All ActivityMost RecentMost LikesSolutionsRe: Power cord connections meltingYes I suspect the connectors are low quality and are not fitting tightly together. Yes checked the voltage in the caller. When the air comes on it drops but I always keep it in the "green" which is about 112volts at least. Yes the voltage varies through out the day. In the mornings it's higher before people put on their air conditioners. It drops during the day but again I don't let it go below 112volts. When the air comes on the voltage drops but again not below 112volts. Even during the running it stays higher. Thats for sure. I know I am up there but I dont believe I am to the point of burning the plugs caused by amp draw. Bad connections probably. Maybe bad connections and amps. I would like to try better connections. I have had more of a problem using the Camco connectors than the original molded in connectors.Re: Power cord connections meltingHa Well the reason for the dog bone is I never thought of eliminating it. LOL Seriously though the dog bone i use has a 90* angle so there is less pressure on the trailer 50 amp connection. Probably doesn't make any difference in reality. It was just my thought. There are a ton of them out there without it. The problem still exists at the 30 amp side of the cord. If the problem is loose connectors then the connector to the dogbone will burn the new cable. Or potentially. IdonoRe: Power cord connections melting time2roll wrote: Thumbs wrote: Why not twist or locking connectors? I ask out of ignorance. If I put a male on the dog bone adaptor to the camper and a female on the supply cord I would think that would make a tighter connection rather than just pushing in a friction connection. I realize the limiting factor to the twist or locking connectors. If I put the locking connector on the supply cord and male on the dog bone that would be the only cable I could use unless I replace the other cables in the same manner. What leans me to the locking connectors is the one on the camper is like new and the 50 amp female at that connection is also like new. I was attributing it to a tighter connection because of the locking ability. Idono Twist lock is fine but nothing off the shelf in the RV world is compatible. Best to have a cord direct from the RV to the pedestal. No adapters. See my amazon link above. If you go twistlock I recommend Hubbell brand. Oh ok Yeah the fewer connections the better. What I was thinking was to take the male off the Dog bone and replace it with a male twist lock. Take the female off the power cord and replace it with a female twist lock.Re: Power cord connections melting BB_TX wrote: If you have quality 30 amp cables and adapters with no poor connections and you are connected to a 30 amp circuit breaker protected receptacle then the connections should not over heat even pulling 30 amps. Even if you have a longer cable. A longer cable can cause a voltage drop, but the current cannot go above the 30 amp breaker, and the supposed cable and adapter rating. And current is what causes overheating, not voltage. The overheated plug and/or receptacle indicates resistance in one or both of those, either poor contact, poor wiring connections, or possibly cable/adapter not meeting stated rating. I carried a 25’ 30 amp cable with a 30 amp male plug and a 50 amp female connector for the trailer end (30 to 50 adapter cable) to avoid having to use the dogbone adapter. Yes it is the current not the voltage. This indicates the connectors are faulty. At least its a good chance. Like you say, unless the breaker at the supply box is faulty, the amperage is limited by the breaker. So that being true than either the cables are bad or the connectors are of poor quality. This problem has happened on a couple of cables. Either the cables are all faulty or the connectors. Ok that makes sense eliminating the one connector that is giving me the problems. I will have to check again but the other connectors seem fine just the one at the dog bone continually goes bad. HummmmRe: Power cord connections melting time2roll wrote: Thumbs wrote: the question is who makes good connectors|?. I really don't think the Camco connectors are the way to go. The other question is does it make any sense to put twist on connectors on the female end of the cord and the male end of the pigtail. The male end of the camper 50amp connector is in perfect condition and its a twist on. Maybe that is the way to go. I linked the progressive connectors earlier. I believe these are superior. I would not go twist lock. Do you have a removable 50 amp cord? If so consider a Marinco removable 30 amp cord that will connect to the 50 amp socket on the RV. https://www.amazon.com/Marinco-Park-Power-3050PA-25-Male-50A/dp/B07BDYF4HD Less bulk too when only 30amp is available. Sorry I missed that link before. Why not twist or locking connectors? I ask out of ignorance. If I put a male on the dog bone adaptor to the camper and a female on the supply cord I would think that would make a tighter connection rather than just pushing in a friction connection. I realize the limiting factor to the twist or locking connectors. If I put the locking connector on the supply cord and male on the dog bone that would be the only cable I could use unless I replace