Do you extend your 30a power cord?

[John H]

I extend ours all the way out at campgrounds when using heavier loads. When plugged in at home on a 20amp circuit to cool the fridge down I just use a heavy duty extension cord and adaptor.

[Kim Gass]

No .. What is the danger?

We did tonight just cause everyone advises it.

[TaftCoach]

Under heavy loads the cord could get hot and cause a fire.

The views expressed may not be mine in five minutes.

[SkiSmuggs]

Originally Posted by jal0710

Just a quick question. We leave our FW "plugged in" all winter with only enough cord pulled out to reach the receptacle. Since there is very little draw on the power during the winter, will that cord get hot enough to be a problem? Not trying to be combative, just would like to know whether I should go out and try to pull all the cord out.

Your question was answered indirectly, but I would say that you only need to be concerned about heat when running a heavy load like the AC. However, it is something that I never thought about until I saw this thread.

[Shorty Cox]

It is something I never thought about yesterday, I thought about it today when I read this post, and I hope I forget it tomorrow. I have enough real worries.

[wags999]

Its not something to worry about, but it is something to be aware. If your in high heat where your running your AC 24/7 than yes you should pull your cord all the way out. If your in cool weather where your not using your Ac than I would not worry about it. If I was in cold weather and using a portable heater than I would pull it out completely. It's high electric draw that causes cords to heat up. This is just common sense. Keeping a cord, coiled, in an closed enclosure, with high energy draw will cause the cord to get hotter which COULD cause cord failure or worse... why take the chance? It's a simple fix..

[Popcycle]

I never worry about it. The wires in the power cord are the same gauge as the wires inside the trailer. You can't remove the trailer wiring and no one worries about them. The area most susceptible to heat build up is at the plug where the connection is weakest and resistance is the greatest. The wiring should only fail if the amperage gets too high and the circuit breakers don't trip. I make sure the power cord wires and the trailer wiring have good connections and that the power cord is securely clamped to the junction box so it cannot be pulled out. I worry more about the water heater under my bed blowing up or the refrigerator catching on fire

[bansai]

We never pull enough amps to get the cord warm. I don't think about it.

At home, I have to fully extend the camper cord, add another 30 amp extension cord to that one, and then attach an adapter that connects to the service here at the house. This is required just to reach my nearest power outlet. I check the plug in the garage to make sure it isn't getting too warm, no problems with that one either even with the AC running in the camper. When camping with electrical hookups, I pull out enough cable to reach the pedistal, and not much else. Retracting more cable than I need is an irritation I've never felt the need to make worse.

[wags999]

Originally Posted by Popcycle

I never worry about it. The wires in the power cord are the same gauge as the wires inside the trailer. You can't remove the trailer wiring and no one worries about them. The area most susceptible to heat build up is at the plug where the connection is weakest and resistance is the greatest. The wiring should only fail if the amperage gets too high and the circuit breakers don't trip. I make sure the power cord wires and the trailer wiring have good connections and that the power cord is securely clamped to the junction box so it cannot be pulled out. I worry more about the water heater under my bed blowing up or the refrigerator catching on fire

Actually the wires inside the Rv are not the same size, most are much smaller. Also they are not coiled like your main cord is when not in use. They allow heat to dissipate, while a coiled cord doesn't allow heat to dissipate. Also your plug is in the open and hence, will dissipate heat. Your cord can over heat when coiled even when your pulling appropriate amperage. This is why you have a limit to how many wires are allowed in a conduit, even tho you may physically be able to get more in it.

It may not be the biggest issue to address but, if the situation is correct you could be in trouble. And it's an easy thing to fix...there is no downside to not pulling your cord all the way out, stowing the extra under your rig not coiled.

[North of 49°]

I'm another one who doesn't give it a second thought. I've never heard of any problems with it, and I'm sure if there was the RV industry would be mandated to do something about it. I pull out enough cord to reach the pedestal and make sure it lays flat on the ground so it doesn't create a tripping hazard.

At home I plug it into the 15 amp outlet on the side of the house, and never run the air conditioning. 15 amps is enough for everything else in the trailer.

[DRbilllZ]

Never gave it a thought. And that bothers me. Thanks for the tip.

[wags999]

Originally Posted by North of 49°

I'm another one who doesn't give it a second thought. I've never heard of any problems with it, and I'm sure if there was the RV industry would be mandated to do something about it. I pull out enough cord to reach the pedestal and make sure it lays flat on the ground so it doesn't create a tripping hazard.

At home I plug it into the 15 amp outlet on the side of the house, and never run the air conditioning. 15 amps is enough for everything else in the trailer.

