RV Electrical


Last Changed 12/22/2010
These are the items we acquired for park electrical connection.
Electrical Management System
	Starting at the power pedestal we have a Electrical Management System (EMS) to protect our trailer from park electrical power. The EMS is covered in detail in Power Management System.
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Power Distribution
	See how 30 amp and 50 amp circuit breaker panels are different in Electrical Distribution
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50 Amp Power Cord Adapter
	One of the best adapters we have found is to convert the round end of the 50 amp power cable to a 90 degree plug. The normal straight plug puts a lot of stress on the power cord. Usually the black jacket will recede and the power conductors will be exposed. We had put Rescue Tape on the conductors but you can see the stress on the outer cover of the straight plug.
	Here is the new 90 degree 50 amp adapter from Marinco, Parkpower model 1RPC50RV. It hangs straight down from the power inlet. No stress on the power cord.
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	The adapter end that connects to the power cord round end has a connector to securely hold the adapter to the power cord. This is not a lost cost adapter but will be worth every cent spent on saving the round end of your 50 amp power cord.
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Extension Power Cords
	You usually get a 25' power cord with your RV. RV Trailers usually have their power connections at the end of the trailer. Current, most motorhomes have their power cable connection in the middle of the coach.
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You will run into many RV sites that are designed for the other type of RV than you have. If you have a fifth-wheel, the power pedestal will be at the front of the trailer. If you have a motorhome, the power pedestal will be at the back. Also, power pedestals are sometimes set back from the RV. In these cases, a 25' power cord may not be enough. Carrying an extension cable rated for the RV input, 50 or 30 amps, handles this situation. This is our 30' Extension Cord.
	We originally bought this short 50 amp cord to put a CAMCO Power Grip female end on our 30' Extension Cord. We found another use for this short cord. Many RV parks have their electrical boxes mounted low to the ground. In some cases, too low for our Electrical Management System (above). The short cord provides enough flex between the electrical box and the PMS.
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Electrical Adapters
	There will be situations where the available power outlet is not what you RV power cord needs. There are numerous adapters that allow you RV power cord to be plugged into different outlet. A discussion of these adapters is at Electrical Adapters.
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Replaced Cord Ends
	The ends of a power cord can be difficult at times to pull out especially when the male end is plugged into the female end of an extension cord. These yellow Power Grip Plug replacement ends are available from CAMCO. The handles assist in the pulling of a plug out. These Power Grip ends are also available in electrical adapters and extension cords from CAMCO.
	We put these Power Grip Plug ends on out trailer power cord and our extension power cord.
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	CAMCO came out with Power Grip Receptacle for the female end of the cord.
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We used one of the CAMCO Power Grip Receptacles to improve our power cords. Our main power cord with the Marine Receptacle (round) was 25' long. Our extension cable with the stand flat blade receptacle was 30' long. We took the Marine Receptacle off of the 25' cord and installed it on the 30' cord. We them used a CAMCO Power Grip Receptacle to put a female end on the 25' cable. Now we still have up to 55' of power cord when we need it. But the main power cord is now 30' and will reach those many campground sites were a 25' power cord was just a couple feet short. A Note: When changing the ends of a power cord, be sure the wires fit comfortably into the connectors in the end. 50 amp cables use #6 wire which is very stiff. If one or two of the wires are longer than need to be, they will bend to fit but over time will straighten out putting stress on the shorter wires and can eventually cause a shorter wire to pull out of its connector. Take the time and trim each wire so it fits into its connector with the least amount of bending.
Electrical Basics If you are not well versed in household wiring, look at Electrical Basics for some fundamental information.