Braun / Valid Manufacturing Executive Step (Automatic Electric Entry Step)

Overview

The Executive Step is the automatic dual entry step fitted at the entrance door of Farber's specialty coaches. It began life as a Braun Corporation product (the 'Step — Motor Home' series) and is now manufactured and supported by Valid Manufacturing Ltd. of Salmon Arm, BC; the mechanicals are essentially continuous, so old-Braun and current-Valid part numbers both show up in the field and both are listed below. The assembly weighs about 153 lb, is roughly 34 3/4" wide closed, and extends two treads (top and bottom step) on a slide carriage driven by a 12 V motor through an ANSI #35 roller chain. A controller board (Valid Y006962, 'Executive Step circuit board') switches the motor through plug-in relays; the old Braun design used a 30/40 A SPDT plug-in relay (18087) plus VF4-series cube relays on the board.

How it is wired — the five input wires

Every no-move complaint comes down to five wires at the J8 input connector, and the drawing spells out exactly what each must see:

• Red — +12 V power. Battery feed through a 30 A fuse (the board also carries a 5 A logic fuse and a 10 A plug-in breaker, Braun 24707).
• Black — ground. Clean chassis ground; the step will misbehave before it dies on a bad ground.
• Pink — ignition. Step on/off and ignition override input. With the ignition live the step retracts when the door closes regardless of the override.
• White/Black — door switch. This wire must receive ground when the door opens — that is the deploy signal. An open or corroded door-jamb switch is the most common 'step quit' cause.
• White/Green — dash warning light. Drives the step-out indicator on the dash.

The J5/J6 connectors carry the motor feed (yellow/white to motor), step light output, the step-full-out and step-full-in limit inputs, and the spare relay contacts. A closed-limit switch and harness mount (Valid VES01A025-01; the old Braun limit switch is the same 73950A microswitch used across Braun's lift line) tells the board when the step is home.

Manual release — step stuck out

The step has a manual cable release (Valid assembly VES01A023-01, Braun kit 73770-600) that pulls locking pins out of the drive sprocket so the sprocket free-spins. With the release pulled, the treads can be pushed in or out by hand — the ADA-relevant failure of a dead step blocking the doorway takes under a minute to clear:

1. Kill the step (ignition off, or pull the 30 A fuse) so it cannot restart while your hands are in it.
2. Locate the release cable under the step body (warning tag 28893 hangs at the handle on Braun-era units).
3. Pull and hold the release, then slide the treads fully in (or out, if you need the step deployed).
4. Release the cable and jog the tread slightly until the pins snap back into the sprocket — the step must be positively locked before the coach moves.

Because the step normally interlocks with the door and ignition, a step pushed in manually stays put; get the underlying fault (usually door-switch signal, fuse or motor) repaired promptly.

Parts breakdown highlights

The current Valid top assembly is VES01A001-01 (Rev D): main body VES01A016-01, slide assembly VES01A017-01, top step VES01A018-01, bottom step VES01A019-01, main harness VES01A014-01, light jumper harness VES01A022-01, drive chain VES01P061-01 (ANSI 35, 57.75"), front drive support VES01A031-01 and the controller Y006962. Assembly notes that matter in service: loosen the chain tensioner before feeding a new chain past the motor sprocket, pull the cable release so the sprocket spins free during chain installation, and torque the tensioner so the chain clears the carriage. The threaded fasteners on the drive get Loctite 243 (blue).

Braun-era units (parts list 28843A-3532) use: motor assembly 28999A, chain tensioner 73750W, nickel-plated #35 chain x 57" 84314R057 with connector link 84317, chain release assembly 75760CFA, limit switch 73950A, main harness 30135A, step/motor-home harness 28828A3532, light harness 28818A (feeds under-step light 30135A), relay 18087, fuses 18440F30 (30 A) and 18440F5 (5 A), breaker 24707, and manual release cable kit 73770-600. UHMW flat bearings PS1006 and track roller bearing 84305 are the usual wear points when a step gets gritty and slow.

Warranty summary (Valid Manufacturing, 2024 vehicle products)

Valid's standard warranty runs 12 months from delivery of the vehicle to the first retail purchaser, regardless of mileage, covers defects in material and workmanship in Valid parts and their installation, and follows the vehicle to subsequent owners subject to VML approval. Practical mechanics of a claim: request an RMA from Valid before repairing, quoting the part number and ideally the VIN; report defects within 30 days of appearance or the claim can be rejected; labor reimbursement is at a pre-approved base rate and the hours must be agreed before work starts; all replaced parts must be returned to Valid (Salmon Arm, BC) with the RMA number attached. Not covered: routine maintenance, accident/misuse/unauthorized modification, labor to make Valid components accessible, and consequential costs (towing, lodging, downtime). Emergency shipping of parts to make a vehicle drivable is covered with prior approval.