Troubleshooting Non-Functioning Motorized Stabilizer Jacks on 2011 Keystone Sprinter 276RLS

Question:

I have a keystone sprinter and the stabilizers stopped working. Both switches are dead as if it has no power? I loaned my trailer out and it came back with it not working? Where is the power source? Directly wired into the battery? Its a new battery. Are the switches wired into the main fuse box? Kinda weird front and rear switch inop like its has a blown fuse somewhere? Any suggestions?

asked by: Kevin B

Expert Reply:

If suddenly neither switch/jack operates at all on your 2011 Keystone Sprinter 276RLS travel trailer I would suspect the battery or the 12V connections between it and the jacks. Motorized jacks and slide-outs will demand far more current than things like trailer lights so your battery could have plenty of charge left to operate those things but still have too low a charge to activate jack motors.

Jacks will use more power to lift trailer weight than to lower it. This is why sometimes RV-ers whose batteries may have a marginal charge level may find that they can retract their jacks but not extend them. Since your jacks do not operate at all this makes me suspect that the issue is in loose wiring (or a blown fuse if the jacks have a fuse).

First check that the battery has a full charge; if you test it with a voltmeter like # PT89ZR you should read close to 13-volts.

Keep in mind that the 12V power feed in 7-way trailer wiring can carry enough power to maintain a charged battery but not to re-charge a depleted one. If the trailer jacks were used a good bit on their recent trip then the battery could simply require a charge with a shore power charger like # CTEK56353. Again, if the battery were depleted from use then driving with the trailer connected would not return it to a fully-charged state, no matter how far it was driven.

If the battery tests out okay then next check your wiring from the battery, all the way to the switches. You can apply the meter/tester to the wires leading to the switches; if full power is reaching them then the issue could be between the switches and motors. You can next test the wiring for power at the motors.

If the battery power runs through a power panel then you can also check for blown fuses there.