One variation of Murphy’s Law states, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible time”. One of the worst times to experience a problem with a motorhome is on a travel day. Yesterday morning after putting pictures, guitars, and other loose items in place for safe travel it was time to bring in the three slides on the motorhome and leave Split Rock Creek State Park (near Pipestone, Minnesota). The passenger side slides for the living room and bedroom retracted without issue, but the massive 25-foot long slide that runs from just behind the driver’s seat to the end of the bedroom failed.

Drama and the use of f-bombs were not going to help things, even though I’m quite proficient in those areas. In order for me to be successful at problem solving, I need to first remind myself to remain calm. Believe me; I was in a hurry to leave. It was rainy, cold and windy the entire time in the park and there were fish to be caught at the next destination. The first thing I did was to brew a cup of coffee, butter a slice of Thia Carlson’s homemade banana bread and spend some time reading the Winnebago/Itasca owner’s manual.

The control panel for the defective slide has a blinking LED to let the operator know that the slide is in an error state. This particular slide has been balky since getting the motorhome, but after several attempts I was always able to retract it. Like the toothache that goes away at the dentist office, the slide always worked fine whenever the dealer was contacted. After reading the owner’s manual I learned that the number blinks on the slide control panel was a code for troubleshooting. Mine was blinking four times which, according to the owner’s manual indicated a blown fuse, bad connection or a defective motor. A quick check at the breaker box confirmed that the fuses were good.

This mega slide requires two motors, one at the front the other at the rear and it was the front motor that wasn’t retracting. The motor was easily accessible underneath the massive arm that supports the weight of the slide. With the help of my trusty Maglite, I did a visual inspection.  I didn’t see any disconnected wires, loose bolts or physical obstructions that would keep the motor from turning. I do know a little about electrical systems and motors. Motors don’t typically have intermittent problems so I suspected a bad connection. I wiggled the 2-pin connector to the motor, went inside to the control panel and the slide retracted without issue. It was a simple, albeit temporary fix. I’ll take the time to clean the connector properly when the weather is better.

There is a certain satisfaction that comes from being able to maintain your own rig and there are four principles in problem solving that can apply to almost any situation. In the 1945 book “How to Solve It” by George Polya, he suggests these steps to solve any problem:

1. Understand the problem (get enough information to design a plan).
2. Make a plan (eliminate possibilities, use reasoning, be creative).
3. Carry out the plan (use patience and persistence).
4. Look back at your work (could it have been done better).

Polya wrote his book specifically for mathematics students, yet his generic problem solving principles can be applied to motorhome maintenance and even relationship issues.

Today, I’ll apply Polya’s approach to fishing since I arrived at Lewis & Clark State Park, Onawa, Iowa a bit later than expected. The lake is beautiful and the motorhome is right next to it.