Armoured extension cord

Boon Docker wrote:
Remove one end (plug) from cord and put cord inside a 3/4 inch PVC pipe, then reinstall a new plug.

Do this and then take a pick axe and trench down a couple of inches, recover with the gravel. Will give more protection from tires and easily removed. May not be legal, but if just a temporary plug in, gray area.

Ken

Now I've never claimed to be the smartest person in a room, but my limited intelligence dictates that I wouldn't run a wire across a driveway in Ontario, Canada; with or without a protective device. Snowplows/snowblowers are really dangerous even without electric wires traversing the pathway.

While the OP didn't mention anyone living in the RV, in reality, it doesn't matter if anyone is or isn't.

The issue is the same, protecting wire going across a gravel driveway.

In my case, not a driveway but through the yard..

That meant every week in the summer I had to pickup, roll up and move the extension cord (100ft worth) each time I wanted to mow and then put it back down after mowing.

For me, I was using 12ga extension cord since we didn't have anyone staying in the RV in the yard and that was a real pain.

I couldn't imagine having to do that with say 50ft or 100ft of 10 ga for 30A or 6 gauge for 50A every week!

Once you price out the cost of copper extension cords for 30A or 50A you will really want to find the best way to protect them and I wouldn't take a chance on a few 2x4s in the driveway.

swimmer_spe wrote:

Beverley&Ken wrote:
What material is your driveway made from, hard surface, asphalt (blacktop) concrete , the above suggestions are great, gravel stone etc, uneven, then questionable especially if there are tire depressions.

Ken

Packed gravel and there are tire depressions.

Roflmao! Glad Ken and Bev asked the question!
You can still build a cover. Way easier if it’s short term.
But longer term, tossing a sleeve under the driveway is pretty easy too.
And the building code nanny’s need to go find a gvw or towing thread to stretch their legs (and keyboard in).
Although, it’s probably worth mentioning since you couldn’t come up with this “solution” on your own….if your truly thinking about a permanent install, I’d agree that installing a service would be better, probably from both a convenience and functional standpoint, but you gotta provide more info.
Like length of run, power requirements for the camper, etc.
That said, the “experts” here may be right or may be wrong. The extension cords I have poking out of the shop running to the camper and other trailer for years now don’t seem to be an issue. But every condition is different.

Will people be living inside or you just need the lights to work and battery to charge?

Its a big difference in the size of wire you need to run. Might effect the method you choose.

Bury conduit and run a 50a service?
Or lay a thin orange electrical cord on the ground with or without some wood to protect?

A middle ground would be a 50a by 50 foot cable on the ground. Use bricks or wood to keep most of the vehicle weight off it.

mr_andyj wrote:
I would do the 2x4 method.

While 2x4s could protect the cable, they become a speed bump and a tripping hazard in the driveway unless you ease the edges with a miter basically turning them into a triangle. That needs done on both sides.

Price lumber right now plus add in labor into making a wooden cover and then having someone trip over it and the cost will be far higher than buying a premade setup or properly burying conduit and wire.

Not to mention 2x4s sticking up in a driveway can cause issues with lawn mowers and tractors as they do not have that much clearance under them.

Honestly, instead of cobbling a bunch of temporary makeshift covers, find an alternative route.

I love my setup, it was well worth the aggravation and work to put in a nice permanent solution. If the OP plans to stay at their place and wants to have power to their RV permanent solution in the long run will make the most sense. They won't have to pick it up, move it, reinforce it, fix it and no tripping hazard.

Here is a few pix of my setup..



I repurposed a power pole that was in place that the previous owner had bought for a mobile home they had added to the property.

We got rid of the mobile home and the pole was disconnected, when we bought our first TT we ran extension cords from the back porch to the TT, 100ft of extension cord. That outlet also was GFCI protected and sometimes would false trip after a good heavy rain (trailer tongue makes a good earth ground when surrounded with water).

We had to have water well work done and I took the opportunity to run conduit from the house to the well head on the other side of the trailer. So, it made sense to run additional conduit to the power pole at the same time.



Ran 3/4" PVC conduit and 10 gauge wire from house to pole, about 50ft from front of house where main breaker panel is to the power pole.

Ran conduit up the pole to a old meter socket box (gutted the meter socket box and put small two breaker sub panel in there with a 30A and 20A breaker). 30A for RV socket and 20A for GFCI 20A outlet and I ran a wire up the pole to a dusk to dawn light.

Put the outlets in a 4x4 outdoor electrical box with a nice weather proof in use cover.



Now I can plug in my TT and have 20A power out in my yard, I make use of the 20A outlet for trimming the hedges along my road frontage..

Well worth the work to be able to pull the TT right in and plug right into shore power when I get home instead of stretching 100ft of extension cord..

The best method is to dig a trench across the driveway and use wire rated for conduit.

The cheapest, easiest and faster method is as Mr_andyj states but I would go a bit cheaper. You need

• an extension cord
• Enough pieces of 1x2x10 foot pine (about $2.50 a piece) at HD) to span the driveway
• Some long gutter nails from HD to spike the pine to the driveway to keep it from sliding
• Some kind of tape
• Some kind of caulking
  

Lay the pieces of 1x2 flat across the driveway. Drill at least three holes for the spikes in each piece but do not spike it yet. Now roll the 1x2 up on edge so the narrow edge is up. Use the caulking to glue the cord to the narrow edge of the board every foot or so. Use the tape to hold the cord in place overnight while the caulking dries. Peel the tape and roll the boards back down flat and spike to the driveway.

I would do the 2x4 method. You could even use u-brackets to hold the cord on the board at the point where the car tires run it over - or duct tape lol.
Use short board sections, just wide enough that the car runs over the board no matter how far right or left the driver is.
Drill two holes in board, hammer spikes (gutter nails would work) thru board into dirt to keep board stable.

If on concrete I just lay the cord out and run over it. Been doing that for 10 years with the same cord with no issues. If it shorts out then the breaker trips.

Gravel presents sharp rocks that can do a lot of damage so keep the cord from getting trapped under the board. One board should do it, no need to build a board channel. The cord can be protected just beside the board as the tire will not be able to deform into the crevice.

Get more fancy and use a 4x4. Partially bury the 4x4 into the dirt, still use spikes. Lay cord next to it

fj12ryder wrote:
Thanks, I hadn't considered the possible water retention in the conduit.

Yeah, I couldn't figure out why either until I was removing some old school C band satellite wire no longer needed at my home, it was run in a continuous uninterrupted run of 1 1/4" black water pipe. That wire jacket was very wet as I pulled it out..

I never had water in that pipe (it was new when installed) and both ends were protected very well from direct water intrusion.. The moisture cam from somewhere.

The plastic pipe was done just in case of a failure of the wire for easy replacement even though the wire was rated for direct burial. I learned that trick working for a big dish installer back in the 1980s.

Thanks, I hadn't considered the possible water retention in the conduit.