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Old 11-08-2009, 11:46 AM   #1
exav8tr
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Anaconda Cord Replacement

I have seen, what appears to be, flexible 50 amp cords on motor homes that they roll up on a spool. Has anyone seen one more flexible than the anaconda that comes with ours, OR, am I imagining something OR, is it just "wishful thinking"????

Phil
 
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Old 11-08-2009, 12:54 PM   #2
TLightning
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One thing that helps the motor home guys is that most have power reels to haul that thing in.
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Old 11-08-2009, 01:32 PM   #3
farmboy
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Go to an electrical equipment supply house and ask the counterman what you are looking for, he may be able to help you. Be sure he understands what you are looking for and what you are using it for. It will help him understand your needs. The down side is you may not want to pay for it. The cable and ends will be expensive.
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Old 11-08-2009, 03:05 PM   #4
HamRad
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Phil,
If you want REALLY flexible electrical cord go to a welding supply place. The cords they use for welding are extremely flexible. But as Farmboy indicated you may not want to pay for the stuff!
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Old 11-08-2009, 03:31 PM   #5
exav8tr
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Thanks for the advice guys, I will, at least, check into the pricing. Will not need a 50 amp cord until summer so maybe I could put one on "lay-a-way". Ya think???? Maybe just save my pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and mostly, dollars......
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Old 11-08-2009, 11:50 PM   #6
Tom S.
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I'm not sure if you can build a better cord or not. As mentioned, welding cable, which is made up of very fine strands of copper, is very flexible. The covering however is usually rubber that will not hold up well to any kind of abuse. Also, I'm not sure you can get welding cable in 'smaller' sizes. For 50 amps you need 10 gauge or larger, but most welding cable starts of at 4 gauge. Welding cable is sold as single line, meaning you would have to buy 4 lines to make one power cord. Color coding is another issue. I've seen it in black and red, but never white and green. Farmboy is right on the connections too. The power pole connection isn't bad, under $20, but the connection to the Monty is made by Morinco and runs around $100.

The power cord that comes with the trailer is much larger than 10-4 wire needs to be by nature. The reason for that is extra thick insulation for protection. These cords withstand people walking on them, driving on them, and being rolled/unrolled multiple times. You can uses regular 10-4 cable designed for outdoors use, and it will not be as thick, but it will still be very stiff. As a side note, the outside rated stuff is a pain in the but to work with because the insulation is very tough.

There is one other alternative, which is aluminum. Aluminum cable is a lot lighter and cheaper, but it doesn't conduct as well as copper, so you need to move up one size, from 10 gauge to 8 gauge. I don't think you can use 8 gauge with either connector though and because you are moving up a size, the cable is also somewhat stiffer. More important, aluminum has a tendency to loosen over time, so even if you are able to make it fit in the end plugs, you should check it from time to time to make sure it isn't loose and arcing. This is not an avenue I would pursue.
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Old 11-09-2009, 03:30 AM   #7
thundercat
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There are several cables available that will fill the bill. You will need a 4/c #6 for a 50 amp service and a Type SO, SJO or SJ cable code will be much more flexable than what comes with the Monty. As for welding cable you can go with a marine type cable that is more flexable but with any welding cable you have to be careful of the voltage rating, most are only rated for 150 volts. I would go with at least a 600 volt rating as a minimum.

Good luck and let us know what you end up with.
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Old 11-09-2009, 08:29 AM   #8
HughM
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6/4 cable came with our unit and we've built extra cable just like it. Any electrical supply house will have 6/4 cable and Lowes/Home Depot has connectors.
Hugh
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Old 11-10-2009, 03:45 AM   #9
simonsrf
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We still use the 50 amp chord that came in the white basket. We still have the original white basket and original chord. That basket, while traveling carries a grey tank hose, cable roll-up reel for satellite TV, and several adapters...so, there is no wasted space.

