50 amp plug

SH wrote:

westend quote wrote:
Can't you mount a power inlet on the same exterior panel that houses the present shore cord storage? If nothing else, buy a piece of King Starboard or sililar and cover the present hole. Use this new piece for the power inlet mounting.

I could but that hole exits underneath at the top of the j-panel. No easy way to reach up plug in a cord. The way it is now I simply drop the current cord to the ground through the hole.

I guess I can leave it alone but boy does that cord get difficult to stuff in that compartment in colder weather!

OK, I reviewed your pictures and I see where your cord exits presently. Was confused by the access hatch.

Here is what I would do: Mount a power inlet adjacent to the access hatch. This will allow you to keep the cord storage area for any kind of storage you wish. Permanently seal up the present "mousehole" access hatch. The reason a power inlet is superior than to just splicing in two ends is that the inlet locks the cord to the trailer body when in use. It is definitely superior to letting the two connectors sit on the ground. Who is going to be pulling those connections apart when wet or muddy? There is also potential for inadvertent disconnection and allows little strain relief. On the plus side, adding two spliced connectors is about $50 cheaper than a power inlet.

I know what you mean about the cord. I have a Marinco 50 amp cord with a really thick jacket. It is like wrestling a python to store. Presently, I store it inside under the bunks but don't like it there. I will probably build a shallow storage area under the trailer floor to park it. I was waiting for the right piece to appear that would make it easy to fabricate. If I find that, I'll let you know.