2006 Camelot Slide creeps in and closes on its on

[GypsyJo]

I’ve had this 2006 Monaco for a few years. A couple days ago I came home to my coach and found the slideout drivers side front was closed. No one home. Today, a couple days later I came home and found same slideout half ways closed. I opened it up again. I live in this coach full time so this is weird. Any ideas?

[klcdenver]

[Dr4Film]

Joanne, has it been raining a lot? Is this an electric or hydraulic slide?

[Chargerman]

It many cases it is a solenoid that is not closing properly and therefore it allows fluid to pass through which allows the slide to creep. Usually this allows the slide to move a short distance. If you are seeing a lot of movement there may be another cause. Who is the manufacturer of your slide units?

[GypsyJo]

I would imagine that it’s Monaco. I am kampworker and have been parked since March. This is the first time this has happened. 

[GypsyJo]

I am in the Smoky mountains in NC aka rainforest. Yes lots of rain and I think it’s hydraulic. I think. 

[Chargerman]

Monaco is not the mechanism manufacturer. Most likely it is HWH. Did you move any slides prior to this happening?

[Tom Cherry]

Yes, You have Hydraulic Slides.  Lippert is the Brand.  It appears you may have a leak in one of the valves OR....Low Fluid or some air in the system.  The best place to take it to is Tom Johnson's Camping World in Marion, NC.  They should be able to fix it.  They have a very nice campground for you to hang out in if they need parts. 

I would call ahead and get an appointment and also reserve a camp site.  BUT FIRST......READ ON

NOW you can try this BEFORE you call Tom Johnson's.  First Locate the Hydraulic Slide system. Pull out the Generator slide (I think that is manual on yours.....maybe not) on the RIGHT SIDE (Road) there will be, inside the front cover, the Hydraulic system. WITH THE SLIDES TOTALLY IN.....use a flashlight and remove the cap and look at the level.  There will be a cap on the reservoir.  The level should be within an inch of so from the top.  If it is low, then purchase some Automatic Transmission Fluid at an Auto Parts Store.  Get a brand name like Pennzoil or such.  Find one that is universal.  I would NOT purchase a FULL SYNTHERIC......get the one that says it will work in all systems.  Bring the level up to within an inch or the top.  

NOW....you MUST be plugged into at least 30 Amp service.... or have the Generator running.  Cycle the one slide IN (or OUT).  When it stops moving, hold the button for the count of about 3 or 4.  Then reverse and do it on the opposite cycle.  Make sure you briefly HOLD in the button.  You will hear the motor change pitch or sound and that is STALLING.  Only hold it for a second or two.  It needs to make the noise that is different from when it is moving.

NOW.....repeat this at least 4 or 5 times.  You CAN wait a few minutes between each extension or retraction.  I would do a complete IN & OUT on one side.  WAIT....maybe 5 minutes.  Then do the other side.  You want maybe 5 cycles (In/Out) on each slide. That gives the house batteries time to briefly RECHARGE.

If you had LOW fluid....or even if you did NOT, you MAY have some air in the system. This cycling will allow the air to be expelled.  I doubt it will take more.  BUT, if it moves less the next time, then that is progress.  Do that a few more times.  This way you have bled off the air.  That is the quick, DIY, fix.  OTHER THAN THAT...time to have it tested and repaired.

Good Luck.  Let us know how this works.

[GypsyJo]

Thank you for your help. 

[GypsyJo]

I looked in the generator compartment and didn’t find the hydraulic system so went to the book. Apparently all the hydraulics run off the same place which is in the engine compartment just below the oil dipstick. I neglected to read how much fluid it would take and only bought a few qts. Well they aren’t enough. I will have to go to town after work tomorrow and pick up a case of fluid. I sure hope I’m doing this right. I can’t Find anything in the manual. 
i had my coach serviced at REV in Indiana last august and only put 1100 miles on her. I can’t imagine she lost all her fluids. They were supposed to have done thorough check on transmission and all other fluids and change them all.  
My slideout went out and in fine a couple times, then none of them would move at all for a while. Then they go In and out and again nothing. I imagine I am still very low on fluids. 
 

[Tom Cherry]

Never ASSUME ANYTHING.  After your post did some research and downloaded your manual.  It appears you have an electric motor slide system. There is a main control board in the rear run electrical bay.  It was made by IDS.  They are no longer in business or do not make this board.  You have the first year of the Camelots….I think.  They were a shared name and the Windsor was the same.  So you can research problems using a 2006 Windsor as well.  Later on, the front slides were hydraulic.  

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f258/2006-monaco-camelot-4-slide-control-board-471927.html

the member that posted the topic in January 2020, I believe, also was the IRV2 poster.  If you go to the topic here, the January 20, and click on his icon or “S”, you get his profile.  You can send him an email or message.  He listed a phone number which I believe you can see as folks call me sometimes.

