Electric Cord Storage

[inthepines]

Originally Posted by tcg

My Class C has one permanently attached, I just pull out about a foot and then plug in a 30' extension cord. On a rare occasion I pull out more for a longer run.

I don't think those cord reels would work for a 30amp cord, maybe a 20amp but I doubt it's strong enough for a 30amp cord.

My 30' cord just gets coiled up and put in the outside storage bay.

Obviously this system works for you but personally I don't think extension cords should ever be used unless the primary isn't going to reach. More cable = more voltage drop = more resistance = more heat = melted especially with the abused/antiquated electrical systems a lot of campgrounds run.

[OldWEB]

Originally Posted by LETMGROW

My brother's son in law who is a licensed electrician was helping me with a wiring project at my house. When we were done I was helping pick things up and when I started winding up one of his electrical cords I was winding around my arm he let out a blood curdling scream. "Don't do that". He took the cord from me and showed me where it was printed on the cord "1350 strands". Then he went on to explain winding a cord too tightly can lead to those tiny strands breaking and over time the cord will be useless. In his service van he had brackets like you would roll a garden hose up on. What he would do was to loop the cord over the bracket making loops and each loop hung down about four feet.
After that lecture I never wound an extension cord or any other cord tightly. When I store my cords I use all the room available to me even though it might not be totally convenient or look pretty.
I store my Shore power cord in my electrical / wet bay and take up the whole bottom of the bay winding the cord up.
I might be a slow learner but I have a good memory.

I have never heard of 1350 strands in a extension cord. I have also never seen the number of strands printed ON the cable, but that data is available from the manufacturer. Your typical 12/3 cord has 30 to 36 strands in each conductor depending on the individual strands cmil diameter. Could you post an example of this 'special' cable?

[ga traveler]

Originally Posted by LETMGROW

My brother's son in law who is a licensed electrician was helping me with a wiring project at my house. When we were done I was helping pick things up and when I started winding up one of his electrical cords I was winding around my arm he let out a blood curdling scream. "Don't do that". He took the cord from me and showed me where it was printed on the cord "1350 strands". Then he went on to explain winding a cord too tightly can lead to those tiny strands breaking and over time the cord will be useless. In his service van he had brackets like you would roll a garden hose up on. What he would do was to loop the cord over the bracket making loops and each loop hung down about four feet.
After that lecture I never wound an extension cord or any other cord tightly. When I store my cords I use all the room available to me even though it might not be totally convenient or look pretty.
I store my Shore power cord in my electrical / wet bay and take up the whole bottom of the bay winding the cord up.
I might be a slow learner but I have a good memory.

i have a TDI electric reel. It has a drum that is only about 1 foot in diameter. It reels the cord up very tightly. I have had this on my motorhome since I bought it in 2007. In 15 years of use, I have not had a problem with my cord.
As a service manager, I have never had a power cord problem in a coach with the power reels. The all wind the cord up tightly.
The only time there was a power cord problem was when a manufacturer set the tension too high on the cord manufacturing machine and the plug blades were being torn loose from the wire.

[tcg]

Originally Posted by inthepines

Obviously this system works for you but personally I don't think extension cords should ever be used unless the primary isn't going to reach. More cable = more voltage drop = more resistance = more heat = melted especially with the abused/antiquated electrical systems a lot of campgrounds run.

Maybe, but I'm using a properly sized 30amp cord.

Voltage drop on 50' of 10 gauge wire is negligible. 25' permanently attached plus 25' extension.

[LETMGROW]

Originally Posted by OldWEB

I have never heard of 1350 strands in a extension cord. I have also never seen the number of strands printed ON the cable, but that data is available from the manufacturer. Your typical 12/3 cord has 30 to 36 strands in each conductor depending on the individual strands cmil diameter. Could you post an example of this 'special' cable?

I'd like to help you out here but this project was completed over 20 years ago when we built the front porch on my house.

[pasdad1]

I saw this on Amazon….. 680 strands !

[OldWEB]

Originally Posted by pasdad1

I saw this on Amazon….. 680 strands !

Attachment 368168

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle! Now I remember working with test lead wire like that, never counted the strands, but it was ultra flexible.
As for storing my 30A cable, I loop it into a ~3ft coil... first thing out and last thing packed, never in the way.

Originally Posted by vtron

I installed hooks in my passthrough and bought some velcro cable straps that have a D-ring. I just wind it up, secure it with the velcro strop and hang it in the passthrough. Same thing I do with my water hose.

