>two microswitches that control the shut off of air to the step

[Jon]

Could someone explain to me in simple terms how do these micro
switches work? Both of these switches when push in cut out the power
to wherever? I think (I'm I write?)

Now what I don't understand is when the steeps are in the out
position and when I close the door the steeps just stay out. I
changed out the push button switch on the door and I made sure the
toggle switch that in that general area is in the up position and the
light are on in the steep well and the fluorescent light above is on.
But the steeps still stay in the open position.

I really don't understand how these two micro switches work in
conjunction with the action of the steeps being out? I can see how
they would stop the travel of the steeps in the close position but
not in the open.

Is there away to test these two micro switches? I wish I had a
blueprint of this circuit on the steeps as its like a rubik's cube to
me.

Well anyway I have by passed whatever is wrong and can operated the
steps by using a short piece of electrical wire and touch each wire
that goes into the solenoid operated air direction vlv. They work
great then.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Jon

Oh yes one more question and that is? Should the entrance light stay
on when the door is open and turn oft when it closed? This also does
not happen now and their in lays the problem I think.

[Jeff Miller]

Without knowing what year/model you have, it's a bit unknown.

Up until about '83 there was one microswitch. The step pulled in
until the microswitch (N.C.) was hit, which interrupted the 12v to
the step solenoid, the solenoid stopped supplying air to the retract
side of the step cylinder, and the step stopped. If it leaked down,
eventually the step would creep away from the microswitch and pull
the step back in again, ... worked okay.

In '83 the step system started changing. They added a second
microswitch so that when the step was all of the way out, the second
microswitch would interrupt the 12v to the step solenoid and the step
would stop moving. This works well if all switches and linkages are
working and adjusted properly. On these later steps the step
mechanism had an over-center position where the rotation of the step
mechanism would travel over-center and mechanically lock the step out
so that it would stay there without residual air pressure. A later
version (starting '84) has a second air cylinder which is Teed into
the retract side of the primary air cylinder. This second air
cylinder is essentially a spring-loaded lock-pin which is a secondary
lock to hold the step in the extended position, many don't lock
because the spring can't overcome the crud on the lock pin or it is
bent, usually easily repairable, ... When the step starts to retract,
the air goes to the retract side of the primary air cylinder and also
to the lock-pin cylinder, retracts the lock-pin and then the step.

There are a couple of different wiring diagrams / schematics also,
depending on the year of your coach and whether it has
been "upgraded" to the later method which many coaches have (via BB
or dealers). Some years the step light comes on with either a switch,
or if the step is in automatic mode it comes on with the door
opening/step extending.

Posting your year might help to determine which schematic ORIGINALLY
applied to your unit, but honestly I've found few coaches through the
mid-'80s that have the original wiring.

- Jeff Miller
in Holland, MI


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Jon" wrote:
>
> Could someone explain to me in simple terms how do these micro
> switches work? Both of these switches when push in cut out the
power
> to wherever? I think (I'm I write?)
>
> Now what I don't understand is when the steeps are in the out
> position and when I close the door the steeps just stay out. I
> changed out the push button switch on the door and I made sure the
> toggle switch that in that general area is in the up position and
the
> light are on in the steep well and the fluorescent light above is
on.
> But the steeps still stay in the open position.
>
> I really don't understand how these two micro switches work in
> conjunction with the action of the steeps being out? I can see how
> they would stop the travel of the steeps in the close position but
> not in the open.
>
> Is there away to test these two micro switches? I wish I had a
> blueprint of this circuit on the steeps as its like a rubik's cube
to
> me.
>
> Well anyway I have by passed whatever is wrong and can operated the
> steps by using a short piece of electrical wire and touch each wire
> that goes into the solenoid operated air direction vlv. They work
> great then.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated. Jon
>
> Oh yes one more question and that is? Should the entrance light
stay
> on when the door is open and turn oft when it closed? This also
does
> not happen now and their in lays the problem I think.
>

[Jon]

