Conecting Power For A Front Receptacle?

[Dave_H_M]

I researched and found the thread on instaslling a front plug for shore power. I understsand it.

Question is how to get lashed up with the current power cord inlet in the rear. I can't see how to get into that compartment without doing a hack job. I currently have the Marico twist receptacle installed for shore power. Two Questions for those that have done it or have an idea for me:

How to make the lash up in the rear?

Thinking of running the power cord underneath, secured to the frame. How else to run it?

[Dave_H_M]

Thanks old biscuit, I have enough to run on now. One thing i was going to do is pull the basement panel down and do some looking around in there also.

[Old-Biscuit]

Travel trailer or 5th wheel?
30A or 50A??

I have a 5vr....50A
OEM shore power receptacle (Marinco Twist lock) is at rear/curbside

I installed a 50A Marinco Twist lock receptacle on front under overhang curbside.

I cut the power cables in to from rear inside the basement area. Power cables came out of distribution panel and went into basement compartment then rearward to OEM receptacle.

I installed a transfer switch so that only one receptacle was HOT at a time......dangerous to have them both HOT.
The OEM cables went into the transfer switch....input side
The main panel cables went into transfer switch....output side
The new cables from new front receptacle went into transfer switch...input side

I was able to do all wiring connections etc. inside the basement compartment.
When power is applied the transfer switch swaps to that source.

This was great for 8 mos. when transfer switch failed. Parallex shipped me a new replacement--warranty. The new one was faulty upon arrival. Called them....they said "Yeah we've had problems with the relay/contacts...can you ship them back to use for troubleshooting? We'll send you another one" :S

Forget it........we full time and not having power after 5 days needed to do something NOW.
Bought a 125A sub-panel and two double pole 50A breakers with a mechanical interlock bar, some 6 gauge wire and three electrical junctions boxes.
(Had to use junction boxes due to power cables being to short to reach where sub-panel was mounted in basement compartment.

OEM rear power cables go to one breaker
New power cables go to other breaker
Main power cables come off bus

When plugged into front....flip that breaker ON....interlocking bar trips other breaker. When plugged into rear.....flip that breaker ON...front breaker trips

No transfer switch to fail again!

How ever you do it.....you need to isolate the two sources so that only one can be HOT at a time.
If you can't run the power cables inside..then run then under attached to frame inside conduit for protection then up into rig.

Good luck.

[Dave_H_M]

RJ forget it - I do not get into whizzinz contests. I have outgrown that.

MREKIM I have thought of that method and have been holding it on the back burner hoping to come up with something more permanent so to speak. I have the camper back in the barn and when I get back into that project, I am gonna look the possibility of pulling out the circuit breaker/ fuse/converter box and maybe making the lash up there. If that is feasable, then I could run the line down thru the floor and forward and back up into the basement.

[john_bet]

RJsfishin wrote:

Dave H M wrote:
I appreciate all the input but still amd looking for ideas on the lash up to the electrical system, like where and how to tap in. :h

Ok, in the first place do you even know what you want to install ?
You said you want to install a receptacle, when in reality, a receptacle is a female electrical component that is live/hot. I doubt very seriously that is what you want. I'm not sure what a permanently mounted male plug is called, but is that what you want ?
But no matter how you connect the rear and front plug together, (excluding a 2 way switch) when you plug into either one, the other is going to be hot. Is that what you want ?
Ok, to answer the question, follow the existing cord, or permanently mounted plug to the junction box, and connect it there. If its closed in, cut a hole in it

Ok I will give it a try. I would go to the nearest wholesale electric store and get what is call a distribution block. The come in single,double,triple pole. The have one or more openings on one side of the pole and one or more on the other. I would pull the wires of your existing cord from the c/b center and hook it to one of the hole on the multi side. Run new wire from the single side back to the c/b center. From your new inlet run new wire the a hole on the multi side again using a different hole. do this for all the different colored wires including neutral. Just make sure the same colors are opposite each other. Now you have two inlets exactly the same and no exposed hot parts with the lids closed. How ever if you are concerned with hot parts on one of the inlets the I suggest you use a transfer sw. in place of the distribution block. More questions just pm me.

[mrekim]

Why not install a female 30A RV plug in the the rear under the trailer. When you're using the front plug, you plug the factory plug into the rear female adapter. Think of it like a permanently mounted extension cord.

This way, you don't need to install a transfer switch and don't have to worry about the front plug accidentally being hot.

The only other option that I can see is to run the wire from the front up through the floor to where the rear terminates. Wire the two external inputs to a transfer switch so you can be sure only one input can every be powered at one time.

[RJsfishin]

Dave H M wrote:
I appreciate all the input but still amd looking for ideas on the lash up to the electrical system, like where and how to tap in. :h

Ok, in the first place do you even know what you want to install ?
You said you want to install a receptacle, when in reality, a receptacle is a female electrical component that is live/hot. I doubt very seriously that is what you want. I'm not sure what a permanently mounted male plug is called, but is that what you want ?
But no matter how you connect the rear and front plug together, (excluding a 2 way switch) when you plug into either one, the other is going to be hot. Is that what you want ?
Ok, to answer the question, follow the existing cord, or permanently mounted plug to the junction box, and connect it there. If its closed in, cut a hole in it

[Dave_H_M]

I appreciate all the input but still amd looking for ideas on the lash up to the electrical system, like where and how to tap in. :h

[Too_Tall]

What dalenoel said. If you are going to keep the rear receptacle you need to install a selector switch.

[dalenoel]

If you are putting another 'Marinco' type plug in the front you can tie them together. If you are putting a standard 'male plug' in the front you will have it 'hot' when using the rear power connection and that would be very dangerous.

[RJsfishin]

I hope you plug your new extension into the existing power cord. Or as long as the existing cord doesn't end up w/ a "hot" plug.

[RoyB]

On my trailers I have made many cable runs for one thing or another.

I use the PVC Electrical Junction Boxes and flexible PVC conduit.

These are weather tight and will mount almost anywhere inside or outside.

The PVC Electrical junction box is great for putting up against an outside wall on under the floor and drill a large hole in the center of the box to gain access to the inside of the trailer walls or floors. All seals up great using RTV. The PVC Boxes comes with all different number of ports and conduit size holes. Once in place all seals up tight against with weather tight lids and connections.

You can actually fish new cables through the boxes and lines when you need too.

All items available from LOWES or any of the hardware stores.





Works good for my mods...
Roy Ken

[popeyemth]

Should be simple to get into the "compartment " most are just boxes put into a hole in the camper side and sealed and screwed tight. Just remove the box in reverse order and drill a hole to fish the new wires into the back to connect in parallel with the old-at least that's what I did.
Good Luck, Mike

[WyoTraveler]

Only suggestion I have would be to run the wire inside the flexible outdoor type conduit so the wire would be well protected. Towards the front or any other areas where there appears to be high heat like from exhaust you can get sticky back insulation material from Napa Auto Parts for heat protection.

[popeyemth]

Ran mine in flexible plastic conduit to ward off potential damage from the road
No problems yet.
Mine is used to connect to a genny I carry inside the truck cover. Great for lunch and rest stops.