Locating the Manual drive for the Full Wall Slide on a 2011 Cameo FWS

I have a 2011 Cameo and the full wall slide will not retract.  I understand that there is a way to do this manually, but I cannot find the location of the drive.  The owner’s manual only states, “The slide out room can also be moved in and out manually by using a wrench or socket. The manual crank is located under the exterior of the RV behind the access cover.”

I have opened the covering underneath the RV but cannot see anything like a manual override!

Any help will be appreciated.

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[JohnD222ParticipantTopics - 8Replies - 517Total - 525]

On shore power AND good battery?  Dinette slide comes in easily?  Big foots move fine?  Ok, you should have enough juice to at least budge the FWS.  If not on shore power, truck has to be running a long time to charge up battery.  Some trucks need drivers door shut to e gauge trailer charge circuit

have you checked to confirm the bedroom door is fully open and the latch at the bottom is secure?  There is a switch in that little box on 5ge floor that prevents power from getting to the motor if door is not fully open.

You MUST  remove the brake from the rear of the motor before you use the manual nut to crank in the wall.

Now that you understand MUST.  if you enter the main storage from the small door street (not curb) side by the utility closet, there is a black wall panel on your immediate right that runs perpendicular to the outer wall of the 5er.  You might be luck and there will be a hole already drilled into that thin wallboard – about 1.5 inches in diameter – with only felt covering it  if so, use a razor blade knife (box cutter) to cut the hole  a simple X will do to get a socket in there, but you will be able to see better with a larger hole.  No easy “ already have the hole?  Me neither.

9/16 nut I think – just do not remember

so if no hole already, that section of wall must be removed.  A couple screws into the floor, a couple into the outer wall of the 5er, and a couple into the curbside of that vertical panel from the angled one that makes for larger space on the other side of the toilet drain.  Do not mix up the screws of different length!!!  There is a holding tank directly below and you do not wand any screws poking through the outer wall fiberglass!!!

if I recall, I had to remove the floor screws from the angled wall also in order to get the needed panel out – I think there is an angled wood piece attached to the panel that needs to be removed – just do not remember.  After you have the screws holding that one panel out. You should be able to use a partially removed floor screw to pull the needed panel out at the bottom first.  If not, you missed a black screw in the black fabric.  Or you need to loosen the floor screws in the angled panel.

got the panel out?  You should see the motor and gearbox.  In the center of the gearbox is a nit attached to the motor armature.  Break that armature by twisting the nut with the motor brake still in place requires a new $900+ motor of you can find one.  Jack Ramsey just posted “PICS…” repairs to FWS that has a photo of the back of the motor with the brake removed.  There are tiny screws holding the brake to the motor and very short VERY THIN wires that connect to the motor power source.  Do not drop those screws they are tiny.  Brake is engaged when no power to motor.  Brake is released when motor gets power.  No way to bypass that except by removing brake and lifting it hang by the thin wires.

Now use a 9/16 (I think) socket to crank the motor and wall assembly in either direction.  It is pretty easy to crank, but takes quite a few turns.  Do NOT use a drill or other power tool on that nut that is attached to the motor armature

DO NOT MOVE the 5er without reinstalling the motor brake.  Be careful not to squeeze those thin wires between metal parts or they could short out.  Those tiny screws are even harder to get back in.

Not terribly difficult, but no fun, particularly if it is raining or too cold.

Good luck.

JohnD222
Based in Florida except summer
2013 36FWS Lifestyle (our great 2010 Cameo 36FWS has happy owners)

[JohnD222ParticipantTopics - 8Replies - 517Total - 525]

PS,

they never did correct the manual.

”The manual crank is located under the exterior of the RV behind the access cover.”

refers to the dinette slide and the street side slides on several other models, but not the FWS or a few other models with a larger slide for bedroom & staircase and refrigerator in one slide. Those have chain drive and motor locations like FWS.

 

JohnD222
Based in Florida except summer
2013 36FWS Lifestyle (our great 2010 Cameo 36FWS has happy owners)

[JohnD222ParticipantTopics - 8Replies - 517Total - 525]

In theory, you could just splice into the motor wires and apply battery power directly IF the wall was only partially out.  With it fully out doing so is a 50/50 chance that wall will go out not in.  Even just a very quick power bump “out” with FWS already out will break one of the switches under the garbage can, and probably a lot of interior trim, and maybe even buckle the outer wall.

you probably (90%) have a partially open bedroom door or one dead cell in a battery, but you could have a bad switch under the garbage can.  If you put in the relay upgrade and had wires reversed initially, the switch under the garbage was probably crushed then, and has now finally failed.

JohnD222
Based in Florida except summer
2013 36FWS Lifestyle (our great 2010 Cameo 36FWS has happy owners)

[CLOC-AdminKeymaster]

Things to do before removing the motor break and manually cranking in the slide:

Make sure the bedroom door is fully open and latched.  Plunger on switch must be depressed.

Make sure the plunger is depressed on the fully open limit switch.  Limit switch can be found by sliding open the access door beside the garbage can.  If necessary, you can depress the plunger yourself (I use a butter knife) while having someone else run the switch to close the slide.

Hope this helps.

B.W.Gentry
Owner/Admin
2007 Carri-Lite XTRM5
Breckenridge, TX

[Author]

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