OmniStep

[Patty G]

I have a problem with my step on my bessacar. It was working perfectly until I was on the motorway and everything cut out. I steered the van to the hard shoulder and restarted the engine without a problem but on arrival at the campsite the step wouldn't work! It hadn't caused me a problem before and it's not a fuse. Any ideas? :-(

[Derek Uzzell]

Welcome to the Out&AboutLive forums.

 

First things first – in the (probably unlikely) case that another forum member has experienced a similar problem, it would be helpful if you provided the model of Bessacarr motorhome you own and its year of manufacture.

 

Unless your OmniStep and/or its electrical system was somehow the cause of your motorhome cutting out, it’s tempting to assume that the step’s current failure to function is an effect of the cutting-out incident. That might not be the case, however, and, unless it can be established why your motorhome cut out, it’s better that the incident be ignored as far as diagnosing why the step doesn’t work is concerned.

 

Omnisteps come in various versions and the electric ones may be operated by a manual switch alone, or by a manual switch plus automatic retraction when the motorhome’s engine is started.

 

Electric steps can be problematical, as will be evident from the earlier forum threads shown here http://tinyurl.com/clta7b5

 

The following links include OmniStep wiring diagrams:

 

http://www.motts.org/Omnistep.htm

 

http://www.omnistorawnings.co.uk/content/12_volt_wiring_diagram/

 

You say "...it's not a fuse", but does that mean you have confirmed that 12V power is available at the step when you press the step-switch to extend the step? If there is 12V power at the step, then the problem lies with the step itself (eg. motor failure, faulty limit-switch, no earth, loose/broken wire/connector, step stuck).

 

Obviously, if there's no 12V power at the step, the step's not going to work. A blown fuse would be the prime suspect, but the relay (if your step has auto-retraction) or the manual switch may have developed a fault, or there might be a loose/broken wire/connector. Past comments suggest that a faulty switch is often the reason for OmniStep problems.

 

If your step were partly functional (eg. it operates via the manual switch but does not retract automatically), there would be a better chance of making an educated guess at the cause of the fault. But, if your step is now completely 'dead', there is a sufficiently large number of possible reasons for this to make guesswork unproductive.

[Keithl]

Hi Patty and welcome to the forum,

 

Depending on the year and model of your Bessie you may be able to get a wiring diagram from the Sargent Electrical website... Link. This should help with tracing wiring colours and switch and relay operations.

 

Please post back with your Bessie's year and model to see if someone has more relevant info.

 

Keith.