Newbie with Thor Chateau camper

[Endurpro]

Hi all. So I just bought a camper (1st time ever owner) off a buddy of mine. The slideout was out when he showed it to me. Now it's home and I can't get it to go out. Anyone know of a manual override?

Anyone in CT that like beer, short cash and off-colored jokes? Help needed. Thanks all!


PS: Buddy can't figure it out either.

-Steve

[saddlesore]

Originally Posted by Endurpro

Hi all. So I just bought a camper (1st time ever owner) off a buddy of mine. The slideout was out when he showed it to me. Now it's home and I can't get it to go out. Anyone know of a manual override?

Anyone in CT that like beer, short cash and off-colored jokes? Help needed. Thanks all!


PS: Buddy can't figure it out either.

-Steve

1st Welcome Aboard!
check fuses and power supply, then look for a loose wire, one may have pulled loose while transporting.

[EA37TS]

First the simple things. Make sure the parking brake is set and the ignition is off. This can often be a newbie mistake. Also, have you verified a slide lock was not positioned for transport and then not removed?

[Endurpro]

Hi all. Thanks for the warm welcome and advice. Note that this is a camper, not an RV (if I'm saying that right).

Update:

So the buddy who sold it to me is stopping over later today to drop off the awning and propane tanks. In the meantime, here's a video of what's going on... https://youtu.be/p1S2i2Y1uJ8

I love tinkering, so determined to get to the bottom of it. The good news is that it will manually open, with enough patience and redneck ingenuity.

Next step is test power at the motor. If no power, I'll trace it back. If it does have power, maybe the motor needs to be tested.

[CasaDeRussell]

First of all, I think they call what you have a "tag-a-long" as it it tags-a-long behind your vehicle. This is how I understand it.
1. Tag-a-long (regular trailer type hitch)
2. 5th wheel (goose neck hitch)
3. RV (class C)
4. Coach (class A)

I'm no pro, but I do have some ideas.
1. Check to see if there is a batter disconnect switch. On my RV there is a switch that has two options "Store" and "Use". All it does is click when you press it and it springs back to center. If you have this type of switch make sure and press it to "Use". That connects the batter. "Store" is for storage (disconnect the battery).
2. You will not get enough power from the plug the way you have it hooked up. It is OK for charging the batteries, but not for normal use. If you turn on the AC it will trip the breaker circuit you are plugged in to. If you turn on too many things it will trip the breaker circuit you are plugged in to. Either that or you will melt the smaller extension cord. The plug for your camper is a 30 Amp plug. You can't run 30 Amps through an extension cord without frying it.
3. Check for fuses. I think others have already said that.
4. Check power at the motors. But to do that you will need someone to press the button while you take measurements.

That's all the ideas I have right now.

[bevedfelker]

If i's a power problem the first thing to check is (as Casa mention) to make sure the house batteries are not electrically disconnected. I don't know if you have a knife switch on the battery or a Use/Store switch like in RVs. Do you have 12 Volt power elsewhere in the camper -- like do the interior lights work? The motors on the slide are DC motors so the first thing you need to check is to be sure the batteries are providing DC power to the camper. Since the slide was out when he showed you it and he put the slide in, there had to be DC power. He probably disconnected the battery so that it did not fully discharge. Ask him if he turned off the camper battery.

[Endurpro]

Thank you all for your great advice.


So here's a fun update: My buddy showed up and reminded me that the slideout needs 220 power, not 110 that I was using. So we hooked my generator to it and worked like a charm.


I'm learning! Thanks all for being cool with my rookie'ness. Have a great evening!

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by CasaDeRussell

1. Tag-a-long (regular trailer type hitch)

Also frequently known as a "Travel Trailer" or TT for short.