Replacing electric cord with plug-in system?

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

I just measured my MaxxFan Deluxe using a SmartShunt on my battery.

the motor opening the lid uses 1 amp. the lowest speed is about 1/4 amp. the highest speed is around 4.5 amps. second highest speed is about 3.3 amps. Speeds 4 and 5 bracket 1 amp (sorry, I just havea graph, I didn't write down the numbers... on this graph, - amps are draw, + amps are charge. the base level was about 0.2 amps, thats running a LED light or two)

Oh geez. Headache! Well, I don't have the trailer here or the fan, not sure if this means I could run the fan and recharge the battery adequately with 35 watt solar panel... or not? What do you think?

[parmm]

Originally Posted by EllPea in CA

Oh geez. Headache! Well, I don't have the trailer here or the fan, not sure if this means I could run the fan and recharge the battery adequately with 35 watt solar panel... or not? What do you think?

How many Amp hour is your battery ?

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by parmm

How many Amp hour is your battery ?

Sorry, cannot answer. Still looking at replacing battery. RV repair recommending the basic lead acid battery... I don't use a lot of power... but am still thinking of lithium.

[John in Santa Cruz]

What size battery do you have? The common 27M are maybe 80 AH, but shouldn't be discharged much below 50% if you want the best battery lifetime. A true deep cycle like a Trojan can be discharged to maybe 30% remaining and still have decent life.

Watts is, more or less volts times amps, so 40 AH (50%) at 12 volts is about 480 watt*hours, for example 48 watts for 10 hours (yeah, it's not that linear but close enough to estimate).

A 35 watt solar panel is pretty small for that size battery. General rule for solar is 3-4 times the watt rating in watt*hours per day, so maybe 100-135 watt*hours on a sunny day. When I had a Casita with a group 27M batt, I used a 100 watt solar panel. That gave me 300-400 watt*hours per day.

[parmm]

Originally Posted by EllPea in CA

Sorry, cannot answer. Still looking at replacing battery. RV repair recommending the basic lead acid battery... I don't use a lot of power... but am still thinking of lithium.

Your RV repair sounds just like the old time mechanics that are still telling us to change the oil in our vehicles every 3 thousand miles! Lead acid is fine for those who follow the rules concerning the maintenance of lead acid batteries, keeping them filled up with distilled water and properly charging them, not over charging them. Many of us do not take care of our batteries and end up paying for it! At least our batteries sit on the front of the trailer where we can access them and not in some pull out battery box tray that gets all corroded and stuck. You don't need to worry about that stuff with lithium batteries. Ask your RV guy if he will warranty his lead acid batteries for 10 years like Battleborn does with their lithium batteries. I don't have and interest in Battleborn, but I sure love the fact that I can ignore their product what provides 12 volt electric to my Scamp! My Scamp is my 6th RV and the only one that I have not had to worry about batteries.

[Darrell in Al]

Originally Posted by AC0GV

I still use my cord access for ham radio antenna coax. I plug it with a scrub pad.

I should have thought of that.

But I'm still planning on the ext plug attachment method, I've had the converter get unplugged a few times too. Flat lines battery.

I'd go with lithium battery (s) next time I need a new battery being I can install it in the compartment with the charger and get it off the front of RV better use for storage of chocks and leveling blocks. In my Jeep I've got two 36 Amp lithium batteries as "house" battery running 12v fridge freezer, lights, GRMS radio and other stuff... Less preps for quick weekend trips.

[John in Santa Cruz]

gotta say, I much prefer my Escape's twist-lock 30A connector with a cord I store in the front box over the Casitas pull-out cordl.

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

gotta say, I much prefer my Escape's twist-lock 30A connector with a cord I store in the front box over the Casitas pull-out cordl.

Sounds good to me!

[Jane P.]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

I just measured my MaxxFan Deluxe using a SmartShunt on my battery.

the motor opening the lid uses 1 amp. the lowest speed is about 1/4 amp. the highest speed is around 4.5 amps. second highest speed is about 3.3 amps. Speeds 4 and 5 bracket 1 amp (sorry, I just havea graph, I didn't write down the numbers... on this graph, - amps are draw, + amps are charge. the base level was about 0.2 amps, thats running a LED light or two)

Yes, you’re correct.

I usually run our Fantastic fan on a higher setting, so think of power usage as 4-5.

Thanks for checking up on me.

[Jane P.]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

gotta say, I much prefer my Escape's twist-lock 30A connector with a cord I store in the front box over the Casitas pull-out cord.

John,
I’m interested to learn why you prefer your current plug-in connector over the attached cord in your Casita.

Radar1 had a really nice post (#45) where he compared his experience with plug-in vs attached cord.

One point that impressed me was that:

You have to leave the [plug-in] cord out even if you are only 5’ from the power pole. This could be problematic for me as a potential accident.

Additionally, if the cord becomes muddy or dirty, the plug-in is harder to wipe off and clean when putting it back in the hatch.

Have you found this to be a problem?

Or do the advantages of a plug-in system compensate?