What is wrong with the heavy cord? I have no problem rolling it up into the basket even in cold weather. Once it has been rolled tightly in the bottom of the basket, it keeps its shape.
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Old 11-10-2009, 12:53 PM   #10
exav8tr
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Robbie, I guess my problem is I don't have the round basket anymore. Maybe I should go buy one, or just park next to you all the time. lol.....
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Old 11-10-2009, 01:02 PM   #11
simonsrf
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Phil, seriously, it is a NON issue. Save your money.I'd be happy to show you how to roll it up, once.
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Old 11-10-2009, 01:18 PM   #12
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When we were at the Gettysburg rally, we took a field trip to an RV store for the afternoon. When I came back I had two 30amp cords. 1 was 50 foot & the other 1 was 25 foot. I finally got to where I wasn’t using the anaconda size cord since we only had one A/C. When I got the “anaconda” out and had to plug in somewhere, I felt like I was dragging something nearly as big as a fire hose. I don’t even carry the large one with us anymore unless “Bingo” (AKA “bncinwv”) should happen to need it.

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Old 11-10-2009, 02:03 PM   #13
richfaa
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We do have a second Anaconda 50 amp cable that we won at a raffle. It is much softer than the OEM cable. We use the OEM cable all the time as we like to have the 50 amps available. We have no problem coiling it up in the OEM white basket..Of course we have never been in real cold weather with it. Understand it can get a bit stiff.
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Old 11-10-2009, 03:00 PM   #14
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I find that it has somewhat of a memory, I don't find it too difficult to just coil it up on the ground ,and put it away. Only issue I can see is it could be difficult for some because of its weight.I have noticed some where the outer rubber is starting to pull loose from the trailer end on the plug, is there something to prevent this?
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Old 11-10-2009, 03:30 PM   #15
Bill-N-Donna
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by PSFORD99

I find that it has somewhat of a memory, I don't find it too difficult to just coil it up on the ground ,and put it away. Only issue I can see is it could be difficult for some because of its weight.I have noticed some where the outer rubber is starting to pull loose from the trailer end on the plug, is there something to prevent this?

That’s one of the problems I’ve had with ours.
I don’t have a picture of it but it’s also one of the reasons I got a 30 amp cord.
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Old 11-11-2009, 09:21 AM   #16
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by PSFORD99

I find that it has somewhat of a memory, I don't find it too difficult to just coil it up on the ground ,and put it away. Only issue I can see is it could be difficult for some because of its weight.I have noticed some where the outer rubber is starting to pull loose from the trailer end on the plug, is there something to prevent this?
You can loosen the three screws on the face of the 50amp cord. This allows the outside plastic cove of the plug to slide down the cord. Once exposed you will see a clamp on the bottom of the connector that holds the rubber/neopreme coating of the cord in place. Push the rubber/neopreme back up into the clamp and tighten it. While you have the cover off might as well check for tightness all the lugs holding the 4 wires into the plug. They do come loose!
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Old 11-11-2009, 09:43 AM   #17
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I hate to drag the heavy 50 amp cord out. So I am looking into this 25ft 50-30 amp adapter cable. I think it would be a lot lighter than the 50 amp I now use. And the price is right. Here is a link to the web site. http://www.tweetys.com/rvyadaptor-25foot50to30amp.aspx
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Old 11-11-2009, 10:41 AM   #18
Tom S.
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Just think of wrestling with the 50 amp cord as part of your work out routine.

That, or penance for sins of a past life.
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Old 11-11-2009, 11:11 AM   #19
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Well if you want all of the goodies that come with these big RV's then a heavy cord is what you must have to let them amps travel,

If your cord has a memory lay it on the ashfault and let it get warm it will coil a lot easier.
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Old 11-11-2009, 12:08 PM   #20
scductman
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Guys I never put mine in the rv. when at home it is plugged in and when we leave I just put it in the bed of the truck. just slide it out at the CG and hook up. I been doing it this way since new. also my cover pulled back at the plug end I got some rubber tape and filled in the gap and covered with good grade elect tape its been fine since. JMHO.
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