Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 18, 2025 ...

Intermittent slide problem

June 11, 2013, 11:01:38 pm

We have increasing problems getting the slides to operate. Sometimes extending and sometimes retracting the pump runs but the slide doesn't move. When in Louisiana a while back I called the factory when trying to get underway. Was told to turn the key on and try extend first because the system may think the extend cycle hadn't completed. That worked and the slide retracted. On subsequent times we try various things several times on both slides and finally they operate.

I always hold the button until the cycle completes (and then a little) so I think it must be a sensor.

We have an appointment at FOT in July for a few things but with an intermittent problem like this I'd sure like to nail down the cause instead of hoping it acts up and is diagnosed correctly while there.  Also don't want to get stranded in the meantime.

I read on other posts about lights to indicate what sensors are activated.

Any suggestions?

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Re: Intermittent slide problem

Reply #1 – June 12, 2013, 08:01:39 am

Does the yellow always come on when you turn the key?  We have and an ongoing issue where at times, the yellow light does not turn on when the key is turned. Also at times the pump would run but no slide movement.  Other times the entire panel would go dark! 

We made a second trip to HWH in Iowa.  They removed the slide canister that holds the computer and did extensive testing and found one of the diodes was bad.  This was our third slide motherboard but the diode had never been replaced. It had been moved with each new board.  HWh installed a new diode and so far everything seems to be working well.

If you are in the area it's worth a trip to HWh.  FOT will say its the board and will send the entire thing off to HWH and you will be dead in the water at camp ft with no slides for over a week.  Been there, done that. 

Call HWH.  Randy in tech support is great! 

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Re: Intermittent slide problem

Reply #2 – June 12, 2013, 01:15:45 pm

Second going to HWH. 

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Reply #3 – June 12, 2013, 01:16:29 pm

I had an intermittent problem and they located it to a steel screw instead of a brass one.

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Reply #4 – June 12, 2013, 02:04:21 pm

Lights work just as they should. Don't know when we could make to HWH. I work full time to buy diesel fuel and motorcycle gas.

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Reply #5 – June 12, 2013, 02:16:31 pm

I had the issue with extending. It was a 40 amp fuse that was hit when the stainless cover touched the boards in the HWH box. The boards were loose nd were shooting the system.

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Re: Intermittent slide problem

Reply #6 – June 14, 2013, 10:07:33 pm

I just got back from a trip to Liberty Lake (RnR RV) to have them work on my 2002 slide.  It seems to be working, but there are still similar issues remaining.  I am gonna have to evaluate and then contact them with what I learn.  There is at least one Tech from the old Foretravel dealership up there and he was super.  I thought it was all well and went on to Sturgis and happily extended my slide...first time for me in about 3-4 years.  Then I noticed the next afternoon that it had crept in about 3/4" at the bottom (another issue that we thought was "fixed" by adding a $200 HWH part).  I tried to put it out.  I released the bladder, then pressed the extend button.  Nothing.  Pump on, no movement.  Sheer panic here.  I ended up cycling the bladder air again.  Then when I tried it again, it went out completely as it should and the pump went off.  I then brought it in...and left it in for the rest of the trip home.  Tucked inside the garage, it opened fine.  I can understand why Foretravel waited so long to add slides to the coaches.  These 2002s use a "Train" system, I was told, and it is the only year that they were used.  My slide has been very frustrating for me, never being quite sure that it will retract.  Doesn't look like my trip to WA has completely cured whatever ails it...yet.

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