Twist lock cord vs standard

ezrydrs wrote:
The connection isn't as tight as it used to be and it's felt warm to the touch the last few trips out. This one has gotten sloppy.

IMO, there is nothing wrong with a detachable cord but there are some things to know.

With all shore power cords, it is very important to never plug in while the power is on. Shut the breaker in the pedestal off first. If you don't, the converter causes a high momentary inrush current that causes pitting on the plug/connector/receptacle contact surfaces causing resistance which gets worse over time. (You can hear a zzzap and in the dark, see a flash.) The end result is heating which can lead to a meltdown.

If you are plugging in the twistlock end of the cord with power on, that is a lot worse than the straight blade end at the pedestal. If a pedestal goes up in smoke and flames, the CG gets to fix it. If that happens at the power inlet, you can have some serious damage. Have seen pics of that before and it's not pretty.

If you have not been turning power off before plugging in, you can clean the blade contact surfaces until shiny. With a receptacle/connector, you can't see the internal surfaces or clean them off. You may be faced with replacing the cord or the connector on it. If the plug or inlet blades have been really over-heated, they are annealed and no amount of shining up the surfaces will fix things.

There are 3 or 4 manufacturers of power inlets and twist-lock shore power cords plus some el-cheapo knock-offs. Marinco/Park Power are the best IMO. Our TT came with Conntek and it is not that good compared to Marinco. Our Conntek twist-lock cord has a threaded style collar and it doesn't work very well at all and I use a Marinco cord instead. The inlet cover is now broken at 2 years old and needs replacement. You might consider getting a new Marinco inlet. I installed one in a previous TT and never had problems. Marinco is designed for the rigors of marine use but is somewhat higher in cost. In a marine store, it's like 10 x the cost...

There are 2 types of collars at the twist-lock connector. One is threaded and the other is 1/8 turn. The threaded ones are a PITA. The 1/8 turn are so much easier and faster and you can't mess them up like the threaded type. You have to buy the shore power cord with the type of collar you want, they can't be retrofitted AFAIK. If the collar is properly in place, it keeps the contact surfaces snugly together. If the collar is loose, the weight of the cord hanging down will cause poor alignment and connection at the contact surfaces. If it's the twist-lock connector contacts that are loose, it's time for a new cord or connector.

If you leave your TT plugged in at home 24/7/365, that puts a lot of strain on the connector at the inlet fitting. A right angle adapter or cord with right angle connector will eliminate the strain. If you hunt around, sometimes you can find a complete 25' cord with right angle connector for about the same cost as a right angle adapter. One less connector/plug is better than using the adapter too.

30 amp receptacles in pedestals get a lot of use and abuse compared to 50 amps. If a pedestal has 30 & 50 and the 30 amp recept. is loose or looks in rough shape, use the 50 with an pigtail adapter. You also have a better chance of decent voltage at a 50 amp pedestal. If a 30 amp recept. is in rough shape and you have no other choice, a 30 amp to 30 amp pigtail adapter is a good idea so that if the pedestal/cord connection goes up in smoke, you'll just lose the adapter. If there is a 20 amp GFCI recept. in the pedestal and it looks okay, that can be used with a 30/15 adapter providing you keep the power demand down.

If you are running an AC unit and the voltage is getting low, AC units draw more current (opposite to just about anything else). If you are plugged in for 2 or 3 days or longer with the AC running plus other loads, you can be running close to 30 amps or even slightly over much of the time and if you have dirty and loose contact surfaces at a pedestal or power inlet, things can get warm/hot and not have a chance to cool down much and increase the chance of a failure. If voltage is low and a 30 amp pedestal looks to be in rough shape, you should try to keep demand as low as possible.

If you decide to convert from detachable cord to non-detachable, you'll need a cavity/box inside your TT to push the cord into - maybe about 12x12x24" and should be accessible from the inside so you can untangle the cord. If the only place for the box is on the curb side, you'll need to lengthen the cord which could mean another 10' or more of cord and require a larger box. NEC specifies a pedestal to be on the left rear of an RV.

If you do get a new twist-lock cord, keep the old one as a spare and buy a generator adaptor, that way you can make a 50' cord if ever needed or a cord is damaged or disappears. If you decide to replace the connector and/or plug, they won't be waterproof any more. Better to buy a whole new cord. Don't buy a cheapo replacement plug or connecter - you'll regret it.

I'll take a detachable power cord any day over a non-detachable type.