Simple Solution to Prevent Shore Power Cord Damage....

[xrated]

On an enclosed trailer that I previously owned, I installed a small "J" hook on the side of the trailer and used it to hang a piece of rope on that was attached to the shore power cord, to take the strain off of the cord when it was plugged in. I really didn't want to drill into my Momentum and install a hook for the rope, so I came up with this idea.

Get a piece of 1/8" diameter rope and tie a slip knot on one end of it. Slip it over the plug of the shore power cord and slide it down the cord a foot or so. At the other end of the rope, tie a loop (a bowline that won't come loose works very well for this) that is big enough to fit over the receptacle that is mounted on the side of the trailer where the shore power cord plugs into. Slip the loop over the receptacle and push it back all the way to the wall. Then plug in your shore power cord and lock it with the locking ring. Now grab the cord and and pull up some slack and tighten the slip knot. Now you power cord is being supported and there is no strain on it anymore. A lot cheaper than the 90 degree angle connectors and probably even less strain on the power cord....Here is a pic....

[naanderson321]

Interesting idea, I like it.

[Kevin2282]

Sorry, I had to read your post one more time. That is very creative. I never thought about doing a rope for a strain relief. I always hated having the power cord sticking straight out of the side. A very poor design that puts unnecessary stress on parts that should not be stressed.

We have used this adapter and similar adapters for years to take the strain off the cord connection. As long as you keep the contact surfaces clean they work great.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[xrated]

Sorry, I had to read your post one more time. That is very creative. I never thought about doing a rope for a strain relief. I always hated having the power cord sticking straight out of the side. A very poor design that puts unnecessary stress on parts that should not be stressed.

We have used this adapter and similar adapters for years to take the strain off the cord connection. As long as you keep the contact surfaces clean they work great.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The whole idea with the rope being used for strain relief is that it not only take strain off of the electrical cord itself, it takes some strain off of the plug and receptacle......and as a secondary benefit, the rope is a lot cheaper and no electrical parts to fail!

[FordmanNJ]

I'm partial to the dogbone myself. When I was checking out GD trailers, one of the owners I spoke with instantly made a recommendation for the item as a must have. I have not had any issues with the 90 degree adapter. I leave it attached to the power cord all the time. I do like power cords over the older electrical box style. No more having to shove the cord into the cavity for storage. I converted my old trailer to the cord style with a retro kit. I got to use it twice and then we traded the trailer in. However, this trick also works just as well. As long as there is little to no stress on the cable it should work.

Nice work!

[xrated]

I'm partial to the dogbone myself. When I was checking out GD trailers, one of the owners I spoke with instantly made a recommendation for the item as a must have. I have not had any issues with the 90 degree adapter. I leave it attached to the power cord all the time. I do like power cords over the older electrical box style. No more having to shove the cord into the cavity for storage. I converted my old trailer to the cord style with a retro kit. I got to use it twice and then we traded the trailer in. However, this trick also works just as well. As long as there is little to no stress on the cable it should work.

Nice work!

That same idea worked for almost 7 years on an enclosed trailer that I previously owned. The only difference is that I mounted a "J" hook on the outside of that trailer. I didn't want to drill into my Momentum, so I improvised and the result is I didn't need to drill and add a "J" hook.

[attaboy]

On an enclosed trailer that I previously owned, I installed a small "J" hook on the side of the trailer and used it to hang a piece of rope on that was attached to the shore power cord, to take the strain off of the cord when it was plugged in. I really didn't want to drill into my Momentum and install a hook for the rope, so I came up with this idea.

Get a piece of 1/8" diameter rope and tie a slip knot on one end of it. Slip it over the plug of the shore power cord and slide it down the cord a foot or so. At the other end of the rope, tie a loop (a bowline that won't come loose works very well for this) that is big enough to fit over the receptacle that is mounted on the side of the trailer where the shore power cord plugs into. Slip the loop over the receptacle and push it back all the way to the wall. Then plug in your shore power cord and lock it with the locking ring. Now grab the cord and and pull up some slack and tighten the slip knot. Now you power cord is being supported and there is no strain on it anymore. A lot cheaper than the 90 degree angle connectors and probably even less strain on the power cord....Here is a pic....

Thanks for sharing. I like your idea and will use it.
Bob A.

[xrated]

You're welcome...glad to have helped!

[Petrovsky]

You're welcome...glad to have helped!

I like your idea. Did not have this issue with my old RV the connector was 90°. I don't get the industry sometimes and recognized this as being an issue over time. I love your solution as it eliminates one problem I encountered at a park on an unexpected below freezing night using two electric heaters and I was 50ft from the shore power. Yup you guessed it, RV side ok, shore power side o.k., but the two wire connection essentially melted into each other. Moral of my story, the least amount of connections you have from RV to shore power, the less resistance you impart on the whole system. I don't know if rain was a factor but the previous two days were torrential downpours even though I usually make sure the connection is off the ground and never sitting in water.

Good idea and did use a similar method with new RV. Cheers.

[SolarPoweredRV]

Sorry, I had to read your post one more time. That is very creative. I never thought about doing a rope for a strain relief. I always hated having the power cord sticking straight out of the side. A very poor design that puts unnecessary stress on parts that should not be stressed.

We have used this adapter and similar adapters for years to take the strain off the cord connection. As long as you keep the contact surfaces clean they work great.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is what we use. Works GREAT!