Manual override for slide

[DavidB]

I just bought a 2010 Copper Canyon Sprinter with a Lippert slide out. The manual shows some kind of manual screw system to crank it in if you lose power, but I'll be darned if I can find it. And the dealer doesn't seem to have a clue. Does anyone know where the manual access is? Thanks!

[rugermark2]

On my Cougar it is inside right in the middle on top of the slide.

[Festus2]

In our '08 Cougar (with one slide out), the access to the manual override is found underneath the 5th wheel. There is a small, 3-sided cutout in the black coroplast about 1 ft ahead of the passenger side front tire and about 2 ft in. The cutout is held in place by a plastic zip strap.

When the flap is lowered, I can see the slide motor with a drive nut on the near end. There isn't any provided "crank" so I would have to use a ratchet --3/4 in hex nut I believe. To prevent any electrical damage to the motor when using the manual override, the connections to the motor should be removed.

Other models have a flexible drive that has been provided but the access to the actual slide override varies with the different models and is inside the unit rather than on the outside. The bedroom slide out is typical of this type of setup. On other models it is located in the area suggested by rugermark22.

I'd look underneath the unit and see if you can spot the cut-out in the coroplast. It is almost in a line with the nearest rack and pinion slide mechanism.

Let's hope that neither one of us ever have to resort to hand-cranking the slide in or out.!

[DavidB]

Haven't been able to locate anything inside, nor a flap underneath, etc. The dealer insists there's a nut to turn, but I can't find that either. Grrrr. Thanks for your help, though. Maybe someone else will know.

[Bluewater]

I have heard someone put a video on youtube showing how it is done.

[DavidB]

Dear Bluewater,

Thanks...I searched youtube and found a good video along with service phone numbers! I really hope to never need to know this, but I'd rather know about it before I need to know. :)

[Tom]

http://www.keystonerv.com/customer-service

Go there and there will be a video telling how to manually operate the slides. On my Cougar Xlite I had to cut holes in the cardboard underneath the trailer to access the motors. Need a cordless drill to work slide. Note: contrary to what someone said you don't need to remove power from the slide motor to manually operate it.

[Festus2]

http://www.keystonerv.com/customer-service

Go there and there will be a video telling how to manually operate the slides. On my Cougar Xlite I had to cut holes in the cardboard underneath the trailer to access the motors. Need a cordless drill to work slide. Note: contrary to what someone said you don't need to remove power from the slide motor to manually operate it.

Tom -

That "someone" was me .......In the Lippert service manual (p.6) it states, "Always disconnect battery from system prior to manually operating system. Failure to disconnect battery can cause electricity to backfeed through the motor and cause serious damage to the system as well as void the warranty."

I'm not sure where you got your information from but the above warning to disconnect power comes directly from Lippert - the slide manufacturer. I would be interested in finding out the source of your information that says disconnecting the battery is not necessary since it is contrary to what it says in Lippert's Operational and Service Manual. I was simply passing Lippert's warning on so that the DavidB, the OP, is aware of it.

While the chances of this happening may be remote, it is nevertheless, a warning and the user should be made aware that this caution exists and not to dismiss it because he was advised on the forum that disconnecting power is not necessary.

[SkiSmuggs]

So either use the battery disconnect switch if you have one or remove the negative cable from the battery. Doing it at the motor may result in shorting them out.

[JRTJH]

So either use the battery disconnect switch if you have one or remove the negative cable from the battery. Doing it at the motor may result in shorting them out.

On some models the battery disconnect switch does not isolate (disconnect) power from the silde motors. On some it does, so if you're unsure whether yours does or not, the safest way is to remove one of the battery cables from the battery terminal.

[Tom]

I got my information directly from Keyston's video on the subject. In that video nothing was said about removing power to the slide motors. The warning in the manual reminds me of the dozens of warning labels on ATVs, lawnmowers and just about everything these days. :)

BTW, disconnecting the battery won't take power from the slideout if the shore power is plugged in, at least on my Cougar 28SGS. Unlike my previous Crossroads Cruiser where the slideouts were wired directly to the battery, the slideouts on my Cougar work fine on shore power only so they aren't wired directly to the battery. That's handy for me since I don't like to leave the battery in the coach when not in use.

[JRTJH]

Tom,

There's a caution in the owner's manual about not activating the slide without a battery installed. The side motor demands a large amp draw and the converter will overheat. It may work well for a number of times but eventually your converter will give up the ghost.

