Power Cord Protection

[freedmskr]

Hello out there,
I'm new to the forum. This is our 3rd camper and we have a cougar xlite 28SGS. The other campers had electrical cords that came from a lockable storage section. This one, however, plugs into the back with 50 amp twist lock type cord (bad design IMO). How can I secure this to the trailer not only to protect from theft but also to insure that it will not get unplugged from trailer so that my animals will remain safe w/ AC or heat while I'm out on a day trip?? Thanks in advance!

[hankaye]

freedmskr, Howdy;

You can apply one of these directly to the RV righ next to the attachment
point . It merely states what is the truth , ... yet sounds ominous to the
idiot that may want to either remove it or attempt a practical joke ...
http://www.compliancesigns.com/EGRE-13289_Black_on_Yellow.shtml

After all the statement is true :rolleyes:.

hankaye

[Festus2]

I cut two lengths (about 6ft) of aircraft cable and formed a loop just large enough to slip over and around the cord then clamped the loop shut with one of those aluminium fasterners. The cable can now be secured with a lock to the electrical campsite pedestal and, if necessary, to the RV bumper.

It won't stop a determined thief nor will it prevent anyone from coming by and simply unplugging the cord from either end. Or they can easily pull or push the breaker off at the pedestal. You can't stop this type of idiocy to protect your pets inside. While hankaye's suggestion makes good sense, the message is lost to those who are too stupid and whose reading level is too low to understand its meaning.

Do what you can and don't fret over stuff you have no control over.

[sourdough]

I agree with Festus2. There's only so much you can do to stop someone from doing something stupid, ie: stealing a power cable to a RV short of sitting there 24 hours a day with a 40cal waiting.

I leave my puppy quite often in the trailer when we go to town or go to see my daughter. I try to stay in places where I don't have to worry and I always make sure I am visible, in person, vehicle etc. to the manager. They know my truck and know when I'm gone. They know I have puppy and that she may or may not be in the trailer. They also know NO ONE should be near my trailer unless my truck is there.

And by the way.....Welcome to the forum!!

[14george]

:wlcm:to the fourm x 2 what sourdough said

[chuckster57]

I have seen some big 5er's with a hard wired 50A cord on a reel at the back drivers side corner. But they had 6 digits in the price before the decimal point.

If your back wall allowed for a compartment door and cabinet, that might work.

[bobbecky]

If they want the cord bad enough, they will have stolen a pair of cable cutters and just cut the cable off at both ends and leave the connectors plugged in. Most metal thefts are done by druggies who don't respect themselves anymore than anybody's possessions or property. Maybe we are lucky, but almost 4 years full time and never had a problem with cord or surge protector missing.

[Alpine]

I worried unnecessarily over a few things before heading out on our "fulltime" journey! Thankfully nothing ill willed has come our way! However I do take precautions and lock up most items before leaving the fiver!

And yes indeed....:wlcm:

[Camping Buddys]

I always wrap one of this small locks around the power cord and the long master lock cable (through the small lock) and around the rv bumper, never have any problem with my cable walking away from the rv.

[freedmskr]

A great big thank you to everyone who responded. I found some very helpful info here. I agree, you just can't worry over everything. However, because I leave my animals in there, I did buy a cable lock to give me that extra sense of security while I'm away. Thank you all again.

[Pull Toy]

The one thing I didn't see addressed was "accidental" disconnects.

Every 50 amp cable that I have used, has a black collar nut. I insert the plug and twist just like everyone else, and then screw on the collar nut. Double insurance, but don't over tighten the collar nut, it doesn't need to be torqued to do its job.

Happy Camping!

[Barbell]

I am no electrician but I was always told to never let a power cable loop over itself because that will create a spot where it could overheat. This was using a very heavy 220 volt extension cord to power a stick welder. Our 30 and 50 amp power cords don't carry as much juice but it still could happen, especially since it is unattended most of the time.