Slides No Workie!

**Laidback1** · 04-03-2020, 12:33 PM

Currently parked at home in driveway and have been plugged into shore power since we returned home in mid-March when Corona raised it’s ugly head. Everything works: A/C, lights, appliances, etc. Weather forecast is calling for chance of a severe storm with large hail this evening. Do not have a covered place available to park or take it. Went out to put the slides in to at least keep them from getting potential damage and they won’t work.

Checked my batteries and they are both dead for some reason. I’ve been plugged in for over 2 weeks so not sure why they would be drained. Does it require DC (battery power) for the slides to operate? Any ideas of where I should look as to why they aren’t staying charged. We had our dealer install an onboard electric management system late last year.
The status panel shows everything is OK there. Just looking for ideas.

Thanks for your help!
Mark

**TyeeMan** · 04-03-2020, 12:42 PM

Yes, you need DC power for your slides to work. That's why you can run your slides in and out while not plugged into shore power or out boon docking.

You also need fully ( or almost fully ) charged batteries to run your slides, even if you are plugged into shore power.

Is your battery switch turned on? If not your batteries will not charge while you are plugged into shore power. As to why they went dead? Maybe a light was left on or something like that?

**Txfivver** · 04-03-2020, 12:56 PM

I'm in same area as you and weather looks dicey tonight. Sounds like your battery switch was off since you got home. I think you can use jumper cables from your truck to the house batteries to at least get the slides in. Then you're probably looking at needing new batteries if they are completely dead, may not take a charge and come back to life.

**Laidback1** · 04-03-2020, 08:44 PM

Thanks for the info!

**boyscout** · 04-03-2020, 09:32 PM

Originally Posted by Laidback1

Checked my batteries and they are both dead for some reason. I’ve been plugged in for over 2 weeks so not sure why they would be drained.

You've got good advice above... your battery disconnect switch was probably turned off and the battery won't charge if it is.

When that switch is off there are things in the trailer still drawing power from the battery(ies). Smoke and propane alarms, often the radio, the brakes, and the landing gear system all draw small amounts of power, maybe about half an amp per hour, maybe a little more. A typical dealer-installed battery may have 85-100 amp/hour capacity, so in a couple of hundred hours or less the battery will be dead.

With two batteries I'd have guessed that your trailer would survive a couple of weeks. Perhaps they weren't fully charged when you parked? Or they're not in very good condition - have they been dead-flat before?

It's best when parking for storage to fully charge the batteries and then disconnect the cables from them. Some people (including me) have reconfigured battery cabling and added a better switch that actually disconnects the battery from everything.

Good luck.

**ckreef** · 04-04-2020, 04:18 PM

Worse case scenario you could always manually retract the slides with the turn crank.

**CoChris** · 04-04-2020, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by ckreef

Worse case scenario you could always manually retract the slides with the turn crank.

The OP has a Solitude which has a hydraulic and Schwintek slides. No manual crank. For the hydraulics, if you have the correct adapter (and hex/allen key) and an electric drill motor, you can manually manipulate the solenoid valves and drive the pump, but it is not a simple hand crank like the electric rack & pinion slides.

Chris