1. Home
  2. Tech
  3. Tech Q&A: Motorhome Magazine
  4. Motorhome Possessed by Demons?

Motorhome Possessed by Demons?

Originally Published in MotorHome Magazine

We have a brand-new Thor Motor Coach Tuscany motorhome. The radio comes on by itself, not to music, just static and when this happens the stairs also retract.

While we were on vacation recently, my husband was watching cable TV (as the satellite unit doesn’t work either) when all of a sudden the radio came on, the TV changed channels and the stairs retracted. Thor Motor Coach sent a mobile RV tech to our campsite, but the only thing he found was a relay that wasn’t seated properly. We came home early from vacation. I had just stepped on the stair when the radio came on, the stair started to retract and, had I not been holding on to the grab bar, would have fallen. We believe we have a lemon. Any thoughts on what you think it could be.
Ron and Jane Doster | Lancaster, N.Y.

You didn’t mention what relay was ajar, but I assume it didn’t have any apparent effect. I see a possible common thread here to a very odd problem. Have the radio’s station presets been set? (If not, that would explain static instead of music.) I suspect that the ignition circuit is getting powered up somehow. Either current is feeding back from the steps through the feed wire from the ignition circuit (most likely, and perhaps due to a bad ground), or power is getting to the radio and backfeeding the same circuit (less likely).
— Ken Freund

Man smiling and standing next to truck driver side


Have a technical question about your RV? Send them to [email protected].

Coach & PowertrainRV Tech Savvy

Subscribe to Wildsam Magazine today, Camping World and Good Sam’s magazine of the open road.

Just $19.97 for a year’s subscription.

logo

Please login or register to view archived articles.

Sign In

Do not have an account? Create New Account

Menu