A new style replacement for the popular Hubbell round 50-amp. This looks to be a new company that claims Hubbell round connection can overheat and cause a fire. And that their new design overcomes Hubbell limitations.
SmartPlug Systems - Shore Power Products and Accessories (http://www.smartplug.com/index.html)
Excellent Barry,
Because of the limited space where the cord goes in from the access door underneath, the plug on mine never seems to twist on tight. Also, the receptacle for the plug is cracked and needs replacing and this one looks like the perfect replacement. No more twisting and much less heat generated. Bad connections or loose plugs cause heat buildup and lessen conductivity. I found this out from my refrigerator plug. This is one of those those no-brainer upgrades that we all should consider and not worry about the cost of it!
Thanks,
Jerry aka Murph
So who's going to be the first one to try it?
$209.00 +shipping :o
This is not an easy installation. At least not according to this review: Smart Plug shore power connectors - Cruisers & Sailing Forums (http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f124/smart-plug-shore-power-connectors-101708.html)
This was a 30A on a boat. Make sure that the cabling on your FT matches what the "Smartplug" will accept.
Craig
They can, and they DO. Especially on boats. But it's usually do to corrosion/dirty blades. My 30 to 50amp adapter was getting HOT and warming up the wire all around it. The neutral on the female was dirty and/or stretch out. A new adapter solved the problem. I also could hear some arcing.
Dielectric grease is your friend. It will prevent the corrosion and dirty blades. It will also work as a heat shrink and will dissipate a lot of heat but does not eliminate it. I use it on my 50 amp blades every time it is plugged in. David
We are going to convert our motorhome from round Hubbell to 50-amp Smartplug. I will have to convert our shore cable and two other cables I made up with Hubble round connectors.
Several other Foretravel owners are planning to buy Smartplug.
A Foretravel owner friend has contacted Smartplug and learned that we can buy Smartplug products at Shore Power Cords - Marine Electrical Connectors - Smart Plug Only (http://smartplugonly.com/), Tom is a contact.
The conversion part number B50ASSY cost $210 and comes with the motorhome bay wall male socket and a shore cable female end. Additional shore cable female ends are part number BF50 cost $90. No shipping charges.
With a quantity of 5, price for each drops $10. And if someone wants to put it together, a group purchase of 5 can be drop shipped to 5 different locations.
I like the idea!
I just have a concern around electrical things - plastic/rubber ok.
A metal clip? Then I must push my fingers together ???
Did I miss the NEMA number? ::) applie for in 2013 but does have etl which is good!
Smartplug Overview document attached
Smartplug installation instructions . . .
SmartPlug is offering Foreforums members and all Foretravel owners a free weather proof cover with lanyard, part number A1001 when purchasing the B50ASSY 50-amp inlet & retro-fit connector.
Notify Tom at www. SmartPlugOnly.com when ordering that you are entitled to the free A1001.
What do you think of this NEWest SmartPlug?
Amazing what one can do with a branding iron. . .
Careful Barry, You will have the Brand Police breathing down your neck.
Gary B
Dave, what's the current standard? My 93 has a round plug and a metal ring. I'm assuming that the ring is ground, the two slots that are alike are the hot, and the third slot is neutral. Does the current connector (on the coach) look like the plug that goes into the power pedestal, but with a locking ring?
:-[ David (kbozke),
The SmartPlug is not the same as the pedestal plug.
Check out the attached for info.
BTW, your current shore cord's bay end uses a short bare piece of metal on the outside of the round part for ground. There is a matching ground conductor inside the bay wall round socket. The outside ring, which often is missing and plastic, is just used to mechanically keep the plug into the socket.
David, please take a picture as it does not sound right. I think I am correct in that your model came with a Marinco cable (yellow) and that locking ring is not a ground (as far as I remember) You have nuetral, 125v pin and a ground.
JohnH
John, correct my u280 is exactly what you said. ^.^d
The male end of the yellow cord has the normal four pins. The female end has three slots and a metal band that surrounds the plug. That mates with the metal band in the coach. There is no locking ring on mine. Our mpg trailer had 30A service, and there was a plastic locking ring. I just looked at 50A Locking PowerCord Plus RV Cordset - 35' - Marinco 6152SPPRV-35 - Electrical (http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/50a-locking-powercord-plus-rv-cordset-35/72113) to see what is now available. That looks more like what we had on the mpg. I don't see anything that looks like our cord.
