50 Amp Detachable Power Cord Storage

[HondoPatrick]

We brought our new Lacrosse 318BHS home yesterday. Everything went pretty well, except I am stumped on where/how to store the detachable 50 amp power cord. Right now I just have it coiled up and stuck it in the pass-through storage, but when I took my hands off it took on a life of its own. Seems like someone probably makes a canvas storage bag or similar stow away container but I haven't found anything yet. Anybody have any ides??

[Herk7769]

I coil my 30 amp extension cord in a "milk" crate.
(Not stolen - bought at WalMart)

[onetonford]

I use a 3 gallon white bucket holds both of my Cords and misc. adapters and has a cover.

[ret2006]

I coil mine up in a milk crate purchased at The Container Store. They are heavy plastic just like the milk companies use, just no name on them.

The Container Store > Authentic Dairy Crate

They also have a larger one that I am going to get this week.

The Container Store > Supreme Crate

The larger one should be better for the heavy 50AMP cord because that sucker (the cord) is very difficult to coil up when it is in the 30 or 40 degree range outside.

[Sugarph]

My TT came with a storage bag for the cord, but I use a clear bin for that cord, as well as extension cords and adaptors

[B47]

Originally Posted by HondoPatrick

We brought our new Lacrosse 318BHS home yesterday. Everything went pretty well, except I am stumped on where/how to store the detachable 50 amp power cord. Right now I just have it coiled up and stuck it in the pass-through storage, but when I took my hands off it took on a life of its own. Seems like someone probably makes a canvas storage bag or similar stow away container but I haven't found anything yet. Anybody have any ides??

Hondo - Our 30' power cord is still relatively new and we have "trained" it when we roll it up to lay in a circle. Then we put a white cord holder around it and place it in the basement. We got the holder at CW and it does make the job a little bit more easy - not as easy as the MH guys who simply open a little door at the rear of the MH and pull the cord off a reel and then push a button to reel it in.

I can't imagine trying to wrestle a heavy power cord trying to get it into a bag - especially in cool/cold weather.

[myredracer]

You could use a strap/handle. Tweety's has this one in the photo. Camping World has something called a Mega Clamp but it doesn't seem to have a carrying handle on it. Might be good for a heavy & unwieldy 50 amp power cord. I think a strap of some sort (Mega Clamp or whatever) would really help on opposite sides of the coil.

I saw a nice one I'd like to get somewhere recently but I can't find it now. I thought it was at CW. It had a nice rigid plastic handle and adjustable cinch strap. I'm sure there are a bunch of different ones available out there.

[B47]

Originally Posted by myredracer

You could use a strap/handle. Tweety's has this one in the photo. Camping World has something called a Mega Clamp but it doesn't seem to have a carrying handle on it. Might be good for a heavy & unwieldy 50 amp power cord. I think a strap of some sort (Mega Clamp or whatever) would really help on opposite sides of the coil.

I saw a nice one I'd like to get somewhere recently but I can't find it now. I thought it was at CW. It had a nice rigid plastic handle and adjustable cinch strap. I'm sure there are a bunch of different ones available out there.

The one you are talking about at CW is called a Hose & Cord Carry Strap, item #36078 and cost $3.68.

[ironj]

So ya got home huh hondo?. Yeah that 50 amp cord is a beastly piece...im using a carry strap, and a clear bin for storage along with my other adapters and electrical whatnots....seems ok so far....

Let me know if you come up with something better

[mbo]

My wife found a round, plastic storage container, for storing a Christmas wreath. It has a handle on the top and looks like a round suitcase. When I first looked at it I said it was not heavy enough for our 50 amp cord. We wound the cord in it with the camper end in center of coil and plug-in end on outer coil. That way we set it all under the camper and hook up camper end. Only pull enough from outside of coil to reach pole. When done we recoil it in container, close it, wrap a tarp strap around outside of container and put it in storage area. Works a lot better than I thought it would!

[BigTJohn]

Don't think you should leave it coiled. There is something I remember about a coil of wire, with current running through it, getting very warm (hot), melting the insulation, starting a fire. That said - how are big motor homes doing it with the auto-cable reels? Are there any problems with those? (heat wise, no real mention of the electromagnet thing - but I guess that won't apply to A/C).

[Herk7769]

I coil my excess cord around the bumper when I can. It acts like a choke coil and stabilizes the campground current a little bit.

At least I was told that anyway. It certainly keeps it out of the mud.

[HondoPatrick]

Thanks for all the feedback. I have several milk crates so I'm gonna use that method for now.

[myredracer]

Originally Posted by B47

The one you are talking about at CW is called a Hose & Cord Carry Strap, item #36078 and cost $3.68.

Thanks for this info. B47. That's not quite the same one, but quite similar in design. The one I recall had a T-handle and was bright orange or red.

Oh wait, I just found it at CW. Item number 54712 and called a Cable Wraptor. Good memory, it is red/orange and has a T-handle... Available from many places including Walmart.

[B47]

Originally Posted by myredracer

Thanks for this info. B47. That's not quite the same one, but quite similar in design. The one I recall had a T-handle and was bright orange or red.

Oh wait, I just found it at CW. Item number 54712 and called a Cable Wraptor. Good memory, it is red/orange and has a T-handle... Available from many places including Walmart.

Looks a bit sturdier than mine - but ours helps make a tedious job just a little easier.

My next RV will be a MH with the built in power cord on a reel.

[youroo]

Originally Posted by HondoPatrick

We brought our new Lacrosse 318BHS home yesterday. Everything went pretty well, except I am stumped on where/how to store the detachable 50 amp power cord. Right now I just have it coiled up and stuck it in the pass-through storage, but when I took my hands off it took on a life of its own. Seems like someone probably makes a canvas storage bag or similar stow away container but I haven't found anything yet. Anybody have any ides??

I take it you have (2) A/C units.Even in TX. do you run both all the time? Youroo!!

[HondoPatrick]

Originally Posted by youroo

I take it you have (2) A/C units.Even in TX. do you run both all the time? Youroo!!

Yep, the new 318 does in fact have two AC units with the 50 amp service. Unfortunately we have not yet camped in it but I do suspect we will run both AC units while camping in Texas.

Last summer in our PT Tracer 2670BHS we camped for 5 days in south central Texas along with several other shorter weekend trips and the single AC unit just could not keep up with the heat. It would get up to 80 or 82 in the TT during the heat of the day...

[B47]

Originally Posted by herk7769

I coil my excess cord around the bumper when I can. It acts like a choke coil and stabilizes the campground current a little bit.

At least I was told that anyway. It certainly keeps it out of the mud.

Herk _ I have been pausing on the "... stabilizes the campground current a little bit." part of your post here since you posted it and finally decided to ask - you don't really believe this do you?

[lt88]

I noticed several campers using a small round plastic clothes basket to store their cord in. This is my first trip out with 50 amp cord, so far I have just coiled mine up.

[rjshiflet]

We have a plastic trunk like this - which houses our 50amp electric cord, TV coaxial cables and all-things electric.

Contico Portable Storage Locker with Wheels - Walmart.com

It's basically like this below - and $15 at WalMart. In our Columbus there is still room to stack other small bins on top of it in the understorage.