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Jeff Miller"
wrote:
>
> Without knowing what year/model you have, it's a bit unknown.
>
> Up until about '83 there was one micro-switch. The step pulled in
> until the micro-switch (N.C.) was hit, which interrupted the 12v to
> the step solenoid, the solenoid stopped supplying air to the
retract
> side of the step cylinder, and the step stopped. If it leaked down,
> eventually the step would creep away from the micro-switch and pull
> the step back in again, ... worked okay.
>
> In '83 the step system started changing. They added a second
> micro-switch so that when the step was all of the way out, the
second
> micro-switch would interrupt the 12v to the step solenoid and the
step
> would stop moving. This works well if all switches and linkages are
> working and adjusted properly. On these later steps the step
> mechanism had an over-center position where the rotation of the
step
> mechanism would travel over-center and mechanically lock the step
out
> so that it would stay there without residual air pressure. A later
> version (starting '84) has a second air cylinder which is Teed into
> the retract side of the primary air cylinder. This second air
> cylinder is essentially a spring-loaded lock-pin which is a
secondary
> lock to hold the step in the extended position, many don't lock
> because the spring can't overcome the crud on the lock pin or it is
> bent, usually easily repairable, ... When the step starts to
retract,
> the air goes to the retract side of the primary air cylinder and
also
> to the lock-pin cylinder, retracts the lock-pin and then the step.
>
> There are a couple of different wiring diagrams / schematics also,
> depending on the year of your coach and whether it has
> been "upgraded" to the later method which many coaches have (via BB
> or dealers). Some years the step light comes on with either a
switch,
> or if the step is in automatic mode it comes on with the door
> opening/step extending.
>
> Posting your year might help to determine which schematic
ORIGINALLY
> applied to your unit, but honestly I've found few coaches through
the
> mid-'80s that have the original wiring.
>
> - Jeff Miller
> in Holland, MI
>
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Jon" wrote:
> >
> > Could someone explain to me in simple terms how do these micro
> > switches work? Both of these switches when push in cut out the
> power
> > to wherever? I think (I'm I write?)
> >
> > Now what I don't understand is when the steeps are in the out
> > position and when I close the door the steeps just stay out. I
> > changed out the push button switch on the door and I made sure
the
> > toggle switch that in that general area is in the up position and
> the
> > light are on in the steep well and the fluorescent light above is
> on.
> > But the steeps still stay in the open position.
> >
> > I really don't understand how these two micro switches work in
> > conjunction with the action of the steeps being out? I can see
how
> > they would stop the travel of the steeps in the close position
but
> > not in the open.
> >
> > Is there away to test these two micro switches? I wish I had a
> > blueprint of this circuit on the steeps as its like a rubik's
cube
> to
> > me.
> >
> > Well anyway I have by passed whatever is wrong and can operated
the
> > steps by using a short piece of electrical wire and touch each
wire
> > that goes into the solenoid operated air direction vlv. They work
> > great then.
> >
> > Any help would be greatly appreciated. Jon
> >
> > Oh yes one more question and that is? Should the entrance light
> stay
> > on when the door is open and turn oft when it closed? This also
> does
> > not happen now and their in lays the problem I think.
> >
>
Well my old coach is a 1978 Wanderlodge and it does have to
microswitches right next to each other. They are located on a bracket
that sits under the coach. It does have thies two microswitches but
non at the open position. It would be nice if there was a
microswitch that opperated at the open position but there is non. I
can only say this is when the a cyclinder reaches it travel distance
it just stay open till the door is closed and the push button switch
on the door frame is in the down position. When in this postion the
steps should retrack to the stow position but right now nothing! That
togel switch in the stairwell is so you can activate the steps or
secure them in place by removing the power source. So leave it up to
the rebel bird to have some kind of wird set up! But this all looks
like factory installed. One of those micro switches does opperate the
light under the steeps when there in the open position also.

Jon
Rebel Bird
1978 Wanderlodge
Bremerton Wa












or the light switch on the steep well is