The a/c has been running constantly today and I'm not about to go out and unplug now. The weather guessers think it may be reasonably cool tomorrow morning, so maybe I can unplug for a few minutes in the morning for a couple of pictures. Maybe someone with a similar coach in a cooler place will beat me to it.
Barry, thanks for the info and the PDF on the smartplug. I didn't notice, but can it be adapted for the different amperage's found at different pedestals?
Thanks,
Larry
Larry, the pedestal end does not change on your shore cable. So you can continue to use the 50-amp to 30-amp and 30-amp to 20-amp adapters, just like you did before.
The current round 50-amp Hubbell female coach end just changes for the new SmartPlug female end.
It finally cooled off last night, so I was able to unplug for a few minutes and get some pictures of my connection. I felt the connection on the coach, and it feels like there are threads on it, so I'm assuming that at one time this cord had the locking ring.
David, yes it did have a locking ring and should have some method to hold it in tight and square or you may be causing a miss match on the male and female conrtacts and this is what can cause arcing/heat/fire. At the very least I would be looking at some hook or method to hold that chord up inline(when connected) as it a heavy cable as you know, then asap change that set up.
JohnH
I just push the cord up under till it supports its self
I have found that the locking ring is often missing, something I have always disliked.
In fact, when I am in our water bay, I always reach up and be sure the twist cord is fully twisted clockwise, because I am worried about bad connections causing overheating.
Looking forward to changing from original twist connection to the new SmartPlug push & lock, and no longer being concerned with poor connections making trouble.
I just found a magazine article about SmartPlug from a few years ago. It mentions how SmartPlug got started, but only references the 30-amp version. It also talks about problem issues with twist plugs:
Pacific Northwest Boating News: Burned boats spark company?s quest for safer (http://threesheetsnw.com/blog/2010/03/burned-boats-spark-companys-quest-for-safer-plug/)
David,
You can get replacement rings from Marinco. Stop by a West Marine store and see if they have a catalogue and help you get the proper part number.
I wonder why so many locking rings break off. Our original round connector is also missing the locking ring. And I have seen some with locking rings not bother to use them.
I plan to replace ours with a permanently-wired cord reel. It seems overall to be a much better (and much more convenient) solution.
I'd like to do that, too, but it would involve quite a bit of work. The opening for the cord is directly below the connection point, but there is no room there for the reel. There is plenty of room in the part of the bay where the fresh water tank is, but there is a wall in the way. I would have to either cut a space in that wall for the cord to get to the opening or move the opening.
Reels are very convenient. They take up a lot of space and all of the current has to flow through brushes and movable slip rings, which can be problematic. And if the reel is rotated while power is being used, like a roof air being on, the brushes arc and over time there will be burned points and a failed electrical connection, sometimes without notice. Most of the time, parts to repair a burned or worn reel are not available, even for new reels. Replacing whole reel and motor is often the only solution.
Adding a water hose reel usually makes both reels a tight fit and adds to reel maintenance problems.
The more I think about this the better I like the idea. It looks like the idea is to just replace the old Marinco connections with the new SmartPlug ones, using the old cable. The pedestal end of our cable has already been replaced and it looks like it will need it again someday. I suspect that the rest of the cable is original, and I'm starting to think that maybe just replacing the whole thing at once might be the best solution. The ideal solution would be one that has a 90-degree connection so that the cord would hang straight down. Maybe by the time I'm ready to do the work it will exist.
We received our SmartPlug package and free cover.
Photos of package are attached.
We have the reels and theyaret in the area below the angled water tank so actually fit reel nice, and that place would not hold much anyway. I see so many different set ups for these and think (luckily) the way FOT did ours is one of the neatest. I agree that you should not move it while power is on, and see no reason to do it anyway. But you never know!!
JohnH
We see that reels are very convenient, but we don't have them. In the angled space where the reels are located, we have storage space for 2 spare boxed water pumps, 4 coiled 25' water hoses, 50-amp shore power booster (not connected), water filter, & 50-amp shore cable coiled on top of all the previous listed stuff. We also have a PVC gravity fresh water tank connection at the top vertical tank surface.
