Anyone updated a 30 amp wireing harness?

[plocklin]

I am thinking about taking the power cord off my old Keystone Cougar and updating it to a 30 amp receptacle. Has anyone had a socket like this? It looks like Journeyman-Pro is the only one that makes them and I am looking for some advice on what is the best to use.

[NH_Bulldog]

I upgraded my pull out cable to a twist lock surface mount using a marine grade receptacle. This is a Furrion brand but Marinco is another option. I have used both and prefer the Furrion because it came with the adapter plate to cover the old “mouse hole” opening.

[locomech]

I used the kit from Marinco.

https://www.amazon.com/ParkPower-Mar...it,aps,93&th=1

[wiredgeorge]

If you go to amazon and search on Marinco 30A inlet a bunch will come up along with a zillion other brands. I have a Marinco 15/20A inlet on the back of my old Cougar which I connect to the pedestal and it powers my microwave so the microwave doesn't blow the main breaker in the camper when you turn it on and the A/C is running.

[chuckster57]

If you remove the “mouse hole” cover, the standard 30A shore connector won’t cover the hole. You’ll have to make an adaptor plate.

[CBears]

Originally Posted by locomech

I used the kit from Marinco.

https://www.amazon.com/ParkPower-Mar...it,aps,93&th=1

+1

I used this kit on the jayco I had because ants would walk up the cord and into the trailer. Kit worked GREAT and was really pretty easy to do following instructions.

[JeffJohnston]

I'm fairly new to TT Camping (was a 100% boater until I got with my GF and now I'm 50-50 boating and camping) so this may be an obvious answer to some. What is the driving reason to switch from a pull out cord to a receptical? I would think the pull out is easier. Free wire storage, one less connection to wear out and become loose over time (from my boating experience, the twist locks always become loose eventually), etc.

Again - the answer may be obvious but I'm just curious. Our new-to-us TT has a pull-out cable but GF's previous RV had a receptical as does my son's and I have had to replace both of them due to normal wear and tear.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by JeffJohnston

I'm fairly new to TT Camping (was a 100% boater until I got with my GF and now I'm 50-50 boating and camping) so this may be an obvious answer to some. What is the driving reason to switch from a pull out cord to a receptical? I would think the pull out is easier. Free wire storage, one less connection to wear out and become loose over time (from my boating experience, the twist locks always become loose eventually), etc.

Again - the answer may be obvious but I'm just curious. Our new-to-us TT has a pull-out cable but GF's previous RV had a receptical as does my son's and I have had to replace both of them due to normal wear and tear.

You will soon have to replace the plastic cover on your mouse hole. As posted earlier, ants find the mouse hole a convenient way to invade your trailer. If you leave it plugged in during storage, wasps, bees and mud daubers also find it a great place to "set up camp".

You'll find that in cool/cold weather, the cord is stiffer and won't pull out of the storage space, then when leaving, the wet/ice covered cord will "drag water and dirt" into the storage space. That water will support mold and mildew.

Then, most of us have had the cord "tangle and knot" inside the storage space. When that happens, you'll need to find a way into the storage space to untangle the mess so you can pull the cord out of storage. That typically happens late at night, when you're tired, hungry and just want to turn on the AC and get cool. Or it happens during a heavy rainstorm when all you want to do is get warm and dry.....

Anything that's "shoved into a dark, inaccessible space" is subject to becoming a problem. Shore power cords are no different.

[flybouy]

I too was a boater for decades before switching over to glamping. FWIW, I also made this modification. Why? First off is what I call critter control. They appropriately call it a mouse hole. When camping typically you are near woods and fields and mice are abundant in both, also while in storage. It also allows ants, and other insects an easy path inside.

Secondly it's not "free cable storage" as it comes with at the cost of space. Often that space is ill used and sometimes mostly wasted. Our unit was this way. After making the modification there was enough room to mount the EMS unit, a 20 amp inlet (for space heater use), and a central vacuum cleaner. IMO this was a much more efficient use of that space. Our unit had the cable under the pantry in-between the slides.

Third, I didn't like standing in the rain trying to dry off the cable while feeding it back into the side of the camper. I'm admittedly lazy so I do my best to limit my actions and make them as efficient as I can. I will place my shore power cable in the bed of my.truck and a milk crate Wil wheel chocks and the equalize lift bar. After the trailer is in place I grab the cable and a set of chocks (2 chocks attached with rope) and start my walk. Plug in the shore power, then move on to the tires and insert the chocks. We leave the air conditioner on in the summer so after the EMS delay it will start cooling down the inside before we even start to go inside.

If it's raining the cable goes back in the truck bed, no worries with being wet. The truck does have a cap on the bed but I'd still do this otherwise. These are my reasons to justify the cost and I wouldn't do it any other way. You need to make your own assessment and do what's right for you. One more thing. The comment about the "connection loosening up" I've not experienced that on the decades of camping with several campers that we've had. I attribute this to the possibility that unlike a boat that's typically moving about and yanking the shore cable around the camper is stationary.

[JeffJohnston]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

You will soon have to replace the plastic cover on your mouse hole. As posted earlier, ants find the mouse hole a convenient way to invade your trailer. If you leave it plugged in during storage, wasps, bees and mud daubers also find it a great place to "set up camp".

You'll find that in cool/cold weather, the cord is stiffer and won't pull out of the storage space, then when leaving, the wet/ice covered cord will "drag water and dirt" into the storage space. That water will support mold and mildew.

Then, most of us have had the cord "tangle and knot" inside the storage space. When that happens, you'll need to find a way into the storage space to untangle the mess so you can pull the cord out of storage. That typically happens late at night, when you're tired, hungry and just want to turn on the AC and get cool. Or it happens during a heavy rainstorm when all you want to do is get warm and dry.....

