electric step on 2009 Airstream 3500 stuck

[bfbroadbent]

We just purchased a 2009 Airstream Interstate in Tx and before arriving back in WI, the step stuck in the extended position. The wall switch in off so we are not sure how to get the step to retract. Any help will be appreciated. We are 1,000 miles from the selling dealer and 500 miles from Airstream.
Thanks

[HiHoAgRV]

Try this-

RV Retractable Step Repair - YouTube

[HiHoAgRV]

Oh, and welcome to the forum!

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by bfbroadbent

We just purchased a 2009 Airstream Interstate in Tx and before arriving back in WI, the step stuck in the extended position. The wall switch in off so we are not sure how to get the step to retract. Any help will be appreciated. We are 1,000 miles from the selling dealer and 500 miles from Airstream.
Thanks

The step has a "step lock" switch just inside the sliding side door. First switch is the patio light, second switch is the step lock. Mine has the switch wired upside down, so that up is off, down is on, backwards from all the other switches. Took me ages to figure out the switch worked backwards.

HOWEVER, the step should also retract even if the step lock is on, as soon as you start the engine. Unless the previous owner mucked around with the auto-retract feature as some here on the Forums have, to allow the step to be used for boarding passengers with the engine running.

Originally Posted by HiHoAgRV

Try this-

The video is for the wrong type of step…

[bfbroadbent]

We know the step should retract and since it doesn't we should get a warning beep. But we are not getting a warning beep. Maybe this is another clue? Hope so. Thanks for all your efforts to help us.
Betty

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by bfbroadbent

We know the step should retract and since it doesn't we should get a warning beep. But we are not getting a warning beep. Maybe this is another clue? Hope so. Thanks for all your efforts to help us.
Betty

No warning beep and no movement means that a blown fuse is a possibility.

If memory serves, the step is powered from the chassis battery, not the house batteries. That means the fuse should be somewhere on the auxiliary panel on the base of the driver's seat if I'm not mistaken, not on the house fuse panel under the rear sofa.

On the plus side, even if you can't find the problem, the step doesn't stick out any farther than the passenger-side outside mirror, so as long as you avoid scraping it on a curb during a right-hand turn, the vehicle is still drivable that way.

[bfbroadbent]

We look forward to learning all we can about the Airstream. I think we are really going to enjoy our travels in it.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by bfbroadbent

We look forward to learning all we can about the Airstream. I think we are really going to enjoy our travels in it.

It's great that you can say that even after encountering a problem so early in your ownership!

Even before my first camping trip, someone burglarized mine. During my first trip, a malfunctioning water heater thermostat allowed the water to overheat, nearly scalding me the first night I used it, and then shutting down the water heater so that for the rest of the trip if I wanted hot water I had to heat it in a teakettle on the stove. On the plus side, heating bathwater in a teakettle reminds one in a hurry how to take sponge baths and conserve gray tank capacity!

Due to an insurance settlement and a warranty repair, I got past those problems, and I have never once regretted buying mine.

[bfbroadbent]

Our dealer changed the oil before we headed back to Wisconsin, but they couldn't figure out how to clear the service engine message. Does anyone have an answer. Thanks again for all who have responded - its good to know you are willing to share the things you have learned.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by bfbroadbent

Our dealer changed the oil before we headed back to Wisconsin, but they couldn't figure out how to clear the service engine message. Does anyone have an answer. Thanks again for all who have responded - its good to know you are willing to share the things you have learned.

Your Airstream dealer changed the oil? Or your Sprinter dealer?

You've got to go to the Sprinter dealer to get the code reset at the same time the oil is changed.

OR, for the same amount of money the Sprinter dealer will charge to reset the code once, buy an OBDII code reader, that will allow you to reset fault codes yuorself. Just don't reset fault codes until you know for sure that the problem has been taken care of.

[polarlyse]

Try GOOGLE for the service light re-set. I do my daughters VW all the time and it's a simple multi step procedure. Maybe the sprinter has something like that for re-setting it.

[bfbroadbent]

Thanks so much for recommending google. I found a message from 2012 and watched a video - showed my husband and he now knows how to reset this message. I will also try google to see if there is more info on our electric step. Anyway thanks much for the help!