We have a 2006 Monaco Monarch SE SBD (34',Ford V-10, 27,000 miles) which we bought a year and a half ago. We had one issue last year where the levelers (Power Gear) would not retract but I called Monaco and the tech told me about resetting the system (hold all four arrow buttons for up to two minutes). That fixed the problem. Since then, we have driven about 6,000 miles with no leveling issues, at all until last month when we returned from a two week trip with two stopovers where we used the levelers at both locations and the system worked perfectly. When we returned home I parked the rig in its usual location and turned on the leveler control panel. It lit up in the normal manner but when I pushed "Auto" to level, nothing happened: no leveling, no noises, no partial extension, just nothing. I turned the system off and on, started the engine, set and released and reset the parking brake: still no levelling. I checked the hydraulic fluid; it was clean and at the right level. I tried Manual leveling: nothing. I let the rig sit for a few minutes and tried everything again... still no action. I waited 24 hours and did it all over again: still would not level, neither Auto nor Manual. I decided to leave the rig parked for a few days to see if that would fix things (I debated sacrificing a goat or a couple of chickens, too, but had none at hand). Then, when I came back to try leveling again, the control panel would not even turn on and light up, let alone level. I checked the 15-amp fuse which I' m told only protects the control panel. It was okay. I called Monaco and the tech said I should check the main fuse and the relay which are near the control unit in the generator compartment. He said the fuse/relay should be within 18" of the control box but I could not see them. I squeezed under the rig (a real s-q-u-e-e-z-e; I'm 6' and 250#) and looked around the control box/generator area but could not locate the fuse or the relay although it was pretty dark, even with a trouble light. RV shops out here (BC's Okanagan Valley) usually don't troubleshoot or repair, they just replace until something starts working again. I can't see escaping from there for under $500, perhaps even $1000, maybe more, if they start swapping out panels, control units, etc. We have an extended warranty with a good company (I did my due diligence and they did put in a new engine less than 2,000 miles after we bought the rig- long story, nothing to do with me) but it's a real hassle coordinating between a US warranty company and Canadian shops. It seems funny that the control panel lit up normally for the first couple of days into this mess but it just would not level. Then nothing lit up. I have a multi-meter and can check voltages, etc. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where the problem might be? I'm hoping someone might be able to give me some advice as Power Gear is incommunicado for troubleshooting their levelers.
If you think it might be the main fuse or the relay, can you point me to where they are located, what they look like? I will squeeze back under again, but only as a last resort. Thanks for any help. Graham Stevens