Anything that's "shoved into a dark, inaccessible space" is subject to becoming a problem. Shore power cords are no different.

Thanks for the explanation. Makes complete sense

[JeffJohnston]

Originally Posted by flybouy

I too was a boater for decades before switching over to glamping. FWIW, I also made this modification. Why? First off is what I call critter control. They appropriately call it a mouse hole. When camping typically you are near woods and fields and mice are abundant in both, also while in storage. It also allows ants, and other insects an easy path inside.

Secondly it's not "free cable storage" as it comes with at the cost of space. Often that space is ill used and sometimes mostly wasted. Our unit was this way. After making the modification there was enough room to mount the EMS unit, a 20 amp inlet (for space heater use), and a central vacuum cleaner. IMO this was a much more efficient use of that space. Our unit had the cable under the pantry in-between the slides.

Third, I didn't like standing in the rain trying to dry off the cable while feeding it back into the side of the camper. I'm admittedly lazy so I do my best to limit my actions and make them as efficient as I can. I will place my shore power cable in the bed of my.truck and a milk crate Wil wheel chocks and the equalize lift bar. After the trailer is in place I grab the cable and a set of chocks (2 chocks attached with rope) and start my walk. Plug in the shore power, then move on to the tires and insert the chocks. We leave the air conditioner on in the summer so after the EMS delay it will start cooling down the inside before we even start to go inside.

If it's raining the cable goes back in the truck bed, no worries with being wet. The truck does have a cap on the bed but I'd still do this otherwise. These are my reasons to justify the cost and I wouldn't do it any other way. You need to make your own assessment and do what's right for you. One more thing. The comment about the "connection loosening up" I've not experienced that on the decades of camping with several campers that we've had. I attribute this to the possibility that unlike a boat that's typically moving about and yanking the shore cable around the camper is stationary.

Thanks for the detail. Makes complete sense. The only thing is about wearing out. I believe the one on my GFs RV was simply due to the weight of the cord pulling down on the connection. I could be wrong tho. These posts have given me something to think about WRT to the shore power. Quick question - how hard was it to get to the back of the electric panel to replace this (if that's what we choose) and what type of cable - stranded (SOOW), solid (romex), etc?

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by JeffJohnston

... Quick question - how hard was it to get to the back of the electric panel to replace this (if that's what we choose) and what type of cable - stranded (SOOW), solid (romex), etc?

Once you get access to the cable storage cubby, you'll likely see that the shore power cord is connected to a length of 10ga ROMEX (if it's a 30 amp trailer) and that connection is done in a 4x4 metal electrical box with a metal cover.

All you'll need to do is buy a 2' (my guess, you may need more) piece of 10ga ROMEX to connect from that metal box up to the back of the new connector that you're installing.

It's been "years and years" since I ran across a trailer power center where the actual shore power cable connected directly to the power center circuit breaker panel. There's been a "ROMEX to cable" connection box in every one I've seen since around 2010 or in that time frame.

[JeffJohnston]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Once you get access to the cable storage cubby, you'll likely see that the shore power cord is connected to a length of 10ga ROMEX (if it's a 30 amp trailer) and that connection is done in a 4x4 metal electrical box with a metal cover.

All you'll need to do is buy a 2' (my guess, you may need more) piece of 10ga ROMEX to connect from that metal box up to the back of the new connector that you're installing.

It's been "years and years" since I ran across a trailer power center where the actual shore power cable connected directly to the power center circuit breaker panel. There's been a "ROMEX to cable" connection box in every one I've seen since around 2010 or in that time frame.

Thanks for the info. I keep falling into my boating ways (need to stop doing that) where you never use solid wire, always braided.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by JeffJohnston

Thanks for the info. I keep falling into my boating ways (need to stop doing that) where you never use solid wire, always braided.

The shore cabl is braided. The only romex in the trailer is from the breakers out to recepticals or appliances.

[JeffJohnston]

Originally Posted by flybouy

The shore cabl is braided. The only romex in the trailer is from the breakers out to recepticals or appliances.

Yup, that's what I've seen. On a boat, even from the breaker box to the recepticals are braided. I'm assuming due to the greater motion a boat has as well as boats "slamming" into waves often.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by flybouy

The shore cabl is braided. The only romex in the trailer is from the breakers out to recepticals or appliances.

120VAC to a slide is romex to braided coil using a molex plug in the underbelly, and then back to romex in the slide with another molex.

[plocklin]

Originally Posted by CBears

+1

I used this kit on the jayco I had because ants would walk up the cord and into the trailer. Kit worked GREAT and was really pretty easy to do following instructions.

That is why I want to change mine. I keep a baggie of insulation impregnated with insect poison to stuff in the area around the cord to keep insects out.

[plocklin]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

If you remove the “mouse hole” cover, the standard 30A shore connector won’t cover the hole. You’ll have to make an adaptor plate.

Thanks, I will check that.

[NH_Bulldog]

When I replaced my connection, it was all done from outside.

Pull the cord out as far as it will go, leave yourself a foot or so sticking out, cut the cord, strip and wire into the new wall receptacle, push it back in and caulk/seal the receptacle to the exterior. Then add the replacement end onto the remaining cord and you are done. As in my picture in post #2, I use a 90° adapter so it relieves any strain on the connection, and I get back that foot or so of cable I left connected in the wall. If I ever have to replace the receptacle, I have enough slack still to cut it back some more and rewire, still without having to access anything inside the camper (although I do like the idea of installing a central vac in that area at some point).

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by plocklin

Thanks, I will check that.

Use the kit in post #3