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

A 35 watt solar panel is pretty small for that size battery. General rule for solar is 3-4 times the watt rating in watt*hours per day, so maybe 100-135 watt*hours on a sunny day. When I had a Casita with a group 27M batt, I used a 100 watt solar panel. That gave me 300-400 watt*hours per day.

I have been looking at a beefier solar suitcase. The only drawback is that they are so danged heavy … but obviously I’ll have to supplement some how.

[John in Santa Cruz]

I store my Escape 30' 30A cord in the front storage box. Being muddy has never been a big problem. If I only need a short cord I leave most of it coiled up and hung on the end of the back bumper.

[David Tilston]

When I was a power lineman, I learned a sort of knot for storing unused cord, rope, hose...

A video would be better, but I will try to describe it. Make a neutral, (with no, or little twist of the cord) coil of cord that has coils that are as long as your arms outstretched, (about 2m, (6’) long)' (the coil can get quite heavy on an outstretched arm). Then leave about 3m, (9') of extra cord. Stick your arm through the coil and spin it, causing the extra cord to wrap around the outside of the coil, till you have about half a meter left. Then, using the arm that is through the coil, pull a U-shaped part of that half a meter of the cord through the hole in the coil that your arm was in. Don't pull the end of the cord through, just a U-shaped section. The end of the cord should still be on the other side of the coil. That U is then passed over the top of the coil, that your arm was in. Pull the loose end of the half a meter of cord till the U-shaped part sinches tight. Done.

Hang the cord from the coil. If you have left too much cord for the U-shape, then your cord end may dangle a bit below the coil. That is the part that you would use when you only need a small percentage of the full length of the extension cord. Just don’t coil it all up, but you should still pass the U-shaped part through and sinch it up. The bundle is still going to be neat, when you need to put the rest of it away.

To undo push some of the wire from the loose end back through the coil, till you have enough slack in the U-shaped part to get it back over the coil.

Yeah, a video would be better. I went looking and there were some other similar methods, but none the same. The handy part of this method is that you can easily coil half of the cord and leave the rest of it loose. I like to keep the coil under my trailer, so I start to coil at the receptacle end, with sufficient slack so the coil is not hanging from the power inlet on my trailer and leave the plug on the loose end.

[CalCop]

After years of stuffing the black shore power cord into the black storage hole, I replaced it with a detachable cord. The process is very easy and simple. Even I had no issues :-)

[John in Santa Cruz]

there is an art to winding and unwinding a heavy gauge cable so the wires don't get twisted up inside. the longer the cable, the harder it is, but a 30 foot long 30A cable is pretty easy, I just wind it over my elbow and palm, shaking out all the twist so the windings lay flat on my elbow-hand 'spool'. and when I unwind the coil, I do it in the reverse direction, so the loops come off without twisting.

winding up a 100 foot 15A cord, probably 12/3, is a lot harder unless you use an extension cord spool/winder.

[Jane P.]

Thanks everyone! I’ll try to master David’s knot technique for unused coils. (A Video would help).

I use to sail competitively, and did transfer my past life experience to the coiling of electrical cords.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a storage box, so everything will go into the electrical bay. I am very particular about cleaning anything stowed in the trailer. Just not into dirt accumulating in the bay.

I’m again learning towards the Smart Plug system. Once it’s paid for & installed, I will forget about it, but they are significantly more expensive than the twist style.

BTW, I called SMART PLUG to ask about their pig tail adopter for 125V extension cord. They are currently testing the pigtail and have no idea when it will be available for sale.

I need an outdoor extension cord at home. I’ve also camped at private facilities with 125V power. So, I would need to DIY an adopter. You’d think they would have manufactured something by now.

[CharlesinGA]

I have the optional cargo pod on the front of my trailer so the cord and adapters stays in there. I have a plastic container that the cord, the adapters and the Hughes watch dog all just fit in, and while I do clean the cord with an old cotton sock or tee shirt that stays in the container, I don't worry too much, as the container...... well..... contains the dirt. I unwind the cord I need and attempt to hang the rest on the pedestal or lay the roll neatly on a railroad tie that borders the site, or in some way keep it organized and out of the dirt if possible.

I have another container for the fresh water hose, regulator, adapters, etc, and one for the sewer hose.

I converted to a plug in/removable cord because the original cord was horribly stiff, even for a typically stiff thermoplastic jacketed 10/3 RV cord, and was about impossible to stuff in the compartment intended for the purpose.

Charles

[Jane P.]

Wish I had an cargo pod on my tongue! Would have no problems with dirt in the pod, either.

After moving the lithium battery into the cabin, I reconfigured the tong compartment to hold black tank clean out kit (gloves, hose, knee cushion) & my assorted hitch hardware. But an external storage area for my wet fresh water hoses and muddy extension cords, not to mention my portable surge protector would be great.

Anything’s possible. The trailer has a relatively light tongue weight & a good welder could extend the tongue to make room for a pod. But ... $$$

Thanks Charles. Definitely food for thought.