I like this idea, will have to try it!

[mike.t]

Originally Posted by carybosse

My cord is not detachable, I just shove it in a hole in the side of trailer. (Which I hate)

If I had a detachable cord, I would probably just get one of these:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-150-...0PDQ/205038360

I have a couple laying around the house, so I could check it out before I went out an purchased another one for trailer duty.

Lot easier to "shove" it in that hole than carry it around on your shoulder, plus that16 gauge extension cord holder ain't for your RV cable

[0rion]

Doesn't really solve your problem but may make it easier. I use one of these and mounted a hook in my basement to hang it on.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Wrap-It-22-...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

[inthepines]

Originally Posted by tcg

Maybe, but I'm using a properly sized 30amp cord.

Voltage drop on 50' of 10 gauge wire is negligible. 25' permanently attached plus 25' extension.

For adequate 30 amp wire sizing, we need to account for the National Electric Code (NEC) requirements. You can’t just use 30A ampacity wire for 30 amps service. As we’ll see, you shouldn’t even use #10 AWG wire with 35A ampacity.
Here is why:

Maximum loading for any branch circuit is 80% of the rating of the circuit for ampacity of wire for any load. (NEC 220-2)

This is known as the 80% NEC ampacity requirement. It tells us that those 30 amps have to represent at most 80% of the ampacity of the wire (copper or aluminum wire).
Here is how we calculate what ampacity wire we need for 30 amp circuit:

30 Amp Wire = 30A × 100% / 80% = 37.5A Ampacity

When we account for 80% NEC requirement, we see that 35A ampacity #10 AWG is not big enough. With 35A, it’s almost big enough but not quite.
To use a 30 amp breaker, we need a wire that can handle at least 37.5 amps. The next is the size after #10 AWG wire (35A) is the #8 AWG wire (50A).

https://learnmetrics.com/30-amp-wire-size/
not my words

[mike.t]

Remember folks, when it comes to moving electricity, the bigger the gauge the better.

[tcg]

Originally Posted by inthepines

For adequate 30 amp wire sizing, we need to account for the National Electric Code (NEC) requirements. You can’t just use 30A ampacity wire for 30 amps service. As we’ll see, you shouldn’t even use #10 AWG wire with 35A ampacity.
Here is why:

Maximum loading for any branch circuit is 80% of the rating of the circuit for ampacity of wire for any load. (NEC 220-2)

This is known as the 80% NEC ampacity requirement. It tells us that those 30 amps have to represent at most 80% of the ampacity of the wire (copper or aluminum wire).
Here is how we calculate what ampacity wire we need for 30 amp circuit:

30 Amp Wire = 30A × 100% / 80% = 37.5A Ampacity

When we account for 80% NEC requirement, we see that 35A ampacity #10 AWG is not big enough. With 35A, it’s almost big enough but not quite.
To use a 30 amp breaker, we need a wire that can handle at least 37.5 amps. The next is the size after #10 AWG wire (35A) is the #8 AWG wire (50A).

https://learnmetrics.com/30-amp-wire-size/
not my words

I gotta go with...

Whatever. Unless that was sarcasm.

A 10 gauge wire ran 50 to 100 feet to run an RV that is set up for a 30 amp service plugged into a 30 amp circuit is fine.

Also interesting that my central air, 50 feet from my breaker box, is 10 gauge wire for a 30 amp breaker. I guess the licensed electrician and city inspector have no idea what they're doing.

[inthepines]

Originally Posted by tcg

I gotta go with...

Whatever. Unless that was sarcasm.

A 10 gauge wire ran 50 to 100 feet to run an RV that is set up for a 30 amp service plugged into a 30 amp circuit is fine.

Also interesting that my central air, 50 feet from my breaker box, is 10 gauge wire for a 30 amp breaker. I guess the licensed electrician and city inspector have no idea what they're doing.

not my possession to tell you what to do with it or how you do it.

[mike.t]

Originally Posted by tcg

I gotta go with...

Whatever. Unless that was sarcasm.

A 10 gauge wire ran 50 to 100 feet to run an RV that is set up for a 30 amp service plugged into a 30 amp circuit is fine.

Also interesting that my central air, 50 feet from my breaker box, is 10 gauge wire for a 30 amp breaker. I guess the licensed electrician and city inspector have no idea what they're doing.

Not as smart as you folks, isn't a 30 amp breaker different from a 30 amp plug?