In short, my take on this is that you have an electronic gremlin.  Something, cause unknown, activates the slide mechanism when you are gone.  

in his research, he has been told, I think, to install an individual controller for each slide.  I don't know how many slides you have.  That would make the system work, but you will need a competent repair shop or technician.  Without looking at your prints or such, but from helping others, this is the way it works.

your ignition has to be OFF. There is also a set of switches that have to be “made”.  One is the parking brake (ON).  You may have bay or Door switches (doors have to be closed).  Once that is done AND the ignition is OFF, then the controller will operate.  Each switch send a signal to the IDS board.  The slide motors are DC a electric.  There is a relay that sends power to each slide’s motor.  There may be two relays or just one.  The relays send DC to the motor.  A DC motor, if your reverse the polarity, will turn or operates in the REVERSE direction.  SO….the EXTEND send a positive 12 VDC to terminal 1 and a Ground to terminal 2.  The motor extends the slide.  When you retract that slide, the relay control or board then reverses.  The ground goes to Terminal 1 and the Positive to terminal 2.

Whoever works on this is going to need the wiring prints.  I don’t know if they are in your manual.  Here is a link to the files in our system.  Download them so you can give the tech a jump drive or email them to the tech.

https://www.monacoers.org/files/file/388-2006-windsor-camelot-sceptor/ 

I do have one crazy solution…..and this assumes that the slide control board will work reliably.  If my “gut” is correct, there MAY be door switches.  There is a “lockout relay” that gets power from the ignition.  My BET is that when you find the board in the rear….and there is a picture of it as sell as in the posts, if you REMOVE a the 3 amp fuse and then try to move a slide….it will NOT work.  Try that.  If so, then find a tech that can run wires from the terminals.  Have them put a simple switch in the rear with a 3 amp Inline fuse.  When you leave…..you turn the switch OFF.  That is like removing the control power.  A bit of a hassle…..but if you are full timing and staying at a site for an extended period…..it is not a big deal.  

I, again, suggest Tom Johnson’s. They can assist you and give you options.

Good Luck.

PS…do some reading on the hydraulic system.  If you are talking about the black reservoir with a cap on top….read up on it.  There is a dipstick on it.  You need to know which type of fluid.  You can stick a pencil or a wooden dowel down in it.  When you pull it out, let a drop or two drip onto a paper towel.  If it is straw or brownish yellow, it is AW46 Hydraulic oil.  If it is REDDISH, it is Automatic Transmission fluid.  

You need to know which one.  Do some reading and research.  There are posts here on that.

[Dr4Film]

Hard to solve a problem with misinformation or lack of accurate information.

It may come down to condensation, corrosion a bad relay or something else being that they ARE electrical slides.

For those that have very limited knowledge of their coach's systems I would highly recommend finding a really good shop or mobile TV tech that can come directly to your site for troubleshooting and repair.

[GypsyJo]

I do in fact have 3 hydraulic slideout and 1 electric. I had trouble finding the hydraulic reservoir but finally located it in the engine compartment right in front of my face. I guess I was looking for something different. I closed all slideout and checked level, it was good. 
I contacted camping world to schedule an appointment. Am just waiting for call back. Driving there will give me an opportunity to see if my Valid leveling system will act up again once on the road. 
Thank you again for your help. I’ll let you know what they find once I get get into the shop  

 

[Bill Hines]

MODERATORS EDIT;

NOTE. There were two identical posts made the same day….with different titles.  That was only discovered this morning.  Both have been merged  into the one with the most activity.

If any member finds such duplicates, please notify a Moderator.  We will review and resolve.  This one slipped through the cracks.

 

Probably slide cylinders leaking. Look for hydraulic fluid on ground or in bays where cylinders are mounted.  

[GypsyJo]

No fluid on the ground or in bay. 

I have an appointment at Marion Camping world next week. 

[96 EVO]

You sure you have hydraulic slides?

I recall reading the Camelot / Scepter models didn't have hyd front slides until the '08 model year 🤔.

[Chargerman]

21 minutes ago, GypsyJo said:

No fluid on the ground or in bay. 

I have an appointment at Marion Camping world next week. 

The absolute last place I would take it would be a Camping World Service Center. Their knowledge, while also limited is around travel trailers and lower end gas motor homes. They will be guessing on everything regarding your rig. 

[jacwjames]

Taking it to a shop to chase a gremlin like this is a crap shoot, they might be lucky and find something fast or if not start building a retirement fund for someone. 

