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Topic: Step question (Read 819 times) previous topic - next topic

Step question

So far I haven't found anything that fixes our flopping step, and it seems to be much worse lately. Would it hurt anything if I just disconnected the two cylinders and left the step out? I could tape it up while driving and then remove the tape when landed.

Re: Step question

Reply #1 –
Quote from: kb0zke –
So far I haven't found anything that fixes our flopping step, and it seems to be much worse lately. Would it hurt anything if I just disconnected the two cylinders and left the step out? I could tape it up while driving and then remove the tape when landed.

Our step was not there when we bought the coach, I did some checking with the POs, no one responded to why.  I wrecked the step on a previous coach backing into a tight spot when my "tape job" failed!
1993 U-240 "La Villa Grande"..CAT 3116 w/ Pacbrake PRXB...Allison 3060 6-speed..
Previous: 1983 Airstream 310 turbo diesel, 1979 Airstream 280 turbo diesel
                                      Build # 4297
                                      PNW natives
                      Home base:  'Cactus Hug' (Ajo, Arizona)
                        DW Judy & Chet the wonder dog
                        Full-Timers 'Sailing the asphalt sea'

Re: Step question

Reply #2 –
Does the step go down while driving? Not sure what you mean by flopping.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: Step question

Reply #3 –
If you want to use tape as a temporary fix, I recommend 3M no residue duct tape. Sticks like the devil and comes off clean... relatively expensive at around $9 a roll, but I won't ever buy anything else for a situation where you want strength and can still remove, even after weeks exposed to direct sunlight. Dave Katsuki turned me on to this when he posted about this on the forum once, and I was thrilled to see how well it works.
Don
3M Scotch 1.88 in. x 25 yds. Tough No Residue Painter's Duct Tape-2425-HD -...
Quote from: kb0zke –
So far I haven't found anything that fixes our flopping step, and it seems to be much worse lately. Would it hurt anything if I just disconnected the two cylinders and left the step out? I could tape it up while driving and then remove the tape when landed.
The selected media item is not currently available.
Don & Tys
1999 U270 3602 WTFE #5402
Xtreme Stage 1 w/Headlight, Step Conversion, etc.
2009 Honda Fit Sport with Navi
Freedom is NOT "just another word for nothing left to lose"... with apologies to Kris Kristofferson

Re: Step question

Reply #4 –
craneman, the step is supposed to stay up when driving, but it doesn't. It used to just kind of "float" open a bit, then snap closed (up). That would pretty much settle down to behaving itself after an hour or so of driving. Now the step snaps open, then shut. Today I noticed that it seems to be worse when the red needle is showing lower than usual air pressure.

To explain that last sentence a bit, I have a single air pressure gauge with a red and a white needle. I'm not sure which tank goes with which needle, but usually the two needles would always show pretty much the same pressure. Air pressure would vary from about 110 to 120 according to the gauge. Today the white needle was behaving normally, but the red one was going down to about 90. A couple of times I saw the red needle going up, then the step started banging and the red needle was dropping. I suspect that I have an air leak somewhere.

Shortly after we headed out this morning, to the accompaniment of the interesting drum beat of the step, we came across an convenient rest area. I remembered that a couple of weeks ago I had used the air hose, so we pulled into the rest area. Jo Ann got some coffee for us and I checked the air hose. I DID remember to turn the valve off when I used the hose, but I did turn it on and off again, just in case. Didn't make any difference.

Re: Step question

Reply #5 –
David in your short bay by the door where your aux compressor is there is a valve. It is tied into your park brake when you release your brakes the step is closed when you set the brake the step goes down. Check under your step and behind where the compressor is and see if your valve is leaking. It just may be loose or bad.
Andy & Eileen
MONTROSE COLORADO
1992 U300  40' 6V92 TA
2016 4 Runner
1998 Jeep Grand cherokee

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee) Build # 4135 Skp# 122921

Re: Step question

Reply #6 –
Don't have time to unpack that area now, so that will have to wait until we land in Brookings Saturday. I think I'll see how difficult it is to disconnect the mechanism from the step in the morning. If it doesn't fight me much I'll do that. If it fights, though, we'll just have to put up with the strange drum beat.

Isn't there a drummer on this forum? He hasn't managed to shrink himself and turn our step into a new drum, has he?

Re: Step question

Reply #7 –
There is a switch that activates the step in the door jam. Maybe a possibility there.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: Step question

Reply #8 –
Mine has a magnetic type switch at the back of the screen door.
 
Trent
Trent and Jean Eyler
2000  U295  4003  WTFE  ISC  350
Build#5603 MC#17385

Re: Step question

Reply #9 –
Quote from: TulsaTrent –
Mine has a magnetic type switch at the back of the screen door.

^ now there's a possibility ^

I know a couple of folks with the bus-style coaches have had problems with a wire going to the magnetic proximity switch getting pinched or breaking.
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Step question

Reply #10 –
 When all else fails:
1993 U-240 "La Villa Grande"..CAT 3116 w/ Pacbrake PRXB...Allison 3060 6-speed..
Previous: 1983 Airstream 310 turbo diesel, 1979 Airstream 280 turbo diesel
                                      Build # 4297
                                      PNW natives
                      Home base:  'Cactus Hug' (Ajo, Arizona)
                        DW Judy & Chet the wonder dog
                        Full-Timers 'Sailing the asphalt sea'

Re: Step question

Reply #11 –
Well, I didn't take the step apart this morning because it was starting to come apart by itself. One of the two actuators came off by itself, so tonight I'll take the other one off.

