to the best of my ability.  Of my four slides the back two bedroom slides are electric.  The front two slides are hydraulic.  We believe what happened was when we tried to bring the slide in 3 or four times so we could get the awning in we tripped a breaker.  I had a hydraulics repairman come out to the house and he had to jump start the Lippert motor that runs the slides so we could get the generator slide to come out.  We did find a breaker switch to the right of the generator hidden behind a bunch of wires.  He tripped it and everything worked fine.  I didn't think the generator slide sounded like it did before.  It sounded like it was really trying hard to come in and out.  We then tried the slides.  They both went out fine and then when I tried the big slide in it stopped midway in.  He thought we might have a bad motor so he went back and was able to locate the old motor they replaced a year ago under warranty (We had a hydraulic leak and they replaced both pump and motor since they sent both of them.  There really wasn't anything wrong with the old one.) He put old motor back in and it sounds good and everything working fine.

I have been on the phone with everyone including coachnet, Monaco to the dealership we bought the coach from.  Coachnet and Monaco did not think there was a circuit breaker for those slides.  The dealership did say there was one but did not know where it was located.  I am just curious why Monaco would put the circuit breaker in the generator compartment when it also operates the generator slide.  Makes no sense to me.  So just beware there is a circuit breaker for those slides.  I hope I never have to go thru this again.

Concerning the awning coming out in high winds.  We had the whole awning completely replaced about two months ago because the awning had torn when driving plus the metal casing/cover for the awning kept separating sometimes up to 6 inches.  Awning company would not cover under warranty.  We have had that problem since we bought the coach.  Anyway, the guy who replace awning says there is a gap between the coach and the casing that is about an inch or more and air is probably coming in there and thus forcing the awning out.  I think I am going to buy some foam weather stripping that is sticky on one side and put it in that space and see if that helps.  If anybody has any suggestions let me know.

Sorry this is so long.  Thanks again to everyone who helped.  We are back on the road again.

Karen
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[Gil_Johnson]

I always questioned why they put the hydralic pump behind the generator door that must be opened by the pump--that was just plain dumb!  The could have found space behind one of storage bay doors.  Given what little is behind the water and sewer door, that would not have been hard to do.

With the generator door closed, I'm not sure I could even get to the pump motor to manually open the door.

Gil

[Bill Sprague]

Two years earlier on a Monterey it is electric, not hydraulic.  My guess is that an extra hydraulic cylinder added to the existing system was less costly than the electric mechanism.  

My sense is that Monaco design managers were not users of RVs.  It might be useless, yet entertaining, to start a thread of "Just plain dumb things done to a Beaver".   One of my favorites is that they put the waste tank vents within inches of the bathroom vent which has an option of being open without the fan going.  Another is hiding the turn signal indicators behind the steering wheel where you can't see them.  Then there is slide toppers that are so level they can't possibly drain water.  What about slide outs with no manual backup like even a Winnebago has!  Or a sewer drain that is so low it almost has to flow up hill in many campsites.  I've only owned one Beaver, but I could go on.  And on.  Did I mention the shower control that, in order to be on, sticks out in the middle of the shower putting it in exactly the right spot to bump with various male and femail anatomy parts causing it to go to either full cold or full hot.  One has to remember the options when soap is in the eyes and the result of the decision to turn left or right to reach the soap.  And, is the best spot for the HydroHot exhaust under the bedroom window?

[Steven Harper]

I have another one for the "Dumb ideas".  They put my water filter behind the water compartment in the middle of the coach.  Laying sideways no less.  I have to take the panel off to get to it and then when I get the casing off I have water everywhere.  Give me a break.......

Karen

[Richard And Babs Ames]

[quote author=]I have another one for the "Dumb ideas".  They put my water filter behind the water compartment in the middle of the coach.  Laying sideways no less.  I have to take the panel off to get to it and then when I get the casing off I have water everywhere.  Give me a break.......

Karen[/quote]

Just a thought, could you do or have done a bit of replumbing and relocate the filter to a better location.

[Steven Harper]

I am not plumbing savvy so can't do it myself (Wish I was).  Will look into someone changing it for me possibly.  I just think that as much as these motorhomes cost that they would put a little more thought into these things.  But I guess I am asking for the moon.....

Karen

[Richard And Babs Ames]

Personally I do not think any two are built the same.

[Joel Ashley]

True - they aren't all the same.  Our '06 Monterey has a couple of Bill's issues, but not all.  The shower handle arrangement is a problem, even after you think you've gotten used to it, you still bump the handle.  Our hydrohot exhaust isn't under the bedroom, but I don't know where you could put it that it wasn't a problem somewhere along the line;  ours is under the utility bay and manages to cycle on when I'm bent over connecting or disconnecting something out there - cough!   Gotta remember to shut off the Hydronics switch before going out the door, and to turn it back on afterwards.  

You can bet a healthy number of foibels are not Beaver-specific.  Neither is Winnebago/Itasca perfect, despite some innovative ideas, which is why you probably won't find me trading Monty Rae in for an Itasca at Beaver Coach Sales.  And rare is the car or truck that I can see the entire guage console through the steering wheel.

-Joel