Our feeling is that we lose the nice convenience of the reels, but gain a whole lot of storage space. And we have flexibility of using different shore cables.
My glendinning power cord setup has no slip rings.
Barry & Cindy, we carry those kind of things in our 2 storage boxes I put in behind the Duals on BOTH sides-plus- polishes/oils and satellite cables and extra wiring-just in case.
JohnH
I found this on a SmartPlug web site, and it helps explain why we converted our motorhome shore power cable from Hubbell to SmartPlug:
THE PROBLEM
For the last 70 years the twist lock plug has been the standard for shore power connections. The basic flaw is that the points of electrical contact (the blades) are both exposed to the elements and responsible for bearing the physical stress placed on the plug due to movement or tension in the cord. With only one L-shaped electrical blade holding plug to receptacle, there is no guarantee of a secure connection or protection from corrosion due to exposure to the elements. This physical stress and inevitable corrosion cause the blades to work loose resulting in electrical arcing, overheating and if gone unnoticed, fire. Additionally, the old twist lock design can be extremely difficult to use in low light or hard-to-reach scenarios.
THE SOLUTION
At the core of the patented SmartPlug concept is its signature intuitive shape and straight-in sleeve design, rendering the problems with blind connections and arcing/overheating (due to tension and corrosion) a thing of the past. The triple weatherproof seals keep the internal electronics free from moisture, and the multi-point locking system provided by the stainless steel side levers and locking cap make the plug virtually impervious to the most extreme of environments. All these features of SmartPlugs combine to eliminate all of the major causes of overheating and burning found in the current twist lock standard today.
Barry you have good salesmanship qualities, they should hire you! ^.^d
Great passion.
Thanks John & Cheryl, after learning about a better mousetrap (SmartPlug) we were no longer satisfied with Hubbell, and we wanted to share with other Hubbell owners.
Before we could install our new SmartPlug, we had to remove our original round Hubbell connectors. Hubbell male inlet is attached to our bay wall with four screws.
The inlet's rear white plastic cover is held in place with two long bolts, that are unscrewed with a flat screw driver in countersunk holes on the connector's face side.
Loosening the long bolts allows the rear cover to slip back exposing the four cable connector screws, which when backed off lets cable slip out.
Same process to remove Hubbell female shore cable connector, but the shore cable uses much finer flexible copper strands than the male Romex.
Installation of our SmartPlug shore power cable 50-amp connector is complete.
A detailed description and over 50 photos of our SmartPlug installation is on:
SmartPlug 50 Amp Shore Power Cable Installation (http://beamalarm.com/Documents/Modifications/smartplug_50_amp_shore_power_cable_installation.html)
All BeamAlarm photos of the orange female plug and the male inlet's metal hinged cover should have weather-proof rubber gaskets, that were missing when photos were taken. See photos below of how the plug and inlet look with the rubber gasket. SmartPlug's gaskets should be in place to assure the connection is weather-proof, another benefit of SmartPlug.
SmartPlug is a much improved shore-power cable plug and fully replaces the old original round Hubbell twist plug.
We heard of SmartPlug from another Foretravel owner, and after checking it out, decided to replace our Hubbell cable female plug and bay wall male inlet. We always felt shore cable movements could allow the Hubble plug to rotate a little, allowing plug to not have a full electrical contact. We also had concerns that high amperage loads on a loose Hubbell connection could overheat things. Marinco twist connector is similar to Hubbell and has the same potential overheating issues.
SmartPlug's electrical contacts are larger and tighter, assuring a good electrical connection. SmartPlug has a 3-point lock that prevents the plug from movement or accidental pull-out.
The way we got started was to get the 50 amp Retro Kit B50ASSY which includes the male bay bulkhead connector and the female cable end. No other parts or adapters needed. The male bulkhead end uses the same 4 screw mounting holes as the original Hubbell connector.
Shore Power Cords - Marine Electrical Connectors - Smart Plug Only 50 Amp Retro (http://www.smartplugonly.com/product/B50ASSY.html)
SmartPlug has a separate optional clever female end weather-proof cover for use when cable is disconnected from motorhome. The cover uses the same cable side latches to keep the cover in place, and it keeps dirt & moisture out and acts as an electrical insulator if the cable end is electrically hot.