I suspect the plunger switch in the door jamb may be the culprit. When we were at FOT a couple of years ago I looked at a new switch. The current one (original, as far as I know) makes/breaks contact with the plunger almost all the way in. The new one from Parts was actually worse, so I didn't buy it. This morning I had the engine running and the door open, so the step was out. I pushed the switch to close the step, but nothing happened. I'll play around a bit more tonight. Tomorrow we'll be landed in Brookings, so I'll have two weeks to scratch my head.

Yes, we do have a step stool for those times when it is just too far from ground to floppy step. Two years ago we were in Brookings on our first Care-A-Vanner Build, and we got there late, so we were on quite a slope. I had two 2x6 boards under each front tire and the coach was resting on the rear tires. I'm hoping that we'll get there early enough tomorrow that we can get a more level spot.

Re: Step question

Reply #12 –
David, when your air pressure drops low they do drop open. Mine needs around 50lbs to close it.
JohnH
Coachless, now use aircraft. 2003 Ford Travelair TC280 class C. Super shape. Just for 1 yr .
1994 Ford E350 ClassC,total renovation inside and out. Now sold.
2000 U295  36' Cummins 350 c/w Banks Stinger, Resonator upgrade,Solar, LED lites.Residential fridge with slide out pantry. Build 5674. Sold
ex 92 GV 022C ored Cummins. Sold
ex 95 GV240 cat 3116. Sold
2017 Mini cooper s & 2016 land Rover LR2 HSE  LUX.
jhaygarth@aol.com    SKP #130098
treat everyone as you would like to be.

Re: Step question

Reply #13 –
Quote from: kb0zke –
I have a single air pressure gauge with a red and a white needle. I'm not sure which tank goes with which needle...
If your coach air system is the same as ours, then the red needle is the "front" tank, and the white needle is the "rear" tank.  This is easy to verify.  The next time you are parked with the coach air system up, open the water drain valve on either the "front" or the "rear" tank and bleed off some pressure.  Then go inside and see which needle shows the reduced pressure.  On my coach, the step gets air pressure from the "front" air tank.

Your problem with the step sound electrical to me.  Either the switch in the door jamb is going bad, or there is a bad spot in the wire either going to the door switch or from the door switch to the solenoid valve that operates your step cylinders.  Or could be a bad ground wire on step solenoid valve.  Whatever - you have a intermittent faulty circuit that is making and breaking as you go down the road.

If you disconnect the step air cylinders and you want to cut power to the step control circuit, there is a fuse under the dash cover that you can pull.  On my wiring diagram, it is in the second from the left fuse block.  It is a 10amp fuse labeled: "TV RELAY STEP".  The wire going to the step door switch is labeled "C11 YL".  If you pull that fuse, it will stop the step air cylinders from moving in and out until you get time to fix the problem.
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: Step question

Reply #14 –
Looks like you are not the only one with step problems. Found this at a Walmart today during a crane lift nearby. Don't use a phone for a camera very often, so image is sideways. That is a C- clamp holding the step.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: Step question

Reply #15 –
David
My step was doing the same as yours. I tolerated it during our 9000 mile trip out west last year. I swore to fix it after I returned home and had the time to unload the bay and Joey bed. Had I known at the time the cause was a loose ground wire to the step solenoid, I could have fixed it in 10 minutes in a campground. Took longer to move the "stuff" out of the way than it did to fix the problem. I have had no more issues since I replaced the ring terminal and secured with a new sheet metal screw.
To eliminate the door switch just connect the two wires together and the step will go up or down with the ignition switch. if it still misbehaves while driving you will know it's not the door switch 
Justin & Cathy Byrd
1995 U280 "Old Faithful"
36' Build #4673
C8.3 Cummins
Allison MD3060R 6 speed - retarder
Powertech 10KW  4cyl Kubota

Re: Step question

Reply #16 –
If the step is going up and down slowly then it could be a low air pressure problem. Reach behind the step and increase the regulator pressure. If it is moving up and down rapidly (as mine was) then it is more likely an electrical issue. (loosing power to the solenoid)
Make sure your ground connection is good!
Justin & Cathy Byrd
1995 U280 "Old Faithful"
36' Build #4673
C8.3 Cummins
Allison MD3060R 6 speed - retarder
Powertech 10KW  4cyl Kubota
 

Re: Step question

Reply #17 –
Step is fixed!!!

Well, maybe I shouldn't crow just yet, but we drove from Pierre to Brookings today without a single flop or bang from the step. As is sometimes the case, the fix was a simple one. Short answer is that I reattached the step.

Longer answer is that the front actuator had come off of the step, so that it was supported (when open) by only the rear actuator and the hinge. In looking at how it went back together it looked like that actuator had been working itself loose, so that the step wasn't closing properly. Apparently the rod can turn, so that it was unscrewing itself. At any rate, I had to pull the pin that held the mounting bracket to the step bracket in order to thread it back onto the rod. When I did, I noticed that the bracket on the rear actuator was threaded on farther than what the front one looked like it needed, so I tried screwing it all the way on. That worked.

I'm sure glad that Jo Ann's eyes are younger than mine.

Thanks for all the ideas. Sure glad that this fix didn't cost anything.