Community Forums

Kiss4aFrog · 04-23-2019, 01:37 PM

Need to get a power cord for my new to me 40' RV. Will there be times I really need a 50' cord to plug in ?

.

rk911 · 04-23-2019, 01:42 PM

we have two 25’ 50-amp cords. i’ve only had to use the 2nd cord once. but i’m a ‘Plan B’ guy so I think you’d rather have it and not need it rather than the other wsy ‘round.

Spk64 · 04-23-2019, 01:56 PM

I went with 50', only needed it a few times so far and was glad I had it.

BCam · 04-23-2019, 02:12 PM

I like the two 25' cord idea. I don't know how significant it might be but there's going to be twice as much power loss with 50' of cord vs 25', assuming they're the same wire gauge. They'll also be easier to handle.

On the other hand, if the 25' cords are a smaller gauge than the 50' cord, the two together will be less efficient than the larger gauge 50' cord. Don't forget, the lower the gauge number, the larger the conductor (12g is larger than 14g, etc.).

Podivin · 04-23-2019, 02:17 PM

I've got two 25's, I've used the second one twice. Both times is when I chose to enter the site by pulling in rather than backing in like the site was designed, which of course puts the connections at the 'wrong' end of the site. I do that when we camp at one of the places on the beach, because we want to view to the ocean out the windshield. A 25' cord is also easier to handle in cool/cold weather. These thick cords REALLY don't want to coil when they are cold.

bruceisla · 04-23-2019, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Podivin

I've got two 25's, I've used the second one twice. Both times is when I chose to enter the site by pulling in rather than backing in like the site was designed, which of course puts the connections at the 'wrong' end of the site. I do that when we camp at one of the places on the beach, because we want to view to the ocean out the windshield. A 25' cord is also easier to handle in cool/cold weather. These thick cords REALLY don't want to coil when they are cold.

Exactly !! ... I frequently swap ends for the view. However, I have a 30' on the reel plus 25'.

Kiss4aFrog · 04-23-2019, 04:41 PM

Thanks for the input. I guess it will be the 50 footer. Might only need it a couple times but it just makes sense to have it handy.

Tooth Doc · 04-24-2019, 10:07 PM

Check the weight and handling of a 50 foot 50 amp cord. I could not manage one by myself. A 25 footer and a 25 foot extension cord seems more practical.

oregonhiker · 04-25-2019, 04:37 AM

We have a 50' cord reel and an additional 50' 50amp extension. Like others we can point the coach in a different direction if we should choose. We do the same with our fresh water hose also.

Bigd9 · 04-25-2019, 06:19 AM

I just replaced my 50 amp shore power cord the other day. I then took the original cord and put two new ends on it to use for a extension cord. The original cord and the replacement cords are 30 foot.

The new cord is a very flexible in cooler weather, so much better than the original cord. The actual job of replacing the cord was easy. Putting new ends on the old cord was more of a challenge.

Make sure you get a cord that is the same gauge wires as the original and pay attention to the type of material the outer jacked is made from. Mine is a SEOW material. SOOW is also good. Very flexible.

jacwjames · 04-25-2019, 06:29 AM

My wife had been going to dog shows where you never know how far the power would be away, they set up mobile pedestals with numerous outlets. So we carry two 25' & 50' 50amp cord plus a 100' 30 amp cord. I know we've had to use a combination of these in the past.

SpaceNorman · 05-15-2019, 08:10 PM

We have the 50 amp cord that's installed on the reel - and two 30 foot extensions that live in a tote in the basement. The vast majority of the time, the cord that's on the reel is all we need. However, when we "moochdock" at our friends' place - I need BOTH extensions to reach my power source. We've also had to pull out the extension a couple of times when camping with a group on a site that we parked "the wrong way" on in order to create a courtyard between our rig and that of our neighbors (with the park management's permission of course). My sense is that it's better to have the extensions "just in case" you find yourself needing them - than finding yourself needing them and not having them.

Isaac-1 · 05-16-2019, 12:26 AM

I have a 30 ft 50 amp cord on my coach, I also own a 25 ft 50 amp extension and a 25 ft 30 amp extension cord. I have stopped carrying the 25 ft 50 amp, it is just too heavy and cumbersome weighing about 4-5 times as much as the 25 ft 30 amp cord. If we are just stopping for a night, and don't need a lot of power I will often just plug up the 30 amp cord and never drag the big heavy 50 amp out of the electrical bay. Only once or twice has the 30 ft 50 amp cord been too short, and both those times we were at 30 amp only sites, so out came the 30 amp extension.