Power cord issue?

[bobbrazie]

Hi all, A shore power cord electrical question.We have a 50 amp service plugged into a 20 amp exterior outlet here at home. 50 amp, to dog bone to 120 adapter.
On the male end of the 50 amp power cord there are 2 little blue LED lights. One is not on. Both used to be on. Can they go out?
I checked the exterior outlet, 120 volts. continuity checked correct.
Plugged the dog bone in and 120 volts both sides.
The hardwired surge protector inside is reading 120 volts each leg with no faults showing.
Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for any help.


The little LED Lights on the male end of the 50 amp cord did indicate that there was power at the pedestal flowing to the trailer. I thought.

It is a 2021 Cougar 25rdswe and it is not attached to a tow so this is not a problem
This is the cord that came with the trailer so I assume others have it too and not just on this model.

[wiredgeorge]

You have not idea why there are little blue lights on your power cord? Suggest you make up a signature with year, make and model of camper as well as the same for your tow vehicle and answers may have some context. Never heard of little blue lights on a power cord.

Signature making tool is under UserCP at top/left of each page and be sure to save it.

[Essvar]

Originally Posted by bobbrazie

Hi all, A shore power cord electrical question.We have a 50 amp service plugged into a 20 amp exterior outlet here at home. 50 amp, to dog bone to 120 adapter.
On the male end of the 50 amp power cord there are 2 little blue LED lights. One is not on. Both used to be on. Can they go out?
I checked the exterior outlet, 120 volts. continuity checked correct.
Plugged the dog bone in and 120 volts both sides.
The hardwired surge protector inside is reading 120 volts each leg with no faults showing.
Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for any help.


The little LED Lights on the male end of the 50 amp cord did indicate that there was power at the pedestal flowing to the trailer. I thought.

It is a 2021 Cougar 25rdswe and it is not attached to a tow so this is not a problem
This is the cord that came with the trailer so I assume others have it too and not just on this model.

Blind guess but possibly each blue light is an indicator for 1 leg of 50amp service. You are plugged into a 15amp receptacle which will only energize one leg of the 50amp adapter.

[flybouy]

If you have 120 vac on both legs and the built in EMS shows no fualts then I wouldn't be concerned with "the little blue lights."

[bobbrazie]

Both legs are hot in the trailer as the hard wired surge protecctor show 120 volts on both leg 1 and leg 2.
Both lights were on in the past and all circuits on both sides of the breaker box worked.

[bobbrazie]

Have others had one of these indicator light sail?

[rhagfo]

I would not concern yourself with the little blue lights. LED’s will fail and likely one of yours has. Sounds like you have a hardwired EMS, if it is happy all is good.

[chuckster57]

I’ve seen those blue lights not work and the blue “smile” on the shore cord cover. If your showing 110VAC on both legs your good to go.

[xrated]

Originally Posted by bobbrazie

Hi all, A shore power cord electrical question.We have a 50 amp service plugged into a 20 amp exterior outlet here at home. 50 amp, to dog bone to 120 adapter.
On the male end of the 50 amp power cord there are 2 little blue LED lights. One is not on. Both used to be on. Can they go out?
I checked the exterior outlet, 120 volts. continuity checked correct.
Plugged the dog bone in and 120 volts both sides.
The hardwired surge protector inside is reading 120 volts each leg with no faults showing.
Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for any help.


The little LED Lights on the male end of the 50 amp cord did indicate that there was power at the pedestal flowing to the trailer. I thought.

It is a 2021 Cougar 25rdswe and it is not attached to a tow so this is not a problem
This is the cord that came with the trailer so I assume others have it too and not just on this model.

The shore power cords that have the little blue lights on them are actually fairly common. Here is what I think it happening for you.

When plugged into a regular 50A shore power connection, there are two 120 volt legs, a neutral, and a ground. The two 120V legs are electrically 180° out of phase with each other....and the two blue lights are lit up to show you that both of the legs are working as they should....120V each, but 180° with each other.

