Community Forums

RV Vagabond · 06-06-2016, 07:33 PM

What would you say is the average feet from your RV to where you plug in your power cord and how often do you need the full 50 foot cord

**CLIFFTALL** · 06-06-2016, 07:37 PM

Very rarely needed 30' ( my power cord ) , however sometimes need an extension.

Captn John · 06-06-2016, 07:42 PM

Rarely need more than 25'--30'. Have never needed more than 45' and that 50 amp cord is heavy!

WILDEBILL308 · 06-06-2016, 07:44 PM

Way to many variables between parks. It just depends on where they put the pedestal. I have had to adjust where the coach was parked but I haven't needed an extension.

Just watch the next trip I will need one. I am more worried about the quality of the power. My Surgeguard has saved me at least twice last year.

Bill

SpaceNorman · 06-06-2016, 07:53 PM

All depends on where you're parking. If you're staying in typical RV parks - they've usually got the poles laid out such that you won't need much cord to get to the plug. There are a couple of the older "electric only" campgrounds that we visit that don't have landscaped pads ... and that don't have rules in terms of having your windshield face the road ... where we pull into our site "nose first" while our camping partners back their 5th wheel into the site next to us (which allows us to create a "courtyard" between the two vehicles that both of our entrance doors can open into - which is nice when you want to hang with your neighbors!). When we park in that configuration I need every inch of the cord on the coach reel plus one extension cable.

The extension cables come in handy when "mooch-docking" with friends.

dennis45 · 06-06-2016, 08:01 PM

I carry a 15' extension. In five years, I've used it twice. But both times I was glad to have it.

NRR · 06-06-2016, 08:13 PM

Last trip fifteen feet was normal. All in commercial campgrounds for a month down south.

I have been places where the 25’ cord had to be thrown under the camper.

Sometimes just using the 25’ extinction cord is easier that fighting that cord in the box. Rain promotes that thought.

ga traveler · 06-06-2016, 08:25 PM

My last four motorhomes came with the standard 25 ft cord. I carry a 25 ft extension. I have used the extension maybe a dozen times since 1974. One reason I wanted the electric reel on my present coach is that the PDI reel comes with 35 ft cord. I installed the PDI reel on my coach when I first got it in Feb. 2007. I still carry the 25 ft cord but I have never needed it in the last 9 years.

Stickdog · 06-06-2016, 11:06 PM

I carry an extra 30amp 25ft, we,re 50amp but have only used the 30amp on unlevel pull throughs where positioning to not unhook for an overnight placed me farther than my 50amp would stretch. I also have used it in a friends backyard.

Waiter21 · 06-07-2016, 06:14 AM

My power cord more like 30 ft, so I carry a 25 ft extension and had to use it twice last year.

Once, the pedestal was on the wrong side (two spaces shared the same pedestal), In the other case, the pedestal was at the very end of the space.

paz · 06-07-2016, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RV Vagabond

What would you say is the average feet from your RV to where you plug in your power cord and how often do you need the full 50 foot cord

It all depends on how the campground is set up. Some have the utilities way in the back, and others have them around the middle of the site. We have even seen some campgrounds with shared hookups, which means your hookup could be on the opposite side of the coach.

It also depends on where the power cord is located on your coach. Most are near the back, but I have seen some a lot farther forward.

The 50' power cord on the motorhome we used to have was located at the rear, and it was almost always long enough to reach the pedestal. The 5th wheel we have now has a 35' power cord (also located at the rear), and I have had to relocate the trailer on several occasions so the cord would reach, especially in those instances where the pedestal was located around the middle of the site. I carry a 15' extension cord, but I will only use it when absolutely necessary because the trailer is 50 amp and my extension cord is only 30 amp.

Algonquin · 06-07-2016, 06:28 AM

If you visit some Provincial Park campgrounds in Ontario, you will be lucky to reach the pedestal with a 50 foot extension! Two widely spaced sites will share a pedestal between the sites. The campground offices carry extra extensions to lend to unprepared campers.

Cat320 · 06-07-2016, 12:46 PM

Normally the OEM cord is long enough. However, when you need an extension, you NEED an extension. I keep one buried in the basement...used it a few times.

cwsqbm · 06-07-2016, 02:05 PM

Older campgrounds usually had the pole at the back of back-end site. Modern pull thru sites usually have pole much farther forward for class a with toad, which means my trailers electric won't reach sometimes. For long stays people will put the trailer in front of the tow vehicle, but for an overnight that's annoying.