Firefly Out of Service. How do we get the bed down???

[GlideMC]

2017 30' Classic. A thunderstorm either confused or blew the Firefly system that controls most of the AS. With Firefly out, we can't lower the Queen Bed or the Dinette set so there is no place to sleep. The Queen is stuck in its sitting up position to allow easier movement around the bed. I'm having trouble getting an appointment from Jackson Center so it will be a while. Unfortunately, they are the only ones who know anything about Firefly.

I was able to bring the awning in manually. Does anyone know how to manually lower either the Queen Bed or the Dinette Unit?

I still have A/C, hot water and the fridge, if the AS is plugged in. We have no pump, inverter, lighting control or GFI. If I can get a bed into position, at least I have an old fashioned travel trailer lit by lanterns. Looking for ideas. Thanks.

[Lily&Me]

Perhaps google the firefly system for troubleshooting tips?

Maggie

[GlideMC]

Thanks for your thoughts. Airstream, as of last week, has no official documentation for the Firefly unit. I spoke to Tech Support. The Firefly web site has no available documentation. Unfortunately, that wouldn't help me get the bed down for the trip to the shop. I need some advice from someone who has had to dismantle either of the bed units.

[Lily&Me]

Oh for Pete's sake!

Sending people out with something they cannot provide support for.

I would haul your brand new trailer over there, or back to your dealer, and insist they deal with it asap.

This seems more than a small emergency.

Firefly has a Facebook page...maybe get on that. Someone is probably monitoring it.


Maggie

[ksteve06]

Maybe a dumb question, did you check the panels under the closet to see if the push buttons need resetting on the firefly board.

[OTRA15]

I would turn all the 12-volt circuit breakers on and off, go to "Store" on the Use/Store switch, and even disconnect the batteries temporarily if necessary. Hopefully some circuit board will reset/reboot if it loses all power?

Earlier suggestions to look for a reset button on the control unit make sense also.

All these new-fangled gadgets are getting their revenge IMO!

Good luck.

Peter

PS -- These search results may lead somewhere productive?

https://www.google.com/search?q=fire...utf-8&oe=utf-8

Have you watched the YouTube videos?

[GlideMC]

I did check that. Nothing was popped or needed to be reset. The GFI breaker won't reset. Either something connected to it has shorted or the breaker has failed. Symptoms on the Firefly are as follows:
Main and sub-panels all have internal lights blinking red and green. All panels are dark. Lights on at time of storm won't go off. Light that were off won't go on. No readings of any tank levels if they go through Firefly. No device controlled through Firefly is functioning. Keep in mind that I shared this with Tech Support. His response was, "Whoa. That sounds bad."
Good suggestion from Maggie on the Facebook page. I'm not totally up to speed on Social Media, but I have a FB Acct. and I'll give that a try. At the end of the day, I'm still trying to get the bed down. Thanks.

[sandollars]

You are a bigger person than me. I would be kicking and screaming like a 2 year old if this happened to me. My admiration goes out to you....

[paiceman]

Originally Posted by GlideMC

2017 30' Classic. A thunderstorm either confused or blew the Firefly system that controls most of the AS. With Firefly out, we can't lower the Queen Bed or the Dinette set so there is no place to sleep. The Queen is stuck in its sitting up position to allow easier movement around the bed. I'm having trouble getting an appointment from Jackson Center so it will be a while. Unfortunately, they are the only ones who know anything about Firefly.

I was able to bring the awning in manually. Does anyone know how to manually lower either the Queen Bed or the Dinette Unit?

I still have A/C, hot water and the fridge, if the AS is plugged in. We have no pump, inverter, lighting control or GFI. If I can get a bed into position, at least I have an old fashioned travel trailer lit by lanterns. Looking for ideas. Thanks.

On our twin model each bed has a support, which pushes the bed up and it is held in place by a cotter pin. If queen is so equipped, pull the pin and lower. If not, take the frame apart.

[Tater]

Be sure and buy a surge protector for your electrical input.

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by GlideMC

I did check that. Nothing was popped or needed to be reset. The GFI breaker won't reset. Either something connected to it has shorted or the breaker has failed. Symptoms on the Firefly are as follows:
Main and sub-panels all have internal lights blinking red and green. All panels are dark. Lights on at time of storm won't go off. Light that were off won't go on. No readings of any tank levels if they go through Firefly. No device controlled through Firefly is functioning. Keep in mind that I shared this with Tech Support. His response was, "Whoa. That sounds bad."
Good suggestion from Maggie on the Facebook page. I'm not totally up to speed on Social Media, but I have a FB Acct. and I'll give that a try. At the end of the day, I'm still trying to get the bed down. Thanks.