When you plug into an adapter, like you are using, you are only using ONE of the 120V legs of power coming from the house receptacle. Inside of the dogbone adapter is a jumper to provide power to BOTH legs of your 50A shore power cord......so both legs have 120V on them..BUT....since it is just 120V from ONE leg (the house receptacle), the other blue light on the cord does not light up. For those to light up, there has to be two legs of 120 that are out of phase with each other. Hopefully that helps explain it

[wrvond]

My 50 amp power cord plugged into a 30 amp pedestal has one green light and one red light. Only the green light is lighted.

[bobbrazie]

Thanks that makes sense. But plugged in the way I described both lights were on before. Now only one.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by bobbrazie

Thanks that makes sense. But plugged in the way I described both lights were on before. Now only one.

If everything is working ignore it. If you just can't ignore it then pay an electrician to install a 50 amp receptical to plug in to. Then not only will the "little blue light" possibly work but you'll have full function of the air-conditioning while setting there.

[bobbecky]

If the plug with these lights were to break, I’m not sure you will find a replacement plug to replace it that has lights. Possibly these lights are there to ultimately fail so some people will think they have to replace the entire cord, when in reality the lights do nothing.

[JRTJH]

I've got several extension cords with a "light in the plug" to show power is applied to the cord.... I'd "surmise" that when the "light in the plug" stops working, I'm supposed to either cut off the plug and replace it or throw the extension cord in the trash and buy a new one ??????

AIN'T HAPPENING !!!!! Light or not light, if the cord still works, I'm using it until it either smokes or breaks from being coiled up and uncoiled repeatedly as I use/store it, sometimes on a daily basis....

To me, there's no difference in my extension cords with lights in the plug and a "fancy shore power cord with lights in the plug"..... If you want to toss that shore power cord because the light not working bugs you, I'd suspect there are hundreds of people on the forum that would love to "inherit the defective cord" to have as a spare or even to replace their current cord with two lights that don't work.....

For me, I'll keep using my extension cords with burned out lights in the plugs and continue to sleep well every night, knowing the light is a feature, not a warning device.....

[bobbrazie]

Not helpful.
ligit question.

[Javi]

Originally Posted by bobbrazie

Not helpful.
ligit question.

Let me put this way for you...
Them dinky little lights don't matter if the cord works. If the cord doesn't work, well then.. they are 1/2 right...

It's a gimmick...

[Gord]

Originally Posted by bobbrazie

Not helpful.
ligit question.

I suspect you might have something like this cord.https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Power-Co...5050EHLED.html Maybe contacting etrailer.com will give you an answer to your question. Having been in the electrical field for 5 decades, I would suggest that if everything is working in your trailer that you most probably have a failed indicating light. Cheers, Gord

[bobbrazie]

Contacted e-trailer and Scott said while it wasn't really common but because of the treatment and storage of power cords that the LED could easily be malfunctioning and not work.
And everything is working fine.
Thanks to all.

[JRTJH]

Sort of like the ICU patient whose monitor alarms are indicating no pulse, no breathing and no blood pressure. The nurse calls a code and when the team arrives, they find the patient sitting in a chair, eating lunch. Upon careful examination of the situation, the monitor was unplugged from the wall and all readings were "0"....

Like that patient, this shore power cord should be treated for its "symptoms" not its "indicator lights".....

I'd appreciate not being thrown to the ground, someone straddling my body, beating on my chest as people pump chemicals into me through needles while I'm doing fine and my lunch is getting cold.... No doubt so does that power cord, but it its own "particular way of showing appreciation".....

Helpful? Maybe/maybe not, but sometimes a little "thoughtful assessment" goes a long, LONG way toward understanding the severity of the situation and the solution that works......

Thankful that "Scott's second (or third) opinion" validated all the same ones on this forum !!!!!

[rlh1957]

As far as the power cord indicator led lights go, the bulbs can go out.

Nothing to be concerned about when your EMS is protecting you from voltage over or under.

What others have said about 120V 15-20A and only one leg is correct. Doesn’t hurt RV one bit.