Check the owner's manual on slide operation, the first step in "basic slideout tips" on page 61 of the 2015 owner's manual states: "1. The unit must have a fully charged RV battery (having the shore-line cord plugged in may NOT be enough)."

Man it seems that no matter what you comment, there's an exception to the rule... I'm not trying to prove you wrong, just 'setting the record straight" so the membership has what's in the book.

[Festus2]

I got my information directly from Keyston's video on the subject. In that video nothing was said about removing power to the slide motors. The warning in the manual reminds me of the dozens of warning labels on ATVs, lawnmowers and just about everything these days. :)

.

Tom -
While there is no warning expressed in Keystone's video, one has been issued by the people who manufactured the slide and its components. It may be that Lippert's warning is one of "the dozens of warning labels...found on everything these days" but it is something that an RV owner should know about. The warning can be dismissed as just another one of those "PTA" statements and ignored it or it can be followed.

In this particular case, I would err on the side of caution and pay attention to it. How much time and effort does it take to disconnect the battery? Just because Keystone made no mention of disconnecting the batteries that does not mean that it shouldn't be done. I would tend to pay more attention to what the slide manufacturer says than what Keystone failed to mention.

If Keystone sometimes forgets which holding tank valve is which, it doesn't really surprise me that they may have "forgotten" to mention anything about disconnecting the batteries before you start cranking.

[JRTJH]

Occasionally a DC motor will stop working and all that's needed is to get the armature moved to a different spot on the brushes. I've seen motors that would not function at all start running at full speed with a simple tap with a screwdriver or a slight rotation of the armature.

A DC motor that develops enough torque to move a 1500 lb slide develops enough torque to break a wrist or sever an arm if it should get caught in clothing while attempting to crank the slide. I'd not want to play around with that kind of potential injury because I didn't want to take a moment or two to disconnect the power source before twisting on the slide assembly drive.

This is one warning in the operator's manual that could become a life or death situation if you're "boondocking" and have an accident.

[DWM]

Here is my opinion on disconnecting power before manually operating slide. Why even take a chance on something so simple to do. If book says unplug it then do it. How hard can it be to unplug the motor? I've never looked but would guess the plug is right there close to access panel underneath if that is where the motor is. Maybe 45 seconds if you take your time. And yes I would unplug it at the motor. Shouldn't be any risk of shorting out the motor unless someone is holding the button down or it is stuck. Can't short anything out by unhooking a dead wire.

[Tom]

Check the owner's manual on slide operation, the first step in "basic slideout tips" on page 61 of the 2015 owner's manual states: "1. The unit must have a fully charged RV battery (having the shore-line cord plugged in may NOT be enough)."

Yes, this is in the manual but MY manual says nothing about overheating or otherwise damaging the converter. While the converter in some units might "NOT" be enough to operate the slides, it is enough in my trailer so long as I operate them one at a time. It's obvious that the manual is quite generic and not specific to one model or even one series of trailer. Keystone does, after all, make trailers with electric/hydraulic operated slides as well as purely electric ones like my unit has. Since there is only one large electric hydraulic pump motor with that system (instead of 3), it's likely that slides using that system might not operate without a battery assist, or possibly operate very slowly.

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I have nothing against disconnecting the battery, but it should be noted that this will NOT necessarily remove power to the slide motors. To do that one must also remove shore power or pull fuses. Again, that's for my trailer and others might be wired differently, i.e. wired directly to the battery. Personally I'm glad that the slides on my trailer don't need the battery to operate since batteries tend to die at the most inconvenient times.

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BTW, it's surprising how those big slides are operated by tiny little DC motors. I was surprised when I saw them until I realized that they do their work not with large amounts of torque, but with gearing. Properly geared, you could move a battleship with these tiny motors.

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DWM, I think you will find that unplugging the motor isn't as easy as you envision. IMO, it would be far easier to pull the applicable fuses if you don't want to remove all power from the trailer.

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For those who haven't tried to manually operate their electric slides I have a hint: plan on using a cordless drill to turn the electric motor unless you want to crank it with a ratchet for an eternity on each slide. Using a ratchet isn't hard, it's just very, very, very time consuming. Try it yourself if you need convincing. I know I'll never leave out on a trip without a cordless drill.