Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Keystone RV Forums > Keystone Tech Forums > Modifications and Upgrades
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 01-28-2014, 03:08 PM   #1
Wally15
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: S GA (Albany area)
Posts: 70
Foldout Steps Stuck/Sticking

My TT 3 foldout steps are EXTREMELY hard to pull out of the housing. The one bottom step folds down fairly easily once the steps are extended, but the other two will give you a hernia if you don't use a cheater board about 5 feet long. And you don't have much to pry against. The TT is a year old but the previous owner never extended them. He had wooden steps built for a semi-permanent install. I've used wd-40 on the hinges, also machine oil, and would put some bearing grease in there if I could. Frame is not in a bind, these steps are very stiff whether the legs are up or down, slides in or out, TT level or not makes no difference. Just as difficult to force back into the housing as to get them out. No rust or any other evidence of abuse. I don't want them flopping out going down the road, but I'd like to get them out once I arrive without a major hassle.
Suggestions?
__________________
Mike-Anne
and Trudy the Brittany Spaniel
AKA "Chubby Dog"
2013 Laredo 308RE TT
'06 Ram 2500 CTD AT
S GA


Wally15 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2014, 04:44 PM   #2
bobbecky
Senior Member
 
bobbecky's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 2,897
Might be less hassle to just replace them if they won't loosen up. Just doing a quick search found several places that carry them, and I'm sure just about any RV repair shop can get them too. Found this one site, -- http://www.rvpartscountry.com/RVFoldingSteps , and they have a three step unit for under $200. Sure beats getting hurt getting steps to work.
__________________
Bob & Becky
2012 3402 Montana
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC
bobbecky is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2014, 06:19 PM   #3
KYFamily
Senior Member
 
KYFamily's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 101
When we bought our Avalanche back in September the camper had set outside with the steps extended for about a year. After the PDI we were getting ready to leave and it was everything myself and the salesman had to close the steps. Once home it probably took me a week of everyday spraying lubricant to get the steps loose enough where I could operate them easily. Just keep at it. They should loosen up.
__________________
2016 Chevy 3500hd 6.6l
2013 Keystone Avalanche 345TG
KYFamily is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2014, 07:55 PM   #4
JRTJH
Site Team
 
JRTJH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,841
The folding steps should be "slightly tight" to keep them from bouncing out during travel. But, needing to use a cheater bar to open them is waaaaay too tight.

You might try a little penetrating oil on the rivets that hold the pieces together. If that doesn't work, then next thing I'd recommend is drilling out the rivets and replacing them with 1/4" bolts with self locking nuts. There's no need to buy new steps unless the current ones are bent so badly they can't be aligned and the bolts/nuts can be adjusted as loosely or tightly as you desire.

I'd definitely try the penetrating oil first.
__________________
John



2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
JRTJH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2014, 02:06 AM   #5
Wally15
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: S GA (Albany area)
Posts: 70
Thanks to all above for the sound advice. New steps will be a LAST resort, financially speaking. I have already spent a ton of money "after the sale" on w/d hitch, EMS, Q grill, plus getting ready to order a 2nd a/c. No telling what DW has put on plastic stocking the interior. I'm scared to look. May end up camping in the driveway.
Already tried multiple applications of the usual stuff, WD-40 and PB Blaster with little to no improvement. Going to buy some really heavy duty penetrant/lubricant and hope it works. Ordered a spray can of Penetro 90 and a spray can of Royal Purple Maxfilm. Hopefully one or both will work. Might try one on each side to see which works best.
That might be an interesting forum topic, who uses what penetrating lubricant besides WD-40, PB Blaster, and Deep Creep. A quick search of the Repairs and Maintenance forum had very little info on the subject.
It's currently snowing in S GA. Should be an interesting 65 mile drive to my consulting job. But the forecast calls for 72 degrees by Sunday. So maybe I'll get to play with my new toy this weekend.
__________________
Mike-Anne
and Trudy the Brittany Spaniel
AKA "Chubby Dog"
2013 Laredo 308RE TT
'06 Ram 2500 CTD AT
S GA


Wally15 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2014, 04:55 AM   #6
Bob Landry
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Austin, Tx
Posts: 1,910
Mine were difficult to operate also. I keep a squirt can of Mobil 1 in the tool box and everything that moves gets an occasional squirt including all of the pivot points on the steps and the corner stablizer jacks.