Shore Power Cords - Marine Electrical Connectors - Smart Plug Only Smart Plug (http://www.smartplugonly.com/product/A1001.html)
Tom at Shore Power Cords - Marine Electrical Connectors - Smart Plug Only (http://www.SmartPlugOnly.com), 561-400-1332 told me to tell Foretravel owners buying B50ASSY ($230) that they can receive a $12 SmartPlug female end weatherproof cover A1001 at no extra cost.
Foretravel used a hole saw to make the bulkhead hole for the old Hubbell connector. To align the SmartPlug so it uses the same four mounting screw holes, I filed away a little of the bottom of the bulkhead hole to widen the lower part of the circle.
After doing the install and seeing how it works, my take is SmartPlug is well engineered and designed, a high quality product. It upgrades our motorhome's electrical connection to be more safe and durable.
Barry, thanks for the write-up. Looks like a good upgrade.
As we traveled this month, stopping at campgrounds, plugging in and unplugging our new SmartPlug shore cable, both Cindy & I are very happy to have made the switch from Hubbell to SmartPlug.
The motorhome plug connection is very positive and the lock is much more secure, something that helps our coach and our peace of mind. We even had several unplugs at the motorhome while shore cable was electrically hot, (but with most loads turned off). Because SmartPlug has a locking cover, leaving the hot plug temporarily on the ground was not a concern.
The ground and neutral male prongs are a bit longer than the two hot prongs, assuring a safe 120-volt connection. And the easy way to firmly and positively push in and latch the shore cable plug is a nice improvement over our original Hubbell.
Nice job Barry, now I just need to do mine.
Later,Irwin
Barry,
I do not see the door/floor to the small opening in the bottom of your wet bay. What is the story behind that?
Thanks,
Trent
Thanks Irwin,
I think the conversion from Hubbell has value and safety. We really like that the shore plug is held in with 3 different latches. I just does not move.
Good eye Trent,
That photo did not have our removable door put back.
Years ago, we removed the hinges and made two aluminum angles that are visible in this photo. We can fully remove door and with cable slot and removable pieces of metal to close off slot, we feel we can close off the space to better protect from critters. We also added a 2nd sliding latch, shown with string between them.
Also if a door hangs down, it can be crushed when lowering coach. We have tried different ways to close off the space around the shore cable, and this is our latest and best. We never connect to city water except to gravity fill tank, and we never leave a sewer hose connected, so we did not need to accommodate these hoses with a critter secure opening. (We fill and dump about once a week and then put the hoses away).
We made two different cable slot covers, one that closes off with cable in place, like in photo. And another that closes off the slot completely for traveling or parking without electric service.
Very interesting upgrade modification. Gives me ideas for yet another project!
D.J. attached are some more photos of our removable sewer door, and the two different slot covers.
Also shows how the SmartPlug shore cable was used to size the slot cutout.
BTW, I read that anyone buying the SmartPlug 50-amp or 30-amp from SmartPlugOnly web site can get a free shore plug waterproof cover by mentioning "RV Cover Deal".
Shore Power Cords - Marine Electrical Connectors - Smart Plug Only 50 Amp Retro (http://www.smartplugonly.com/product/B50ASSY.html)
Shore Power Cords - Marine Electrical Connectors - Smart Plug Only 30 Amp Retro (http://www.smartplugonly.com/product/B30ASSY.html)
Shore Power Cords - Marine Electrical Connectors - Smart Plug Only Smart Plug (http://www.smartplugonly.com/product/A1001.html)
Cover keeps moisture & dirt out of cable plug.
Shore Power Cords - SmartPlug vs. 1938 Photo Gallery by Compass Marine How To at (http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/installing_a_smart_plug&page=2)
Interesting article on the Smart Plug by a marine electrician... Too bad I spent $150 on new shore power fixtures before these came out (or at least before I had heard of them...). However, in our application with a cord reel, there is no movement on our shoreline connection, so the need is not as great as it might be otherwise. Still, the greater contact area alone is almost enough to push me over the edge on this one.
Don
FYI,anyone thinking of upgrading to a smart plug,they probably will have a booth at Quartzsite and offer good prices.
I just learned that SmartPlug will not have a booth in Quartzsite and that it appears that no vendor will be selling SmartPlug there either.
Amazon wins again !