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Old 05-12-2012, 07:46 PM   #1
Ronnelly
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50 amp power chord 10-15 ft long

Would like to get a shorter 50 amp power cord. Where we camp we only need about 10 or 15 ft to the power pedestal. Would be nice not to have to drag out that big long 30 ft 50 amp power cord. Any suggestion of others buying the shorter cords would be appreciated and where can they be bought?
 
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Old 05-13-2012, 02:23 AM   #2
8.1al
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How about here?
http://www.amazon.com/Camco-55194-Po.../dp/B002XL2IG8
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Old 05-13-2012, 02:27 AM   #3
farmboy
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How about cutting it in half and putting on two new ends?
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Old 05-13-2012, 01:10 PM   #4
ols1932
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Camping World carries them. I bought one several years ago for just that purpose.

Orv
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Old 05-13-2012, 02:24 PM   #5
mhs4771
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I made my own for the same exact reason. Bought the wire at an Electric Supply Store and put new ends on it and it works great when your close to the power pole.
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Old 05-13-2012, 02:31 PM   #6
swanny
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while we're on this topic, what is the proper wire to buy? I'm checking out options , my 50amp power cord is about 8' short so I want to make a 10' power cord an just plug the two together. I'm not sure of the wire and connections.

kevin
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Old 05-14-2012, 02:10 AM   #7
CamillaMichael
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Another great idea from the forum! We carry water hoses and cable tv cords of multiple lengths so now we might start carrying a "short" power cord...nice to cut down on the trip hazards on the driver's side of the Montana.
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Old 05-14-2012, 02:55 AM   #8
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Swanny,
You should use 6 guage wire for the extension, that should match what is provided in the OEM shore cord.
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Old 05-14-2012, 03:27 AM   #9
mhs4771
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The cord that is normally supplied has three #6 wires (2 hot and a neutral) and a #8 Ground
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Old 05-14-2012, 07:25 AM   #10
Art-n-Marge
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What a great idea, to chop the cord and have them smaller rather than one long one that is not always needed! I don't like to go longer than the 25' to 30' length and will park the rig accordingly, but going shorter is great plus in my case the shorter lengths would be easier to store. Ouch on the price of the connectors and all the labor, but a great idea nevertheless.
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Old 05-14-2012, 02:06 PM   #11
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I have not seen the female connector for sale. Does anyone have a P/N or where they are sold? I know the male ends are sold at Amazon.com.
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Old 05-14-2012, 06:18 PM   #12
snfexpress
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We made a shorter cable with SOO wire that is very flexible and light. We used 8 gauge for our 15 feet and purchased the female Marinco end on eBay and the male end at an RV store.
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Old 05-15-2012, 11:17 AM   #13
Tom S.
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by snfexpress

We made a shorter cable with SOO wire that is very flexible and light. We used 8 gauge for our 15 feet and purchased the female Marinco end on eBay and the male end at an RV store.
Be careful using that. 8 gauge wire is only rated at 40 amps, less if it's enclosed, or used with a longer run of cord. 6 gage should be the minimum used for situations where 50 amp availability is desired. Folks should also be careful when using stranded wire, especially in "under a screw" connections because it's easy for stray wires to stick out and cause problems (including shorts), and if you don't get all the strands in the connection, you are effectively making the wire diameter smaller. This is even true in connectors that squeeze the wire between two clamps, because the wire strands can squeeze out between the clamps. Single strand is a pita to work with, but once it's connected, there are none of the issues listed above. It's also cheaper. I love stranded wire for welding cables and jumper cables, but stick with solid wire for anything else that isn't 12 volts.
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Old 05-15-2012, 05:36 PM   #14
snfexpress
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Tom,

Thank you for pointing out that 8/4 is only rated at 40 amps. I did not know that; I used the recommendation of a friend who has an electrical engineering background and who owns a Wanderlodge RV bus when I wanted to make a shorter, more flexible shore power cord.

Anecdotally, I don't ever recall exceeding 40 amps per leg. It is my understanding that the neutral carries the mismatch between the two legs. I just turned on all of our appliances, including making the converter kick in by turning on the battery disconnect. The highest leg was 34.7 amps and the other leg was 18.2 with a mismatch difference of 16.5 amps. Am I doing the math right?

Now, we don't usually have everything turned on in our rig and we do have all LED lighting, including 110 volt, so that probably helps. I will however, now knowing what the wire will handle, make a choice as to when I use the 8/4 or the 6/4 OEM anaconda. Thank you!

As for the stranded issue, would using a crimp connector on each end of the wire and then soldering it resolve the problem?

This is why I enjoy this forum: I thought my previous response was correct and perhaps in my rig it is, but I appreciate that others can expand our knowledge so that all can make informed decisions.
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Old 05-15-2012, 08:25 PM   #15
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Your neutral is.carrying the sum.of both.legs... Unless you have a 240V item, measure your current at the neutral... also remember that theoretically the ground does not carry any current... so as it is we are pushing the envelope a little bit...
As far as the ends, you may wish to not solder them... if you visualize the contact area of a solid conductor is smaller than the stranded... Current travels on the surface so the total surface area is an important part of the connection... All strands must be in the "pinch" area and it is best to over rate your cables for these and other reasons... Also solids are meant for static connections, not recommended for portable cyclical type use since they will loosen up in a very short time if moved as in an xtn cord etc... I wish I could find a finely stranded 1 #6 and 3 #8's.... it would make an excellent short 10' xtn...e
Good luck and be careful...
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Old 05-16-2012, 03:31 AM   #16
Tom S.
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dpilot, go to welding supply places on line and you may find the stranded wire you want. You are also dead on about the neutral carrying the load from both sides. If one side is carrying 30 amps and the other side carrying 20 amps, that's 50 amps combined. However, if I'm remembering my electricity from long long ago, they are carried out of phase with each other, so at any given time, the neutral is never carrying more than the highest usage side, in this case 30 amps. At least in theory, I believe.

Mike, I wouldn't bother to solder crimp on connectors, unless you are concerned about the strength of your crimp. BTW: always be wary asking an engineer a question!
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Old 05-16-2012, 10:15 AM   #17
dpilot
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tom s you are correct, whi h is wby we can use a neutral that is the gauge as the 2 hots and still carry the load safely...
good luck guys...
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