How long is your electric cord?

On my last trip (second outing ever) the park site we were given had the electric hook up box a bit far away.  I ended up having to reback-in my TT in order to line it up perfect (which was about 5 inches from a Tree) and all the way over on the pad as close as I could get without going off the pad.  I think my cord is 10 to 12' long and it just barely was long enough...I had to use a chair to support the line because if it was allowed to just hang the weight pulled the cord out...if it hit the ground then it caused it to be too short.

I figured I'd just go and get a longer cord...but after looking last week those things are expensive..I think it was like $69 for a 30' cord.  The first trip we made I had no problems with the hook up.  Do you think it was just a poor spot or is it common to need a longer cord?  If I can save the money and just use what I have that would be great...but I don't want to get to a spot that is unusable. 

Given the often strange design of some RV sites, I have found that an extension cord is a handy item to carry.  Keep the length short and of appropriate gauge for your service (30 or 50amp) to keep line resistance down.  HERE is a good example of a 30 amp cord.

If you find that you cannot hook up with that length, ask for a better site.

We spend 250+ nights per year in commercial rv parks, and state and county rv campgrounds. In the last 5 years we have had to use our extension cord five or six times. The choice is yours, but the problem is that when you need an extension, you really, really need it now. It is not something that typically you can run to a store a couple of miles away and buy, and there could be times when not having one could dampen a weekend's fun. Besides, it doesn't look like the price of copper will decrease soon so if you buy one now you will probably pay less than if you wait.

I would say about 98% of the time my stock 50a cord has been long enough but the few times it wasn't I was glad to have the 30' extension. Most often it is because I wanted a better location at the assigned site as compared to parking right next to the box. If I had to I could have moved closer and probably been Ok. Once they had the fire rings so close to the sites I wasn't comfortable using my awning so moved a bit farther back. Is nice to have but not a necessity at most places I have been. Last resort just move to another space.

It's like buying insurance. Costs money but you may never need it. And then think water hoses, sewer hoses, cable TV extensions and f-f connectors ....you never know.

Ours is 30' and I also carry a 30' extension cord.  Have need it twice in the last 5 years, but worth it's weight in gold when you need it.  If your rig is a 30 amp rig WalMart has a good price on 30' 30 amp extensions.

"I think my cord is 10 to 12' long and it just barely was long enough..."

10 to 12 foot cord is too short. Depending on where you like to park and what types of spaces you enjoy, you will want more cord most of the time. My MH has a 35' cord and I carry a 30' extension for those places I need it. Sometimes I do use only 10', but if you are always trying to get within 10', good luck with that. Buy the cord, it's only money.

CakeHenn said:

On my last trip (second outing ever) the park site we were given had the electric hook up box a bit far away.  I ended up having to reback-in my TT in order to line it up perfect (which was about 5 inches from a Tree) and all the way over on the pad as close as I could get without going off the pad.  I think my cord is 10 to 12' long and it just barely was long enough...I had to use a chair to support the line because if it was allowed to just hang the weight pulled the cord out...if it hit the ground then it caused it to be too short.

I figured I'd just go and get a longer cord...but after looking last week those things are expensive..I think it was like $69 for a 30' cord.  The first trip we made I had no problems with the hook up.  Do you think it was just a poor spot or is it common to need a longer cord?  If I can save the money and just use what I have that would be great...but I don't want to get to a spot that is unusable.

Click to expand...

Either someone has shortened your cord or it doesn't meet code - 25' is the minimum length per National Electrical Code. I'm assuming you have checked that part of it isn't caught in storage...

Watch the camperworld ads.  They have 30 amp and 50 amp extension cords on sale frequently.  I've never had to use one at a campsite but have used it a home several times while getting the TT ready for a trip.  Nice to be able to run the AC when its over 100 degrees outside and we are loading up.

I have 2-30' 30 amp extensions, 1-100' and2-30' 20amp extensions and find I use at least one every trip and if I stay in a church parking lot I often need two. Before air cards and cell phones, I carried 2-100' phone lines with couplers.

I use the 20amp for additional heat in the bays to save propane.

I carry
3 30' 30 amp cords
a couple 25' 14 amp 110 ext.cords
one 25' one 50' water hoses

I not yet had a problem reaching the hookups

vermilye said:

Either someone has shortened your cord or it doesn't meet code - 25' is the minimum length per National Electrical Code. I'm assuming you have checked that part of it isn't caught in storage...