If you can try and determine what kind of slide system you have and post.  You might also check the wiring diagrams for info as to what it might be.  Chances are you have a slide controller that might still be available. It will consist of a number of relays mounted on a circuit board and is the brains of the slides.   I would invest in buying and installing this before taking it to a shop. 

 

Back in ~2012 I was actually in Spain for work.  My wife was getting ready to go on a trip and when she checked the emergency flashers they didn't work so she took it to Camping World to fix.  When I called her and she told me this I told her to immediately go get the coach and if there was an emergency use the flashers on the Jeep/toad.   Still cost us $200 and they didn't have a clue how to fix the problem.

Later when I had time I was working on the rig and reached over and flipped the emergency flasher switch and they started to work and I could hear the relay clicking.  I had to take the whole dash apart to track down the clicking sound and found the relay plugged into wires just hanging loose in the bundle of wires behind the dash.  I went to Autozone and bought a new relay and that fixed the problem.   There is no way Camping World would have found this and no telling what it would have cost if we left the rig there. 

[Tom Cherry]

ALL…..PLEASE NOTE.  this is now a merged topic.  The recent posts were just discovered this morning.  There were two topics with the same exact first post….just different titles.

I recommended the former Tom Johnson RV CENTER….A well known and established RV CENTER ….the best in Western NC with a location also at the CMS ain’t Charlotte.  Both were fine and reputable.  I have used the TJ Marion location 3 times in the past 6 years or so.  It is now a CW.  That is why I listed it.

i totally understand the apprehension about an unknown and run of the mill CW.  I also have not used this one in the last 2 years or so as I found a tech with 35 years experience in the Greensboro CW and he, up until a year ago….was my go to and he did jobs that were unbelievable.

For those that have just posted….reread the flurry of posts originally on this topic.  There has been quite a lot of activity….I have no idea why this one popped up….but it has been consolidated.

Thanks.

[96 EVO]

On 9/24/2022 at 4:59 AM, GypsyJo said:

I do in fact have 3 hydraulic slideout and 1 electric. I had trouble finding the hydraulic reservoir but finally located it in the engine compartment right in front of my face. I guess I was looking for something different. I closed all slideout and checked level, it was good. 

 

The hydraulic system in your engine bay only powers your steering, and your radiator fan. The engine needs to be running for it to operate, meaning, your slides wouldn't move without your engine running!

If, you had hydraulic slides, the 12 volt hydraulic system would be in your generator compartment, drivers side.

[DavidR]

FYI-My 2005 Camelot has all four electric slides...

[Tom Cherry]

1 hour ago, DavidR said:

FYI-My 2005 Camelot has all four electric slides...

See my September 23 post.  Based on what I found out….assuming that the slides are electric, then the 4 (up to) slide control board appears to be acting flaky.  Rains or high humidity MAY be causing the board to activate the slide(s).  This appears to be a known, but not well publicized problem.  The board is no longer available.  The solution, other than determining WHERE the errant signal is coming from is to …. remove, temporarily, power from the control board,

However, the OP has, I think, stated that the slides are also intermittent in their functions.  So, if they die extended, then that is a REAL problem.

The most common recommended solution is to use the slide switches and wire them to a stand alone (Lippert?) controller.  A controller that only works on one slide.  That means 4 controllers….plus finding the space to put them.  On post on  another board said that Lippert has a module that will work multiple slides, then that would be a godsend.   But I never could find one.  They do have the In Wall controller…but that is for a two motor, one on each side, system….not gonna work…I think.

Hopefully, a good tech will be able to diagnose….and maybe find a problem elsewhere…..or be knowledgeable enough to fix the controller.  

I think that is the gist of where it is….until a tech diagnoses this….or maybe finds a used board….but folks have reportedly tried that also and they appear to be hard to find.

If the slides are electric, then the control board that is used on my 2009 .Camelot rear slides MIGHT work.  But you would need two of them….if there is two rear and two front,  Don’t know or remember if the OP stated the model or number of slides.

1 hour ago, DavidR said:

FYI-My 2005 Camelot has all four electric slides...

Can you post a picture of the controller?  Should be, as much as I can research, in the rear.  That is the one that is often written about and is probably the one needed.  Thanks

EDIT.  GypsyJO.

I sent you both a PM and an email with some research and possible controllers that might be used....IF they can't fix or find you one.  Read it. There are two Stock controllers that Intellitec and Lippert makes that will work on each slide....so you have to have ONE for each.  The Intellitec is designed for "non interior" use and all the wiring for your system can be, I think, easily attached....assuming that the tech understands the fundamentals.

Hope this helps.... 

Good Luck.

[GypsyJo]

It seems my ghost slideout issue is resolved. I ran it in and out a few times and since then , no more problems. Hopefully it was simple solution

 I did take coach to Tom Johnson’s CW and has it checked out. No issues found.