I didn't read that you tried to reset any processors by killing all power for a few minutes. Disconnect from shore power. Disconnect the negative cables on your battery(ies). Let sit for a few minutes. Reconnect negative cables. Reconnect shore power. If this doesn't clear it you are in for a service visit. Pull the cotter pin (if you have one) as recommended above to get the bed down. While you have access, would you take a picture of the mechanism to refresh my memory. When I looked at one I thought "I can do that" but now I don't remember how it worked.

Al

[NWRVR]

Remove the positive and negative battery cables and touch them together. This will drain any capacitance being held by the motherboard and hopefully allow it to reset when you reconnect the battery cables. Good luck!

[Wingeezer]

Camping used to be so simple!

[AirstreamCSH]

Brilliant

[tevake]

Is there no way you can find access to the mechanical linkage or struts that move he bed around, and disconnect the lifting mechanism.

Bummer to be so stuck by an electrical glitch.

Good luck in getting to sleep in your bed tonight.

Cheers Richard

[69SoulShine]

We had a problem with our awning closing. First thing tech did was pull bottom drawer out of sink cabinet down below that was a clear box with a reset button that he reset. He said it was the brain of the Firefly. He also unplugged the Ethernet cable feeding it and reinstalled that. Don't know if that would help but maybe. Good luck

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by GlideMC

. . .
. . . Tech Support. His response was, "Whoa. That sounds bad."
. . .

Encouraging comment from Airstream. What is wrong with this company?



Have you located the clear box with a reset button, as referred to this recent post?

Originally Posted by 69SoulShine

We had a problem with our awning closing. First thing tech did was pull bottom drawer out of sink cabinet down below that was a clear box with a reset button that he reset. He said it was the brain of the Firefly. He also unplugged the Ethernet cable feeding it and reinstalled that. Don't know if that would help but maybe. Good luck

GlideMC, I think this is your owner's manual:

https://www.airstream.com/wp-content...ers-Manual.pdf

On p. 8-23 [PDF p. 89/100] is the Firefly schematic for the 30' Queen model. Have you located all the system devices that are shown? One of them is hopefully the clear box referred to above? There appears to be a "G6A DC PANEL 7100001A " under the sink IMO. Do you see this panel, and is there a reset button?

Disconnecting the mechanical part of the lift for the bed seems like it might work, as suggested earlier, although the control system may have "frozen" certain pistons or accuators in positions which conflict with lowering the bed platform?

Good luck!

Peter

PS -- This Fleetwood RV Firefly section on PDF p. 173/182 might help?

http://www.fleetwoodrv.com/resources...s_A_Diesel.pdf

Edit -- probably not helpful, but worth seeing the pages IMO.

[Jekerrville]

Hail Mary!

The Firefly has to have 12 volts to the main controller board to comand all the modules and touch panels. All of the system power for "stuff" comes from that main board to everything it controls thru its cables thru out the ship.

Under the wardrobe is a panel you can remove and inside is the master control board. There are four thumb screws that can unscrew. This allows that board to come forward.

Behind this is a power board which distributes 12 VDC and has fuse links. Also is the master fuse block. Indicator light on this and other boards are displayed there.

Check every fuse link and fuse button.

Also under the galley area dinette seat, facing forward is a seat wide panel. Pull it off you will find another large module. It distributes high current 12 DC to most of the systems like tank heaters, awnings, dinette, bed controls. This controller has fuses also.

If no power to these controllers you have nothing. There are status lights on all of there devices. No lights, no work.

If you sustained a very large power surge and nothing works, I would suspect the main power converter for the trailer. Until you prove that, you have nothing and Firefly can not function.

The overview of operation is available from Firefly Intergrations on line.

These systems are used widely and are difficult to kill. If you had a very large lighting strike very close, something called ground wave effect may have fried the electricals, and you prove that by testing with a volt ohm measurement.

At the Airstream web site it a section to obtain and download the owners manual. It will help you understand all these systems and other required knowledge to maintain you Classic.

Hope it is just a fuse.

All the best.

[knunut]

Best of Luck on your Repair. After reading all this I'LL Stay in The "Old World"Thank You!

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Jekerrville

. . .
At the Airstream web site it a section to obtain and download the owners manual.
. . .

Is this the same manual linked in Post #17 or a more detailed one which includes further Firefly info? If better would you please provide a link.

Thanks,

Peter