Click to expand...

Yeah there is no way mine is 25'...like 12' at the longest.  It's a cord that came with my unit used.  Perhaps whoever traded it in kept the longer cord.

Not to go off topic and rarely used but good to have: adaptors such as -50/30 amp adaptor  30/15 adaptor

Ditto vermilye's post.  Sounds like someone tampered with the service cord or the cord is hung up inside the unit preventing it from coming out all the way.

Either way, get yourself a quality 30 or 50 amp extension to throw into the storage compartment.  When you need it, you will have it.  Adaptors are also good to have if used properly according to electrical load.  You never know when you may need an extension cord for a radio/light/battery charger/air pump/etc...you just never know.  At least you will be prepared.  Well worth the money.

denmarc said:

Ditto vermilye's post.  Sounds like someone tampered with the service cord or the cord is hung up inside the unit preventing it from coming out all the way.

Either way, get yourself a quality 30 or 50 amp extension to throw into the storage compartment.  When you need it, you will have it.  Adaptors are also good to have if used properly according to electrical load.  You never know when you may need an extension cord for a radio/light/battery charger/air pump/etc...you just never know.  At least you will be prepared.  Well worth the money.

Click to expand...

Well it's a TT and the cord does not roll out like I'm guessing they might on a MH...I have to connected it to the TT and the electric outlet and just store the cord while not in use in a storage compartment. 

I have a TT also.  The electrical service cord coils up into its own little compartment when stored.  Not accesable from the inside.  Now I am "reading" another issue.  Your service cord should be hard wired to your TT.  Not a seperate cord that plugs into some sort of receptacle on the outside of the TT.  Am I correct?

Edit:
I also stand corrected.  I had never seen such an animal.

denmarc said:

I have a TT also.  The electrical service cord coils up into its own little compartment when stored.  Not accesable from the inside.  Now I am "reading" another issue.  Your service cord should be hard wired to your TT.  Not a seperate cord that plugs into some sort of receptacle on the outside of the TT.  Am I correct?

Click to expand...

My 5er cord plugs into a receptacle at the back of the trailer. Plug in twist and tighten a threaded collar. It came from the factory that way. I'm 50amp and the factory cord is 30'. I carry a 30amp Walmart 30' and have several adapters also from walmart. Never needed them but a least i can run 30 amps if needed.

A 50amp extension is high $$$.

i'm in my 2nd TT, have had a 5er and 3 popups. not one of them had cord i had to plug into the trailer and the service box. i'd bet the mortgage that someone has rewired that TT. the cord as already mentiond, should be hard wired into the TT, and around 30' long. if it's not, i'd get it checked out to make sure whoever rewired the thing didn't set you up for a big fire!

i also carry an extra 30' extension cord, and at least 50 feet of RV water hose. and i have 3 10 sections of sewer hose with a variety of adapters. i use them more at home when I'm hooking up for cleaning or maintance than i've ever used them at a campground.

also already mentioned, but i'm supporting it, most walmarts will have an RV section back in automotive, and a 30 ft 30 amp extension cord was less than $50 last time i looked at one.

edit to say: i've just read peanutman's post after posting mine. wow, so some manufacturers are doing it this way? ok, but it still sounds like his cord is way too short. your hookup sounds like the adapter i had to get to be able to hook the TT to the 30 amp plug on my generator

ok editing again: after looking at cakes profile and seeing his HTT model, i've done some research and watched a couple of videos. so his Rockwood Roo has one of those cords that you take off and store. since i only saw it in a storage compartment, no way to know how long it is (or isn't, lol) you might as well just bite the bullet and buy an extension cord

As you have already learned here, you will soon find it desireable to have an extension cord for the times that you may need it. I presume your unit can use 50 Amp power. If so, as we do, you only need one primary and one secondary 50 Amp cord. The two will connect together when needed for extra length.

Your primary cord will plug into the recepticle on your RV and for 50 Amp availability it will plug into the RV Campground provider. If  your provider only has 30 AMP power available, you only need an adapter to connect between your 50 Amp cord and the Campground Post Plug as we do with our Monty.

My TT is just 30 amps.  I have a 30 to 15 amp converter plug but have not used that yet.  Do they also make a 30 to 50 converter?  Or can you only convert down?