Melted shore power receptacle and cord connection

[theikes4]

Fall camping in our 2013 eagle travel trailer. We used an electric heater to keep warm most of the weekend. When I went to disconnect from the park power I found that the shore power receptacle had fused 1 prong to the power cord. No indication of any issue in the trailer. Cord to heater was not over heated. Any ideas what may have caused this issue. I am planning to replace the receptacle and end of cord.

 

[JFlightRisk]

Welcome to the Forum.

The first things that come to mind are a bad/loose socket, an overload draw, or corroded/dirty prongs on your cord end. Any one or combination of these will cause excessive heat at the plug.

 

[Route 66 Traveler]

What amp rating is your trailer, 30 or 50 amp? What was the wattage rating of the heater?? The stock connectors are prone to poor connections, especially when used at high current loads and are prone to melting. Consider upgrading to the SmartPlug. I did 2 years ago and it was well worth the money.

RV Accessories | RV Electrical Connectors | RV Power Cords

The SmartPlug is a revolutionary shore power system designed to replace the outdated and problematic twist-type design in use today.

smartplug.com

 

[norty1]

Likely worn/ loose connection causing heat buildup in the plug. Like an arc welder.

 

[Robs1953]

Likely worn/ loose connection causing heat buildup in the plug. Like an arc welder.

Exactly Could even be problems with the campground terminals. We had the exact same thing happen to us, and it wasn't plugged in totally. I started using a pigtail as a buffer.

 

[theikes4]

Thanks for the replies. I am starting to think that maybe I didn’t have it connected as well as it should have been.

 

[KCSA75]

I had the same thing happen a couple years ago. The Corps electrician said the outlet on the power pedestal was worn out and wasn't making a solid connection to the power cord.

 

[Kevin Cooper]

Bad connections cause arcing. Arcing causes heat and makes connection worse. Worse connection causes more arcing and more heat. Could have been park receptacle, your plug corroded, or both.

 

[hoppers4]

I had a similar problem several years ago. I determined it was the plug itself. I dissected it when I replaced it and found an improper crimp internal to the potted plug.

 

[Tadsher]

Adapters like either of these should never be used I had one melt and nearly burn down my house. Use the dog bone style which is a short wire with the proper plugs on each end and can be found anywhere a RV cord can be found.

 

[hoppers4]

X2

 

[ChrisMoore]

Whenever possible I use a 50 amp adaptor dog bone. the 50 amp plugs rarely get used so it will be a good connection

 

[hoppers4]

Exactly!