Replacing 50A Electric Cord

[obiwancanoli]

Has anyone replaced the electric cord on their MH, the one you hook up to shore power? Is the cord specific to the MH, or will a generic cord work too? Can it be done easily, or is it something you'd have a service tech do?

[obiwancanoli]

OK, so I replaced the 35'r with a 30 foot cord, and my electrician is making a 10 foot extension from the original. Feel comfortable now, and ready to hit the road again!

[Bob_Landry]

Jack_Diane_Freedom wrote:
You might want to check out boat cords. They are much lighter and more flexible.

No. Boat and RV cords are not interchangeable. The inlet end to the boat or RV is the same but the pedestal end is different.

[rhagfo]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

rhagfo wrote:

vermilye wrote:
All the RV power cords I've seen are S, not SJ rated. In any case, look for rubber or SE--- designations. Cheaper cord will be thermoplastic (ST--), stiff in cold weather. Rubber & elastomer (the E) are much more flexible. For example SEOOW is a good choice. Stay away from STOW and the like...

SOOW is by far the best choice, we full time our cord has seen heat and direct sun, cold and covered with snow, and a slightly flooded site and been under water (cable only not ends). The cable is still as good as new and still easy to coil into the 3 gallon bucket when travel.

It would be interesting to compare our cords side by side. Yours has inner insulation designation “O” and mine does not. I believe mine is a smaller diameter as my ground is #8 and yours is #6 and without the insulation it makes mine smaller. Will this may make it less durable? I don’t know but I do know the conditions my cord was designed to handle on Construction Sites and no doubt is more than needed in the RV world.

Ron, yours might be a bit smaller, but I can't describe the thrill when I grabbed my 3 gallon bucked and started coiling the "New" 40' cable in it and it all fit! That was a great space saver over the old cable!

The old thermoplastic cable was only 25' the new as stated is 40'.

[Cummins12V98]

rhagfo wrote:

vermilye wrote:
All the RV power cords I've seen are S, not SJ rated. In any case, look for rubber or SE--- designations. Cheaper cord will be thermoplastic (ST--), stiff in cold weather. Rubber & elastomer (the E) are much more flexible. For example SEOOW is a good choice. Stay away from STOW and the like...

SOOW is by far the best choice, we full time our cord has seen heat and direct sun, cold and covered with snow, and a slightly flooded site and been under water (cable only not ends). The cable is still as good as new and still easy to coil into the 3 gallon bucket when travel.

It would be interesting to compare our cords side by side. Yours has inner insulation designation “O” and mine does not. I believe mine is a smaller diameter as my ground is #8 and yours is #6 and without the insulation it makes mine smaller. Will this may make it less durable? I don’t know but I do know the conditions my cord was designed to handle on Construction Sites and no doubt is more than needed in the RV world.

[rhagfo]

vermilye wrote:
All the RV power cords I've seen are S, not SJ rated. In any case, look for rubber or SE--- designations. Cheaper cord will be thermoplastic (ST--), stiff in cold weather. Rubber & elastomer (the E) are much more flexible. For example SEOOW is a good choice. Stay away from STOW and the like...

SOOW is by far the best choice, we full time our cord has seen heat and direct sun, cold and covered with snow, and a slightly flooded site and been under water (cable only not ends). The cable is still as good as new and still easy to coil into the 3 gallon bucket when travel.

[wa8yxm]

When I got my RV the store had what I call "Super flex" cords.. My 30 amp cord (it was a 50 amp rig but I had a 30 amp cord for it) was a "Super flex" I used it a lot in the winter even in SC it gets cold "Near freezing" is not uncommon, Freezing happens and "Got to worry about it" well once. and as I prepped it was NOT a problem.

The 30 amp "Super flex" cord.. cold or hot, wound up like a piece of string. real easy.

[fj12ryder]

enblethen wrote:
By the time you buy the cable and the cord body, you would be better off buying a manufatured cable remove the unneeded end. Another option would to buy a range pigtail and use a manufactured 50 amp extension cord.

But the manufactured cables are still mostly very heavy and hard to coil up compared to the more supple after market cords you can use. It's more about convenience and ease of use than cost savings.

[Cummins12V98]

Not sure about the "E" designation for the outer layer.

This pictured cord is smaller than any I have seen. It came from a Jobsite Power Box. This cord is SOW 6/3 & 8/1. "OO" must give the extra thickness.

These cord caps are good quality, Camco Yellow.

[enblethen]

By the time you buy the cable and the cord body, you would be better off buying a manufatured cable remove the unneeded end. Another option would to buy a range pigtail and use a manufactured 50 amp extension cord.

[vermilye]

All the RV power cords I've seen are S, not SJ rated. In any case, look for rubber or SE--- designations. Cheaper cord will be thermoplastic (ST--), stiff in cold weather. Rubber & elastomer (the E) are much more flexible. For example SEOOW is a good choice. Stay away from STOW and the like...

[larry_cad]

Power Cord Lettering Breakdown

S = Extra hard service (rated for 600V)
J = Junior (hard) service (rated for 300V)
V = Vacuum cord (rated for 300V)
P = Parallel cord
E = Elastomer jacket (UL or NEC only)
T = Thermoplastic jacket
O = Oil resistant outer jacket
OO = Oil-resistant outer jacket and inner insulation
W = Weather and water-resistant - outdoor rated (note: this is NOT the same as Type W, another kind of portable cord)

Based on this, I would use a cord rated SJOW or SJOOW

Here is a link for on line sales of SOOW for $4.83/ft

6/4 SOOW

This is rated for 600v, the "J" wire is rated 300v but doesn't seem to be available.

[Cummins12V98]

obiwancanoli wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
S O cord is what you want.

Why?

Durable and flexible in any weather.

[rhagfo]

wopachop wrote:
Has anyone shopped around for deals besides what's on Amazon?

We need a 50' 50a cord. Will post here if I find a good deal somewhere.

I built my own, bought the ends and 40’ of 6/4 SOOW cable.

[rhagfo]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
S O cord is what you want.

X2!
I have a 40’ (measured end to end) of 6/4 SOOW cable i coil it into a 3 gallon bucket at 90 degrees or 20 degrees, one of the best investments I have made.