Door-Step Cycle -345

[winner]

The way the door and step system is synchronized on our l987 Airstream 345 MH is painful. If and/or when the door to the MH is opened for whatever reason, the step comes out immediately and if you are not careful strikes you in the leg if you don't jump back out of the way. Does anyone know of a way to adjust or re-set this mechanism to prevent the step from coming out and down when the door is opened. It would be preferable for the step to remain in the vehicle if that could be somehow accomplished.

[thenewkid64]

Winner,

Our step has a switch that allows us to turn it off in the out position. Once the step is out it will stay out until I start the MH and then it will retract. You may want to talk to a RV mechanic that is famaliar with the Kwikee step that your MH is equipped with. I am sure that a switch can be installed to do the same.

[ViewRVs]

My thought in another post was making sure the ignition switch was not on (keys out).

Another thought might be that the step is wired to the house battery instead of the coach battery. The coach battery system (including the step) would turn on and off with the ignition. The house battery would be always on. One way to test it would be to turn off the house batteries by opening the battery drawer and switching off the house batteries. If the step still retracks, it's on the coach battery.

[winner]

Will have to try the battery thing and see exactly how it is wired (Auto battery or Coach Battery) that might be the problem. I am wondering where I am going to find a mechanic that is familiar with this situation - Surely no one here in SC?

[thenewkid64]

Here is someting you can try yourself. With the door open, try starting the MH. Does the step retract? If it does then the wiring is correct. If not then you may need to see a mechanic. My reccomendation is an RV place that sells/services MH's. Your step is a standard Kwikee model. If you look around the inside frame of your door you should have 2 small sensors with wires leading to them. They will be white/ivory and 1/4 inch wide by 1.25 inches long and an 1/8 inch thick. The sensors being close to one another is what tells the step to extend ( door open) and retract ( door closed). So assuming that the wiring is correct all you need to do is wire a switch into the one of wires to a door sensor. Then when you flip the switch the step contorls will sense it as the door is open and put the step out. Even when you close the door the step will stay out because to the step controller the door is not closed since it cannot see the second sensor.

I have uploaded a wiring diagram if you want to see how it all hooks up.

http://www.airstreamphotos.com/photo...x.pl?photo=241

[winner]

Thanks Brett!
That wiring diagram is critical and I am grateful that you have sent it - I can take it to my mechanic tomorrow and get this thing wired correctly. It was really dangerous the way it was - hit you in the leg unexpectedly, etc.

[BobbyW]

thenewkid64;

I was just looking at the wiring diagram that you posted in AirstreamPhotos regarding the Kwikee step and was wondering...

Does yours have the optional light mounted under it and if so, does it throw enough light to be useful. I think this would be a great addon to any trailer or MH and will probably do it to my current project using one of those little fluorescent lights that the "young people" are putting under their cars. It should light up the ground with out blinding you.

-BobbyWright

[thenewkid64]

Bobby,

Mine does have the light. It throws some light, but not as much as the light over my door. The biggest benifit I have seen is that the light illuminates the ground under the step so you can see "where" it is in the dark. So climbing in to the MH is much eaiser in the dark.

[thenewkid64]

Bobby,

I did not post this at the time but I was thinking that the fluorescent light that you describe should give more light and be less of a current draw when in use. I tend to not think about it with a generator, but if I was trying to conserve I would go with as many flourescent fixtures as possible.