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Old 08-30-2016, 12:28 PM   #1
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Cord Reel Failure

TT Hershey, PA yesterday - figured somebody could get value out of my power woes I went through.

Wife: Hey...power went out. I checked the breaker in the back cabinet and everything is fine.
Me: Lemme guess...2 A/C's screaming, the dryer, dishwasher, daughter has her tea in the microwave, and Aqua Hot running on the electric side??
Wife: No smartass...only thing running was one A/C.

Uh oh...we have a problem. 50amp breaker on the park side is fine. I go to pull plug out and reseat it...it's hot...real hot! Tested the park outlet and all good. Open the bay door and I smell burnt electrical. Great... I bet that was our Transfer Switch finally took it's last breath. Fired up the generator and everything in the coach has power. Even better...where am I going to find an Esco 50amp transfer switch TODAY to put us back in business? It's 11am and 88 degrees. My wife and 2 daughters are about to hang me from the TV antenna if I don't get some A/C's humming for bed time.

I decided to put on a new plug end just to start some elimination. Same problem... Figured since the Transfer Switch is "generator preferred" I'd disconnect the genny and put the shore power on that side. One last attempt...let me check the 2 hots and neutral coming off the cord reel to the transfer switch. Ah-Hah! We only have 1 leg of 50amp! Out comes the saw and I cut the cord, strip the poles, and she gets direct-wired to the Transfer Switch bypassing the cord reel. Would you listen to those 3 Penguins scream now!

$540 for a new power cord reel. I think we'll be winding in our own lines for a while. Anyone have any experience with rebuilding these power cord reels? The whole thing appears to be riveted together. The reel works great, but passing power through it is a different story.
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Old 08-30-2016, 12:47 PM   #2
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Good troubleshooting!

For $545 I'd be drilling out some rivets! What have you got to loose?

I had to redo the water connection on my hose reel earlier this summer. It developed a crack at the 90 degree bend. It's amazing what some old time fiberglass and resin will do! Not very pretty, BUT there are no more drips!

Good luck and let us know how you make out.
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Old 08-30-2016, 02:34 PM   #3
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Good troubleshooting!

For $545 I'd be drilling out some rivets! What have you got to loose?
Oh it's getting cracked open at some point when I have time! I've heard the brushes and contacts in them can wear out. I'm going to call Technology Research Products and tell them it's b.s. that for $540 I am expected to buy something that will likely fail again...and see where it goes.
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Old 08-30-2016, 03:06 PM   #4
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Been there, done that.

Click the link below to read my sad tale from earlier this year(it's really post #2). I also called the company receiving little sympathy. Have been manually reeling the cord in/out(we full-time) and it's starting to be a hassle - but at $500+, I'm waiting for a big sale.

Safe travels.


http://www.irv2.com/forums/f274/tran...es-279720.html
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Old 08-31-2016, 07:27 AM   #5
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Although I haven't had any issues with my Shoreline/TDI power cord reel, the thought of a brush related problem (either broken or high resistance) is usually on my mind. As a result, I'm constantly monitoring incoming voltages to hopefully detect a developing degraded condition. If I was to ever replace the reel I would look into the Glendinning product, no brushes and doesn't appear to have the gearing issues that many have had with the Shoreline/TDI reel.

RLC - Glendinning Products

Similar to the Shoreline/TDI the downside is the cost.
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Old 08-31-2016, 07:44 AM   #6
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The TDI power cord reels are the worst and fail often. I would not replace it with another TDI reel.

As one other poster pointed out Glendinning Products are so much better quality than TDI.

My coach uses a Glendinning Cablemaster RLC power cord accumulator which is not a reel. It simply grabs the cord and coils it up below the accumulator basically assisting you with the chore of winding the cord.

I always wipe the cord as it is being fed into the compartment where it gets coiled up.

Here are the choices for power cord REELS by Glendinning.

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Old 08-31-2016, 07:50 AM   #7
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The TDI power cord reels are the worst and fail often. I would not replace it with another TDI reel.



As one other poster pointed out Glendinning Products are so much better quality than TDI.



My coach uses a Glendinning Cablemaster RLC power cord accumulator which is not a reel. It simply grabs the cord and coils it up below the accumulator basically assisting you with the chore of winding the cord.



I always wipe the cord as it is being fed into the compartment where it gets coiled up.



Here are the choices for power cord REELS by Glendinning.



Dr4Film ----- Richard

X2! If you have the room, the Glenndinning Cablemaster is about as trouble free as any mechanical product could be.
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Old 08-31-2016, 02:15 PM   #8
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2006 TS Select My reel failed, red power feed brush bar held in place by two screws on reel, one loosened and dropped out, bar verge ayes, turned black and melted other screw out of melted reel housing, open on red at transfer. You guys who think $500 is expensive and drive any expensive motorhome confuse me?
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Old 08-31-2016, 02:21 PM   #9
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djnorten,

Frankly 30% of your posts confuses me!

Do people actually read what they had written BEFORE posting it?

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Old 09-16-2016, 08:33 PM   #10
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I'm an expert with both those reel types. my TDI reel went out after 6 years. After opening it up I found the brushes had deteriorated from the large currents being fed through them. No way to repair the brushes. So I found a slavage place that sold me a used one for about $300.

With this coach I have the Glendinning and am on my third reel after just 2.5 yrs of use. So while they replaced both with no cost, no one can convince me Glendinning is any better.
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Old 09-17-2016, 05:53 AM   #11
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Slabman,

If you re-read the above post I am recommending and referring to the Glendinning Cablemaster and not a reel that has to use some method of transferring power from the shore power cord to the reel and then from the reel into the coach wiring.

The Cablemaster is a far superior product in that its only job is to accumulate and coil the power cord into a confined area.

Perhaps you should try the other product.

I still standby my comment that Glendinning is far superior to TDI.

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Old 09-17-2016, 08:01 AM   #12
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Mr. Film, your post confuses me. I am referring to REEL types...and stand by my comments. YOU are making a general statement about ALL Cablemaster products, of which the CRR50 is one of them, which is the REEL type I'm referring to. You have the older style, pile up your cord in a bundle type. Newmars are not set up to go away from the reel and to convert, well, who would even want to try?

So unless there is another similar cable reel out there, we are forced to choose between these two, the TDI product or Glendenning's CRR50.
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Old 09-17-2016, 08:31 AM   #13
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Mr. Film, your post confuses me. I am referring to REEL types...and stand by my comments. YOU are making a general statement about ALL Cablemaster products, of which the CRR50 is one of them, which is the REEL type I'm referring to. You have the older style, pile up your cord in a bundle type. Newmars are not set up to go away from the reel and to convert, well, who would even want to try?



So unless there is another similar cable reel out there, we are forced to choose between these two, the TDI product or Glendenning's CRR50.

All the reel types share the design weakness of the "slip ring" . There is no question that the "cable coiler" Glendenning is far superior to these reels. The reason an owner might "want to try", is that this system works long term.
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Old 09-17-2016, 08:43 PM   #14
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Why not just polish or turn the comm and put new brushes and holders in it. Another piece of advise do not plug in till you are done positioning it. I have rebuilt mine twice last time just brushes.
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