New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Topic: New style Smartplug shore cable plug (Read 3270 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #25 – July 25, 2014, 07:36:45 am

Quote from: kb0zke – July 24, 2014, 10:32:36 am

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,
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.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #26 – July 25, 2014, 11:59:59 am

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.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #27 – July 25, 2014, 01:16:26 pm

I plan to replace ours with a permanently-wired cord reel. It seems overall to be a much better (and much more convenient) solution.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #28 – July 25, 2014, 01:43:57 pm

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.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #29 – July 25, 2014, 04:33:48 pm

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.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #30 – July 26, 2014, 08:05:04 pm

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.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #31 – August 04, 2014, 08:24:08 pm

We received our SmartPlug package and free cover.

Photos of package are attached.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #32 – August 04, 2014, 08:34:56 pm

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

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #33 – August 05, 2014, 12:43:41 am

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.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #34 – August 05, 2014, 01:16:35 pm

Quote from: Barry & Cindy – July 25, 2014, 04:33:48 pm

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.

My glendinning power cord setup has no slip rings.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #35 – August 05, 2014, 02:08:34 pm

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

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #36 – August 16, 2014, 05:05:11 pm

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.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #37 – August 17, 2014, 09:00:41 am

Barry you have good salesmanship qualities, they should hire you!

Great passion.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #38 – August 17, 2014, 12:53:05 pm

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.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #39 – August 19, 2014, 03:30:51 pm

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

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

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

Tom at Shore Power Cords - Marine Electrical Connectors - Smart Plug Only, 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.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #40 – August 19, 2014, 05:32:51 pm

Barry, thanks for the write-up. Looks like a good upgrade.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #41 – September 16, 2014, 01:15:40 am

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.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #42 – September 16, 2014, 10:16:58 pm

Nice job Barry, now I just need to do mine.
Later,Irwin

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #43 – September 16, 2014, 11:07:46 pm

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

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #44 – September 17, 2014, 12:04:56 am

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.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #45 – September 17, 2014, 12:23:25 am

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.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #46 – September 17, 2014, 07:20:10 am

Quote from: Barry & Cindy – September 17, 2014, 12:23:25 am

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.

Very interesting upgrade modification. Gives me ideas for yet another project!

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #47 – September 18, 2014, 12:37:11 am

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.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #48 – September 18, 2014, 12:49:34 am

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

Shore Power Cords - Marine Electrical Connectors - Smart Plug Only 30 Amp Retro

Shore Power Cords - Marine Electrical Connectors - Smart Plug Only Smart Plug

Cover keeps moisture & dirt out of cable plug.

Re: New style Smartplug shore cable plug

Reply #49 – October 13, 2014, 07:44:04 pm

Shore Power Cords - SmartPlug vs. 1938 Photo Gallery by Compass Marine How To at
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

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