Generator slide tray question

[Gary Miller]

Kerry,

Sounds like you have a few issues there. The locking method you
describe is certainly not original, and by the description it sounds
like someone went to a lot more trouble getting it set up that way
than it would have been to fix whatever problem they had with it
correctly. This unfortunately is common in our older birds since
the systems are often difficult for most maintenance facilities to
understand.

You should have a handle under the tray that when moved causes a
metal bar on each side of the tray to move either into, or out of
the slide on each side of the tray. Perhaps the welded nuts you
describe have been welded into these holes. I would speculate that
someone sheared off the previous mechanism and this was their 'fix'.

When the handle is moved, the mechanism would also activate a
switch. This switch would cause illumination of the red 'gen door'
light on your dashboard, and activate the gen slide switch in the
stepwell, which normally remains de-powered with the tray locked.

The fact that your tray is in a constant state of wanting to come
out leads me to believe the shuttle valve on the air ram is in the
out position and either has the wiring cut to it or is powered in
that position only. You'll have to trouble shoot it yourself. The
speed of in/out is adjustable and is controlled by this shuttle
valve also so it's impossible to speculate at what setting it is at
for your coach.

My tray is different than yours but perhaps someone with a 35' can
get a photo of what you need to build to get back to normal.

Good Luck,

Gary Miller
83 FC 33
Wauwatosa, WI

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "davidkerryedwards"
wrote:
>
> Today while removing the doghouse to insulate, I decided to air up
the
> coach and slide out the generator. I have not done this before. I
> don't know what the original locking mechanism was, but on mine two
> holes have been cut through the outer rails which support the
> generator and nuts welded to the inner rail that slides. A half
inch
> bolt then inserts on either side, screws into place and holds the
> generator in place.
> While it was airing up, I removed the bolts. The air topped off
while
> I was doing something else and when I went back to the generator it
> was out about 2 inches. It might have come out all the way of its
own
> accord, but the left hand latching nut caught on the lip of the
outer
> rail, stopping it from coming out any further. (I'll have to do a
> little grinding to stop the nut from catching)
> I couldn't get any movement either by using the switch to the left
of
> the step, or the key in the generator panel door.
> Can anyone enlighten me as to what is going on? I assume it should
> not have moved until a switch was activated, but it looks as
though it
> has a tendency to come out as soon as the coach is aired up. The
> bolts must have been holding it in place.
> I know I have problems with the step switch, right next to the
> generator switch so perhaps the problems are related. The step
> started operating correctly for a while on my trip to Texas this
week,
> but then went back to its old malfunctioning self.
> Will the generator slide back in once the air pressure drops, or
will
> I have to diagnose and rectify the problem in order to get it to
slide
> back in the 2 inches?
> How fast does the generator come out? The coach is in storage
with a
> fifth wheel in the next parking space. The though crossed my mind
> that if I had not been paying attention and standing next to the
> generator, it could have pinned me between the generator and the
> adjacent trailer. when it came out of it's own accord.
>
> Kerry
> 82 FC35
> Denver
>