My electric steps developed a bit of a glitch yesterday. There is a switch at the door that, in the toggled up position, “locks” the steps in whatever position they are in when switched. Specifically if the door is closed with the steps retracted and you flip the switch the steps should stay retracted even if you open the door. And if you flip the switch when the steps are extended they should stay that way even if the door is closed. That’s what the Airstream owners manual says, and that is how mine worked up until yesterday.
Yesterday the steps would not stay in the extended position if the door was closed and the switch was toggled up. It has been raining really hard where we are and we have done a lot of towing in the rain... maybe it has effected it?
So today I removed the wall switch and tested to make sure it was working as a switch should (just checked continuity). Put it back in the wall and, well, things worked as they should. For about 3 cycles of opening and closing the door. Then it stopped acting as it should.
Started with the internet to get the Kwikee manual because my Airstream wiring diagram shows almost nothing. It refers me to
12 volt schematics which I don’t have. The relevant Kwikee wiring page is shown below.
So out comes the voltmeter and work clothes. Crawled under to where the step motor and Wiring is located. Fun when the ground is wet.
Quickly noticed that where Kwikee indicates a 4-wire plug, I only have 3 wires. The wire that is not tied into the Kwikee controller is apparently the white wire.
Did lots of volt testing and it sure seems like Airstream decided to bypass the Kwikee control system that does exactly what I described above (how the manual says the system should work) and is sending voltage (or not sending voltage) to the door with a separate control box?!? Anyone have any thoughts or experience with this? Or ideas how the Airstream control of this actually works?
Thanks,
Matt
Linear Mode
