Replacing the Male End of the RV Power Cord

Dave H M wrote:
i also got fed up with stuffing the cored in the hole and installed a twist connector there. Think it was a marico.

That hole is nothing but a highway for the mice anyway...

Thanks for the insight.

i also got fed up with stuffing the cored in the hole and installed a twist connector there. Think it was a marico.

newman fulltimer wrote:
buy a plug end at home delot 15 bucks and are built alot better

That is what I have done several times and agree while not weather proof it's decent quality and generally the male end is protected by the pedestal cover. If the male end is to be outside like in an extension situation then put the connection into a cheap plastic box to protect the whole connection.

Not sure if you can get a decent weather proof replacement male plug, but I doubt it's going to be cheap if you can.

Larry

Get the plug replacement with the handle!

Makes connecting and unconnecting a breeze. Don't know why the darn manufactures don't make this type of plug standard equipment.

The reason plugs melt is loose connections which results in arching that blackens the blades on the plug.

If your blades on the plug are not shiny copper your plugs will start to melt.

I clean the plug blades with a simple emery board people use to file their nails. Haven't had a plug start melting in years since I started routinely sanding the blades to keep them clean.


Comes in both 30amp and 50amp
And yes this size plug replacement will fit in the box where the power cord is stored.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Twistem tighter makem bleed...It's amazing what my new Wiha No 2 Phillips screwdriver will do. Without camming out it'll twist those screws so tight they'll squeak at the end. NONE and I mean ZERO of my receptacle screws or plug or receptacle have come loose since I started soldering fork (spade) terminals.

I did it on the Kelley 34 years ago. And no one, friends included have complained their wire ends have loosened.

My wire ends are pretty loose but the RV and the Shore Power Cord are doing well. :-) DW can't seem to tighten me up.

Twistem tighter makem bleed...It's amazing what my new Wiha No 2 Phillips screwdriver will do. Without camming out it'll twist those screws so tight they'll squeak at the end. NONE and I mean ZERO of my receptacle screws or plug or receptacle have come loose since I started soldering fork (spade) terminals.

I did it on the Kelley 34 years ago. And no one, friends included have complained their wire ends have loosened.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
I solder appropriate spade (fork) terminals onto stranded wire ends then when assembling tighten the snot out of plug/receptacle clamp screws. Gobbing electrolytic silicone grease onto each finished termination makes this method of assembly better than any other - especially if a good plug or socket like Chris Bryant recommended is used. The object is to stop heating and cooling cycles which anneal the copper wire strands beyond salvation.

I arrived at this conclusion decades ago after fighting my own makeup plugs which were necessary after pre-made factory molded plugs caught fire.

I would LOVE to see a failure in the assembly of how I assemble plugs. Being both lazy and cheap I sought the permanent fix. I found it.

Winner winner - chicken dinner! Solder spade or ring terminals to the wire ends. But, Mex... try as I might I've never squeezed any snot out of any screw connections!

When I replaced my plug (50amp)I bought one without a handle and also bought one of these Plug Dog Works great!

DICK

If you don't want the plug ending up like the old one, don't plug into a pedestal unless the breaker is turned off so as to avoid the converter inrush current from pitting the blades which leads to heat and a meltdown.

Also, hundreds or thousands of RV-ers before you may never have turned the power off first and the inside of a pedestal receptacle can be in really bad shape, also leading to heat even if you have a plug in top shape. If a 30 amp recept. looks bad, it might be a good idea to find another site or if it has a 50 amp recept., use it with an adapter. If no choice, reducing your draw to a min. will help somewhat.

Your other option to replace the 30 amp plug is to buy a whole new 30 amp RV extension cord and cut the connector end off. You can buy one on ebay starting at just $34 here.(it's UL listed too which you want).