Good morning just purchased a 2007 Winnebago-Itasca Sunova 35J and hit our first 2 camping trips with it while bringing it down from the dealer. The question i have is the unit has an Onan Marquise Gold 5500, 2 roof top HVAC's however the coach has a 30 amp cord. I was concerned when i purchased it b/c i thought it would have a 50 amp cord. The tech that did the walk thru explained to me that it has a 30 amp power cord and an EMS shedding system. I checked the owners manual and he was correct however the cord gets a good temp on it and i was concerned there may be an issue. According to the EMS board i am only drawing 23 amp and that is below the allowable 80%. Do you think maybe i have a bad plug? i was thinking of cutting of the plug and installing a new one as the blades are discolored. Any insight would be appreciated. I would have really thought this coach would have come with a 50 amp service.

In Miami, are you sure the cord isn't hot before you even plug it in ??

Is the temperature even the whole length of the cord, or is it warmer near the cord connector, cord cap, plug?If it is hotter near the cord cap, then it might be a good idea to change it. However the problem could be a warn, loose receptacle.Have fun with your new RV.Dusty

RJsfishin wrote:In Miami, are you sure the cord isn't hot before you even plug it in ??It most likely is with our record breaking heat this summer!

If the cord is used while coiled up it will over-heat. You need to stretch it out. 23 amps should not cause the cord to heat up noticeably at all. It's relatively straight forward to upgrade to a 50 amp service, but not inexpensive. The cord alone can be a couple of hundred dollars depending on how long you need.Brian

Dusty R wrote:Is the temperature even the whole length of the cord, or is it warmer near the cord connector, cord cap, plug?If it is hotter near the cord cap, then it might be a good idea to change it. However the problem could be a warn, loose receptacle.Have fun with your new RV.DustyThanks Dusty, the whole cord feels warm with the plug feeling a bit warmer. The discoloration of the plug tells me its gotten hot so im inclined to replace it regardless. I was just more concerned with the 30 amp cord. Our camping buddy has a very similar Winnebago and he has the 50 amp service.

Shore cord gets warm/hot! | Good Sam Community

vermilye
Explorer
Sep 03, 2014
martipr wrote:
Lynnmor wrote:
rv2go wrote:
First I would clean the discolored blade with fine sandpaper, Or maybe an emery stick.
Second, buy you a 30 to 50 amp adapter and use this if your CG pedestal has a 50 amp receptacle. The 50 amp receptacle will more likely have better contacts than the 30 amp. 30 amp receptacles tend to get overloaded, causing the contacts to get hot, then weaken, causing overheating of the plug.

I wonder if he is already using a 50 amp adapter and somehow drawing more than 30 amps. One needs to be careful using a 30 amp, #10 cord and protecting it with a 50 amp breaker.

Wouldn't the coach 30 amp breaker protect everything?

Yes, except for the 30 amp rated cord if there was a 30 - 49 amp fault before the RV main breaker (which is pretty near impossible). A dead short in the cord (a more likely fault) would trip the 50 amp pedestal breaker fast enough to provide protection.
martipr
Explorer
Sep 03, 2014
Lynnmor wrote:
rv2go wrote:
First I would clean the discolored blade with fine sandpaper, Or maybe an emery stick.
Second, buy you a 30 to 50 amp adapter and use this if your CG pedestal has a 50 amp receptacle. The 50 amp receptacle will more likely have better contacts than the 30 amp. 30 amp receptacles tend to get overloaded, causing the contacts to get hot, then weaken, causing overheating of the plug.

I wonder if he is already using a 50 amp adapter and somehow drawing more than 30 amps. One needs to be careful using a 30 amp, #10 cord and protecting it with a 50 amp breaker.

Wouldn't the coach 30 amp breaker protect everything?
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Sep 03, 2014
Guesswork Eliminator...
Cubanredneck
Explorer
Sep 02, 2014
Just wanted to follow up with everyone after trying everyone's suggestions. I ended up having to cut the cord and replace the plug. after dissecting the old plug I found a bad connection at the neutral spade. Needless to say the issue has been resolved and all is good. Thanks for the help and insight!
Bird_Freak
Explorer II
Aug 19, 2014
Tin Pusher wrote:
Harvard wrote:
And if the looseness is between the male and female connections it may not be the fault of the male connectors.

You men always say that :)

can't help it if the plug I am trying to plug into has been used to many times and is loose. just saying.
Tin_Pusher
Explorer II
Aug 19, 2014
Harvard wrote:
And if the looseness is between the male and female connections it may not be the fault of the male connectors.

You men always say that :)
Harvard
Explorer
Aug 19, 2014
X2 on the "some thing is loose" if it is localized heat. And if the looseness is between the male and female connections it may not be the fault of the male connectors.
powderman426
Explorer
Aug 19, 2014
If it's that hot temperature wise, I would start by checking the voltage at the pedestal. if everyone is running air conditioners there could be a voltage drop which will cause it to run hot.
oldtrojan66
Explorer
Aug 19, 2014
From what I have learned about appliances, any time a sheltered cord or plug is hot to the touch from normal use, there is something loose. I would check where it is plugged in, as well as what kind of load you were using. I had a pedestal with a loose connection that I did not notice till I pulled the plug at the end of the week-end. I should have picked up a couple hints, though. The charger cords for our various techie do-dads, were hot, and one did not charge in the normal time. I replaced the end before I plugged it in again at home.
Wayne_Dohnal
Explorer
Aug 19, 2014
If I didn't make a math error a 25 foot 10 AWG cord will dissipate about 46 watts at 30 amps. Same heat produced as a ~50 watt incandescent lamp. Not enough heat to burn up the cord or IMO discolor the contacts, but it will raise its temperature noticeably above ambient.