Extension Cord

[BZ_MAN]

So when it comes to electrical my knowledge is minimal at best. I plan to take the camper to deer camp in late November and will be able to plug into a standard 20 amp plug in and need to know how heavy of an extension cord I should get.

I am thinking 50 feet of cord won't quite be enough so I'll probably just get 100 feet so I know I have enough.

I plan to run the furnace, ceramic space heater, a light or two and the TV. So do you think I can get by with a 12 gauge cord or do I need to go with a 10.

[Erie_Tom]

Get a 50 footer number 10 from Tractor Supply

[BZ_MAN]

Thanks everyone. I am thinking I'll go with 12 gauge as most have suggested.

[edbehnke]

buy a 12 gauge

[tomman58]

20 amps #12 is just fine for 100 feet. Just because you live in a ranch home and the breakers are in the garage and the kitchen is 80 feet away you will never find an inch of #10 case closed. Oh if the #12 is warm it is working... a good thing!

[tenbear]

Make sure you buy a 3 wire extension cord. #12 will work fine but you might consider buying a #10 for future use.

[KD4UPL]

#12 will work fine, #10 is even better if you can spend the money.
Fred's analysis of why voltage drop won't really matter is correct.

[time2roll]

#12 is fine. With 20 amp supply I recommend running the heater on a setting lower than high max.

[Golden_HVAC]

Hi,

The ceramic heater will not care if it is running at 120 volts or 95 volts. It will just draw less amperage at 100 volts than 120 volts (20% less amperage) and also will put out less heat. So if rated at 1200 watts at 120 volts, it would be drawing 10 amps. At 100 volts it would draw only about 8 amps, and make 800 watts of heat.

If you have a modern electronic battery charger, it should not care if it has anything from 95 to 135 volts. They are very tolerant of input voltage.

I would suggest that #12 wire is minimum if you will run a 12 amp heater. Otherwise a smaller cord can be used if just running the battery charger or TV and computers/ cell chargers. A coffee maker can use 12 amps, and thus requires the #12 or larger #10 power cord.

Likewise the coffee maker will take more time at 110 volts to make coffee than at 120 volts. You can help this out by warming the water on the stove to about 95F before putting it into the coffee maker.

Your furnace should be used to warm the RV to 65F or so in the mornings. The ceramic heater can not be run while using high amperage items such as the coffee maker or running the water heater on electric.

You will need to either keep the RV winterized and not use the plumbing system, or keep the water heater warm by running it enough to keep it above 40F at night. The easy way is to just leave it on and at 140F, but that will waste gas, as the cold air will go in the bottom and fairly quickly cool the water with 10F air going in and being warmed to 130F and flowing out the top of the flue. What I do is run the heater for a 1/2 hour or so, then shut it off, and hope it will not freeze overnight. Then run it for 10 minutes or so to keep it warm all the time.

Have fun camping!

Fred.

[RoyB]

I have been using 50-foot 10 GAUGE (10-3) with a RV30A-15 long "DOGBONE" type ADAPTER from day one (2008). I found the two HD YELLOW 10-GAUGE CONTRACTOR GRADE cords from a yard sale at a great price compared to what they cost at the store..


I would steer away from using these small black roun RV30A-15A ADAPTERS. All that I ever used with the RV 30AMP Shore power Cables always got hot on me after being used for a short time. You donn't want to burn up your expensive extension cords or shore power cable ends...


I also picked up a couple of 25-foot 10-gauge RV 30AMP extension cords from the local Dealer when I got my 5th wheel from them. They have a hugh lot with many trailers sitting in it all hooked up to Electric using these... These have come in handy numerous times when my shore power cable is just three feet short when hooking up at the camp ground pedestal.


Another trick I do here is always have a RV 120VAC METER plugged into a 120VAC receptacle inside my trailer in a good spot so I can glance at it before turning on something high wattage like the air conditioner or microwave. It the 120V is not within the SAFE GREEN SCALE I will not turn the high wattage items ON.


The heavier gauge may pay off big at your fish camp with many others there all hooked up at the same time...

All of my connections are cool to touch laying out on the ground when being used. These cables all work good with my 2KW Generator as 120VAC source when being used as well...

Roy Ken

[2112]

You may want to build your own.
Determine how long you need and go to Home Depot or wherever they sell 10AWG SO cord. Also get a good quality hospital grade 20 amp male plug and a 30A receptacle like THIS. This will eliminate the adapter.

White to white screw
Black to gold screw
Green to green screw

Keep a standard 20A receptacle handy and swap it out with the 30A to use if needed.

[ChooChooMan74]

Harbor Freight 10 gauge extension cords come in 25, 50, and 100 foot lengths.

[stickdog]

Go 10 if you are running any motors, I've seen too many drills and compressors Skillsaws burnt out from low voltage from using undersized cords.

[Crazy_Ray]

Get your self 20 amp cord. JMO