Quote:
Originally Posted by cruzbill
I made up my own dogbone adapter years ago. I retrofitted my 5ver w/ the 50a twist lock and upgraded my 30a RV straight blade extension cords with 30a twist locks. What a difference in voltage drop! The straight blade cord ends will heat up and melt; why the RV industry doesn't drop the straight-blade configuration and go with twist-lock? Ok, I know........
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Here is a great link that compares 30A twist locks w/ straight blade plugs for marine use.
Shore Power Cord Comparison
Most folks feel intuitively if it "twists" & "Locks" it must be better but this is a case were intuition is wrong.
The 30A twists are a real problem in the marine environment - biggest problem is the contact area between the plug & receptacle is limited to a single point to accommodate the twisting motion. The straight blades contact can actually be significantly greater. The 50A version is a little more robust but still has similar limitations.
Its a good practice to feel the temp of all cords & plugs and consider replacing them if / when the temp is elevated. Also a best practice to inspect the plugs for any evidence of arcing, burning or corrosion and if present replace BOTH the plug and receptacle. If one side is deteriorated both sides are - don't assume the hidden side is good
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