If I traveled over roads that were rough enough for the steps to open up, that would be the least of my worries.
__________________
2011 Outback 277RL
2013 F250 XLT Crew Cab 6.2L

Bitter Gun Owner
Bitter Clinger
Armed Infidel
Bob Landry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2014, 08:44 AM   #7
Bombfixer
Member
 
Bombfixer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 74
I use a spray on Teflon based white lubricant. When I was looking at my Raptor at the dealership, I tried to lower the steps into the garage. It took me and two salesman to unfold those steps. Even after delivery they were still still. I worked some of that Teflon lube into the hinges and now it opens one handed. I love that lube. You only need to apply it about once a year.

Sent from my NX008HD8G using Tapatalk
__________________
Using Tapatalk
Bombfixer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2014, 09:22 AM   #8
Festus2
Site Team
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Fraser Valley BC Canada
Posts: 7,015
Wally15 -
While WD40 is great for certain applications, it really doesn't do much as a lubricant. You'd be better off trying some penetrating oil or Teflon lube as suggested above.
__________________
2008 Cougar 5th Wheel 27RKS
2005 2500 GMC Duramax
Festus2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2014, 09:45 AM   #9
coop
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Indiana
Posts: 39
Our Cougar Xlite was the same way, I had to pry them open and closed, this was on a new TT, didn't notice it on the walk through. I worked grease into the pivot points and worked them back and forth until they loosened up. Now I just add grease when the start getting tight.
coop is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2014, 11:59 AM   #10
BlindGuyNAR
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 109
My rig also requires a steroid habit to successfully set up/down stairs. Execpt for last step which folds easy.
__________________
2012 SuperDuty CC KR 6.7
B&W hitch
Load lifters with on board compressor

2013 Mountaineer 346 LBQ

If no one from the future comes to stop you from doing it, how bad of a decision can it really be?
BlindGuyNAR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2014, 08:14 AM   #11
Wally15
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: S GA (Albany area)
Posts: 70
Steps now fold easily

Tried something new (for me) called Royal Purple Maxfilm. Did a good job loosening up the steps. Took two liberal applications before the steps started moving fairly easily. Followed up with a squirt of Tap Magic at the joints and now I can open and close them one handed.
Thanks for all the suggestions above.
__________________
Mike-Anne
and Trudy the Brittany Spaniel
AKA "Chubby Dog"
2013 Laredo 308RE TT
'06 Ram 2500 CTD AT
S GA


Wally15 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2014, 10:03 PM   #12
bobbecky
Senior Member
 
bobbecky's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 2,897
Glad to hear you got your steps freed up. I am assuming you know that Tap Magic is not a metal lubricant, but is really a thread cutting fluid used when cutting threads with taps and dies. It does have some slight lubricating properties when used for threading, but you might consider oiling the pivots with a more durable lube, maybe the Royal Purple Maxfilm you used before the Tap Magic.
__________________
Bob & Becky
2012 3402 Montana
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC
bobbecky is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-03-2014, 02:26 AM   #13
Wally15
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: S GA (Albany area)
Posts: 70
Tap Magic

Quote:
Originally Posted by bobbecky View Post
Glad to hear you got your steps freed up. I am assuming you know that Tap Magic is not a metal lubricant, but is really a thread cutting fluid used when cutting threads with taps and dies. It does have some slight lubricating properties when used for threading, but you might consider oiling the pivots with a more durable lube, maybe the Royal Purple Maxfilm you used before the Tap Magic.
Yeah, I know TM isn't a metal lubricant. That was more of a symbolic or nostalgic squirt. My uncle, "back in the day" when I worked after school in his shop, used Tap Magic to lube everything; screen doors, car parts, bicycles, etc. Of course, that was the old chlorine based formula, before the EPA took most of the stuff that really worked out of it.
I'll put a decent lubricant on the pivots in a week or so.
Thank you for the "heads up" though.
__________________
Mike-Anne
and Trudy the Brittany Spaniel
AKA "Chubby Dog"
2013 Laredo 308RE TT
'06 Ram 2500 CTD AT
S GA


Wally15 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates in any way. Keystone RV® is a registered trademark of the Keystone RV Company.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 10:54 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.