Shore Power Plug Mod

Check out smartplug.com I watched a video last night where a guy replaced his pull through cord with a plug in cord set. I just ordered the inlet and cord end to replace my cord that caught fire.

I believe I have seen a kit you can buy at Camping World (and other RV supply stores) to install a shore power cord.

I had mine factory installed by Outfitter when I bought my Apex 9.5.

Why not shorten up the existing cord so as to not have to cram it in the little hole?
You can but a short pigtail and install it, then install matching female cord body on the removed cord.

I cut the existing cord off at ~1 foot. Installed a new male plug on the 1 foot cord and a new female receptical on the cord that was cut off.

This allows me to open the door, unplug the extension cord, push the 1' cord back in the hole, and roll the cord up at ground level rather than poke the cord back into the cord storage compartment, which was a pain.

enblethen wrote:
Why not shorten up the existing cord so as to not have to cram it in the little hole?
You can but a short pigtail and install it, then install matching female cord body on the removed cord.

the problem with yours and Joe417's similar suggestions are that they still require the OP to leave his compartment door open. Which he is wanting to avoid.

I couldn't find my post from Nov 2008, so much for search ...

Rather than insulating my galvanized powercord box, I decided to replace it with a water-tight (IP66) twist-lock 30A flange from Hubbell Hubbell eCatalog page B-26.






The mating Connector Body page B27



Connector Body - 30A 125V NEMA L5-30P -- HBL2613SW
Flange Inlet -- 30A 125V NEMA L5 -- HBL2615SW

They can be purchased online or ordered from a local electrical supply house.

I removed the galvanized box, got a 3/8" thick piece of ABS from Tap Plastics, used a hole saw to cut an opening and mounted the flange, then sealed it to the back of the door opening by mounting it to the inside camper wall.



I then insulated the back side by adhering two pieces of one inch thick aluminum foil faced polyisocyanurate rigid foam and a small plate of ABS to seal the back of the flange and provide a place to attach a bulkhead cord connector / strain relief.



Later I sealed the edges of the foam.

Cut the cord from TC electrical box leaving enough length inside to wire up the flange connector. Attached the Connector body to the remainder of the cord.

Ended up with a warmer camper and no more rain, snow, or freezing cold air in the box. More storage room inside without the galvanized box. Store the RV 30A cord in another outside compartment.

To attach a regular 120VAC 15A extension cord, and if you can store the extension cord connection out of the weather, use one of the RV 30A to 15A adapters at the end of your recently modified 30A RV power cord.



If you need a really waterproof connection to the extension cord order another 30A 125V NEMA L5-30 connector body (HBL2613SW) and make an short adapter to a straight blade L5-120VAC waterproof Hubbell NEMA L5-15 plug (HBL14W47A) on the end of the adapter. Replace the connector on the end of the extension cord with a NEMA 5-15 HBL15W47A Connector body(Hubbell eCatalog (page C-6))

I converted mine using the Marinco kit. My oem cord went to a junction box so I had to add a piece of romex from the junction box to the new plug location.

The kit comes with the plug to convert your existing cable.

pretty easy mod.

bb_94401 wrote:
I couldn't find my post from Nov 2008, so much for search ...

Bingo I think this was it, thank you.

I many have found a second solution as they have the RV prewired for a generator and a wall plug in the electrical box that you plug the shore cord into to get power from the generator. Now I just need to find where it goes to, a job to do once all our snow melts :-)

Thanks,

For a temporary option / solution this winter:

Cut out a piece of 3/4" to 1-1/2" thick, extruded polystyrene foam (corning pink or dow blue foam) the size of the cord box opening so it will be an interference fit when pressed into the door opening flange. Thickness determined by depth of cord box opening flange.

Drill a hole the size of the extension cord at a slight angle through the middle of the piece of foam using a sharp drill bit (maybe a brad point bit). Cut the foam in half with a knife vertically through the hole.

To aid in removing the foam pieces, stick a piece of fiber reinforced strapping tape, long enough to go vertically around the back and edge of each foam piece and then folded back on itself to make 3" tabs on each end.

Connect the extension cord, via the adapter to your existing cord and push the connection into your cord box. Sandwich the extension cord where it comes through the opening, with the two pieces of foam oriented vertically. Orient the pieces of foam so the hole slopes down to the outside. Gently press / pound the foam pieces into the cord box opening, with the strapping tape tabs led to the front.

Interference fit seals the opening and cord. Connection to the extension cord out of the weather. Slope of hole and vertical seam directs any potential water intrusion down, where the existing cord box flange directs it to the outside. Better insulation, one less cold opening into RV.

Pull on tape tabs to remove foam. If your fit is too tight, pulling on the tabs and extension cord at the same time, so the cord connection pulls against the back side of the foam, may allow you it remove the foam without breaking it, so you can reuse it in the future.