Converter comes unplugged from electrical panel - Fiberglass RV
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Old 03-31-2020, 07:26 AM   #1
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Name: Lyle
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Converter comes unplugged from electrical panel

Has anyone come up with a relatively simple way to keep the converter plug from falling out of the electrical panel socket? This is a very annoying problem that happens regularly.

The way my Scamp 16 Layout 4 is built, it requires me to remove the electrical panel each time to plug it back in. I know the 5 screws that must be removed each time will soon stop holding. Seems like this is a common problem and there should be a reasonable solution.
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Old 03-31-2020, 08:28 AM   #2
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Two wire ties.
Also bend the prongs just a little.
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Old 03-31-2020, 08:50 AM   #3
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I used duct tape, works, does'nt pop out anymore. Really annoying when you are new owner and do not have any idea whats happening.
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Old 03-31-2020, 09:37 AM   #4
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I like Gordon's solution and have used it with success.
A more permanent solution which only takes a few minutes, is to hard wire the cord into the converter.
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Old 03-31-2020, 04:33 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by floyd View Post
I like Gordon's solution and have used it with success.
A more permanent solution which only takes a few minutes, is to hard wire the cord into the converter.
Back when I owned a Scamp, I also did what Gordon suggests in that I bent the prongs a bit. And if my memory serves me correctly, I found what I will call a “plug retainer“ which was a small piece of metal which had a hole through which a longer outlet plate screw went through and the retainer was in such a shape that it bent up and around the plug, preventing it from backing out of the outlet. I believe I found it at the local Ace Hardware.
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Old 03-31-2020, 07:21 PM   #6
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If the plug is coming out of the socket that easily it means the socket needs replacing. If that part is no longer available I would take it to an electrical repair shop and let them deal with installing a suitable replacement if that task is not part of your DIY skillset.

The reason for going to the bother of it is that a loose fitting electrical connection can cause an excess of heat and that can cause equipment failure or a fire.

A quick and easy hold the plug in place DIY hack is not the a great solution when the socket is not longer getting a good grip onto the tangs of the plug. Do it the right way, solve the real problem which is internal within the socket.


If you have wall electrical sockets in your home that no longer keep a good grip on the tangs of the plug those sockets should also be replaced.
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Old 03-31-2020, 07:41 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by k corbin View Post
If the plug is coming out of the socket that easily it means the socket needs replacing. If that part is no longer available I would take it to an electrical repair shop and let them deal with installing a suitable replacement if that task is not part of your DIY skillset.

The reason for going to the bother of it is that a loose fitting electrical connection can cause an excess of heat and that can cause equipment failure or a fire.

A quick and easy hold the plug in place DIY hack is not the appropriate when the socket is not longer getting a good grip onto the tangs of the plug. Do it the right way, solve the real problem which is internal within the socket.
Actually I have to generally agree with this.

But I also note that the plug coming out from the vibration when traveling on the road is apparently a very common problem.

I added the wire ties because I had heard of this problem so many times before. But I never experienced the failure so it was only a prophylactic approach.

Perhaps the standard NEMA plug and receptacle are just not well suited to life on the road, with all the vibration and shaking from travel. In that case hard-wiring the connection seems like the preferred method.
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Old 03-31-2020, 10:12 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by k corbin View Post
If the plug is coming out of the socket that easily it means the socket needs replacing. If that part is no longer available I would take it to an electrical repair shop and let them deal with installing a suitable replacement if that task is not part of your DIY skillset.

The reason for going to the bother of it is that a loose fitting electrical connection can cause an excess of heat and that can cause equipment failure or a fire.

A quick and easy hold the plug in place DIY hack is not the a great solution when the socket is not longer getting a good grip onto the tangs of the plug. Do it the right way, solve the real problem which is internal within the socket.


If you have wall electrical sockets in your home that no longer keep a good grip on the tangs of the plug those sockets should also be replaced.
It's a 2019 trailer. This has been a problem from the first trip I took. It's not a worn out socket, it's a poorly designed socket. Replacing it with the same poorly designed replacement part will not help.
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Old 04-01-2020, 03:29 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gordon2 View Post
Actually I have to generally agree with this.

But I also note that the plug coming out from the vibration when traveling on the road is apparently a very common problem.
I also would agree that a loose socket is not a good thing.

Quote:
Originally Posted by LyleB View Post
It's a 2019 trailer. This has been a problem from the first trip I took. It's not a worn out socket, it's a poorly designed socket. Replacing it with the same poorly designed replacement part will not help.
Again I agree. But I would go so far as to say the manufacturer, in this case Scamp, chose a less than ideal method to connect the converter to a power source. I cannot speak for every manufacturer, but every camping trailer I have owned over the years (a total of 5) except for my Scamp have been constructed with a hard wired converter. As Donna D has stated on numerous occasions, a trailer towed down a road is like a rolling earthquake. It is not surprising that things vibrate loose. I described a plug retainer I used on my Scamp in an earlier post. Perhaps this (minor) problem could also be addressed by replacing the outlet and the converter’s plug with twist lock components.
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Old 04-05-2020, 10:27 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CPW View Post
Back when I owned a Scamp, I also did what Gordon suggests in that I bent the prongs a bit. And if my memory serves me correctly, I found what I will call a “plug retainer“ which was a small piece of metal which had a hole through which a longer outlet plate screw went through and the retainer was in such a shape that it bent up and around the plug, preventing it from backing out of the outlet. I believe I found it at the local Ace Hardware.
If its what I think you mean...
The problem is that the converter commonly plugs into the back of the fuse/power panel which has just a panel mount single outlet, not a common duplex wall outlet.
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Old 04-05-2020, 12:27 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by floyd View Post
If its what I think you mean...
The problem is that the converter commonly plugs into the back of the fuse/power panel which has just a panel mount single outlet, not a common duplex wall outlet.
Well Floyd, like I said, if my memory serves me correctly. But I think I recall somehow using a two-pronged steel retainer to keep the converter plugged in. But then again, I’ve done my very best to forget everything about the nightmare of my Scamp ownership. I think the coming loose was number 347 on my list of deficiencies I had to address with mine. 😎
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Old 04-05-2020, 01:34 PM   #12
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Well Floyd, like I said, if my memory serves me correctly. But I think I recall somehow using a two-pronged steel retainer to keep the converter plugged in. But then again, I’ve done my very best to forget everything about the nightmare of my Scamp ownership. I think the coming loose was number 347 on my list of deficiencies I had to address with mine. 😎
It certainly is a common problem and every solution is welcome... one for every skillset.
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Old 04-11-2020, 10:49 AM   #13
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Twist lock, or screw on connector comes to mind.
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Old 04-11-2020, 12:10 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CPW View Post
Back when I owned a Scamp, I also did what Gordon suggests in that I bent the prongs a bit. And if my memory serves me correctly, I found what I will call a “plug retainer“ which was a small piece of metal which had a hole through which a longer outlet plate screw went through and the retainer was in such a shape that it bent up and around the plug, preventing it from backing out of the outlet. I believe I found it at the local Ace Hardware.

I have used several hundreds of these ‘plug clamp’ devices in my previous line of work. Never had a problem with the power cord coming unplugged, unless someone intentionally unscrewed the clamp on the cord or the screw in the wall plate to disconnect the plug.
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