I feel like such an Idiot....

[Pick]

Ever since we bought our Airstream, we could not get the door step to come down. I shot penetrating oil and regular oil into the mechanism. Still stuck. The other day after my wife said, "Why don't you take some pictures and post them on the Forum, and see if anyone can help you?" I got the camera out and took some pictures. Then I started fiddling around with it, got out the flashlight, looking into the slot where the release lever is. Then I tried something I had never tried before. I pushed the step up all the way up, then pushed the release lever down. (all this time we were trying to push the lever with the step in the resting position!)The step came down just the way it was designed to!!! Duhhh! I guess I'll have to call "What's her name?" at extension ??? and get a manual.

[smily]

I read your post and I was confused.....

On mine you actually "lift" the release and the step falls into position. I noticed that you wrote that you push down on the release. Is that correct?

Mine is one finger required. It will fall into place so fast that if you are standing too close you will come away with bruised shins.

When storing the steps you lift and push the step into place and the "latch" will drop into position and retain the step.

I hope this helps some. I expect that we have the same steps.

Smily

[Pick]

On mine the latch is in the up position. If you try and push the latch lever down without pushing the step up, you encounter resistance and nothing happens, and it appears that something is stuck. If you push the step up, then you can push the lever down, and the step releases. Clear as mud?

[3Ms75Argosy]

Pick, I think I had the same problem as you.....The step was down when we bought it, and I remember being able to make it come down when inspecting the trailer. However, after I got it home, no amount of pulling pushing or pounding would make it drop, lever up or down. I oiled everything with WD40, waited, and tried again. No luck! I was about to give up and order a portable step, when as a last resort, I pushed straight DOWN on the step and pulled the lever. I almost smashed my face against the side of the trailer the step moved so fast. All this time I was applying pressure the wrong way. My step seems to bind against itself in the folding position, I think that's why it stuck. I appleid greese to the levers that fold against themselves (I have the optional extra step), and this seemed to help. I took me awhile to figure out how to fold out that extra step - it seemed so easy in the manual!
marc