Kwikee Step Failure - Simple Fix

February 19, 2020, 12:12:06 pm

Yesterday, our Kwikee step failed to retract. A quick read here and elsewhere indicates they're not universally loved, although ours has been trouble-free since we've owned the coach.

I went through the basic troubleshooting steps, no fuses blown. Dropped the motor to bench test, and just as I removed it - I glanced back at the frame and saw the problem. For whatever reason, there are two ground cables on the LD setup, each with their own connection to the frame. Trouble is, one of them is on a tiny machine screw - bad design. With the exposure to the elements this location sees, it's only a matter of time before vibration and corrosion will cause it to snap off as mine did...the ground wire was dangling in the breeze.

The other ground connection is much more substantial - the 1/2" bolt securing it will last the lifetime of the coach. So, a simple fix - just cut off the smaller ring terminal, affix a larger one and stack it on the 1/2" bolt with the better ground connection. If you have this same setup, you might consider doing so before it fails.

Picture, thousand words...