the other cables in the same manner. What leans me to the locking connectors is the one on the camper is like new and the 50 amp female at that connection is also like new. I was attributing it to a tighter connection because of the locking ability. IdonoRe: Power cord connections melting time2roll wrote: Yes should easily run the fridge and air continuous without issues. A bad battery might run up the power from the converter but you would soon know that. The connectors are bad. Not saying the batteries are new. They have been in there a couple of years but they will hold a charge for a few days at least while dry camping so I think they are good. This burning problem as been haunting for for a while but is more pronounced after I changed out the connectors with the cameo. I can burn them up in a few days in the summer. Yep thats what Im goin with. LOL Anyway, as we progress down this rabbit hole the question is who makes good connectors|?. I really don't think the Camco connectors are the way to go. The other question is does it make any sense to put twist on connectors on the female end of the cord and the male end of the pigtail. The male end of the camper 50amp connector is in perfect condition and its a twist on. Maybe that is the way to go.Re: Black tank scrubber problem CA Traveler wrote: Check the water hose input screen. The outlet at the tank could be partially plugged. Fix the leak before you have dry rot. Yeah thats a possibility. Problem is I cant find anyone that has the time to fix it or even look at it till August. Good news is Im home and won't be using the camper. I am hoping its a check valve problem. I can see a little water but not a big deal. If there were a major break there should be gallons and gallons of water laying in the enclosed belly pan of the camper. Like I said I punch a couple of holes in the pan and nothing came out. A little from under the shower pan between the linoleum and where the shower sits on the floor. I looked under the shower in the camper and the plywood is not even damp dry as a bone.Re: Power cord connections melting pianotuna wrote: Gary, How about the fridge? 325 watts for mine. How about the converter? Could be, that stays on shore power all thing time even with the air on. Yes it could be any of those things. I just find it hard to believe that a single 30 amp cord is not capable of running the refrigerator and air at the same time. Not a clue what the other stuff that normally runs as a matter of course but again a 30 amp cord should work. Normally, I think, the reason for the 50amp connections are running two ac units and or hot water heater and microwave. How much can the ac draw 15amps at startup and a heck of a lot less while running. Refrigerator what 3 or 4 amps. Trailer sitting idle with nothing on but the basic trailer stuff another 3 or four amps. Not enough to burn the connectors. It has to be connectors not fitting properly. Oh the cords either the pigtail air the 30 amp cords are not hot. Yes they are slightly warm but no where near the temp to melt the connectors. Oh again when I installed the connectors the wires were not burnt or discolored at all. I did trim them back but I could have use them the way I took them out of the connector.Re: Black tank scrubber problem bgum wrote: What does tank level show? (IF THEY ARE SOMEWHAT ACCURATE) Ha your right, if somewhat accurate. Normally 2/3 full. Ok I can go two weeks before I dump. Just the two of us. I normally use the "Thrown Detector" method to tell me what it needs to be emptied. Since I had the luxury of sewers I dumped this time each week. So the tank was not overfull. Maybe half at the most. Also the water I am getting is fresh clear water not any black water at all.Re: Power cord connections melting 2112 wrote: Ocationaly I have to use two 30 amp cords together to get the length I need but where that conection is made I have no problems. Is this 1 of those occasions? How long is this extra cord? Are you running the AC for extended periods while using this extra cord? Did you measure that 110V inside the camper or at the shore power connection? Is it time for more detail or shall we just keep slinging feces? No only one cord. The voltage in the camper was about 112 or a bit higher at the lowest. Anything lower than that I shut the ac down. Yes the ac was on quite a bit. Oh I forgot only one AC unit. Nothing else with a major draw was on. Yes the standard stuff that the camper pulls just sitting there and the refrigerator. No hot water heater, microwave or even the tv are on with the AC. I know the TV doesn't draw that much. If I need the microwave or hot water heater the air goes off. Only one of these a time. All cords ae about the same length. I think the normal length is 25"?? I personally think its the connectors. I changed them out a year os so ago and this is the second one that needs to be replaced. I can see the plug going into the shore power occasionally burning becaset their receptical is just wore out and not making tight connection. These are new Camco connectors. The female going to the 50 to 30 pigtail is the one that is bad this time again. I will have to replace the male pigtail and the female cord connector this time.
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