This is the WARNING in the Jayco manual that comes with your RV..

The power cord must be fully extended when in use and not left coiled in the electrical compartment or on the ground. If the power cord is left coiled, it may potentially create enough heat to melt its protective casing. 

[Shorty Cox]

It’s all about “liability”. Every manufacturer has a staff of lawyers that examine their products looking for every remote possibility that a consumer could be injured by the product. If an accident should happen and there was not a “warning” on the product or in the “operator’s manual”, then that manufacturer could/would be liable.
I’m old enough to remember when a lawnmower deck did not have the “warning sticker” cautioning one to not “put hands and feet under the deck” plus the mower continued to run when one removed their hands from the handle. The urban legend of the origin of the sticker is: Some guy was mowing his grass. While doing so, he had the thought to pick the mower up and trim his hedge. When he reached to grasp the mower deck, the spinning blade cut his fingers off. DUH! His lawyer successfully argued the manufacturer was liable because the consumer had not been warned in writing to not put hands and feet under the mower deck.
The camper manufacturer puts that warning in the owner’s manual for protection for that rare possibility that the coiled power cord could create enough heat to cause a fire. I’m old, and I have talked to, and known, many campers. I have yet to meet one that has, or known of, a fire being caused by a coiled power cord.
I’m not saying it could not happen, it is not something I wish to worry about.

[bansai]

Originally Posted by Shorty Cox

It’s all about “liability”. Every manufacturer has a staff of lawyers that examine their products looking for every remote possibility that a consumer could be injured by the product. If an accident should happen and there was not a “warning” on the product or in the “operator’s manual”, then that manufacturer could/would be liable.
I’m old enough to remember when a lawnmower deck did not have the “warning sticker” cautioning one to not “put hands and feet under the deck” plus the mower continued to run when one removed their hands from the handle. The urban legend of the origin of the sticker is: Some guy was mowing his grass. While doing so, he had the thought to pick the mower up and trim his hedge. When he reached to grasp the mower deck, the spinning blade cut his fingers off. DUH! His lawyer successfully argued the manufacturer was liable because the consumer had not been warned in writing to not put hands and feet under the mower deck.
The camper manufacturer puts that warning in the owner’s manual for protection for that rare possibility that the coiled power cord could create enough heat to cause a fire. I’m old, and I have talked to, and known, many campers. I have yet to meet one that has, or known of, a fire being caused by a coiled power cord.
I’m not saying it could not happen, it is not something I wish to worry about.

Just reminded me of the woman that sued McDonalds because her hot coffee... was actually hot.

If there's a million to one chance someone will hurt themselves, a lawyer is going to profit from it.

[AZPaul]

I had my dealer cut the 30amp cord, mount a socket on the trailer side, and slice in a plug. Works great. (I have arthritis an carpel tunnel, and couldn't put the cord away.)

[wags999]

Every warning is a result of something happening. No doubt someplace someone melted the cord, hence the warning. You can ignore all the warnings, even the ones that say tires are rated for no more than 65mph... you may run them at 85 for 20 years...and then.. one day at 85 something happens and bam... your in trouble. OR you can heed the warnings and do what you feel is right. But, if something happens, look in the mirror, you were warned.

Pulling your cord out is a simple non issue, is this really the hill you want to die on? Not me...I'll live to fight a different fight, this one isn't worth it.

[troutslayer]

I personally think this is more than Lawyer-speak CYA.

[Northern Jay]

Have you ever read the chainsaw manual and found the warning that states " Do Not attempt to stop the rotating chain with your hands, feet or GENITALS???

Seriously!! What was this guy thinking???

Please note: Common Sense is NOT common anymore. What has the world come to where people have to be told NOT to do stupid things?

On a happier note.... Spring is coming. ..
Happy Camping

[Popcycle]

If it was really dangerous to leave any part of the power cord inside the trailer there would be a large warning sticker on the outside of your trailer next to the power cord. My owner's manual also warns me not to connect to the campground receptacle until I have contacted the campground owner to confirm proper grounding and receptacle polarity. I don't do that either. I like to live on the edge.

[TaftCoach]

Originally Posted by bansai

Just reminded me of the woman that sued McDonalds because her hot coffee... was actually hot.

If there's a million to one chance someone will hurt themselves, a lawyer is going to profit from it.

McDonald's actually served their coffee many degrees hotter than industry norms or recommendations with the full knowledge doing this could result in greater injuries. They also had many earlier instances of people injured but determined that their customers wanted to drink the coffee at their destinations not while driving and would sell more coffee at the increased temperature.

It's an interesting case of company knowing there was a hazard and ignoring it.

The views expressed may not be mine in five minutes.