What length RV power extension to reach the 4 Wheel at most RV sites?

[Off-Leash]

This is a really basic question, but I have always been a tent camper and we just purchased a used Fleet for our 2003 Tundra.

On the few occasions when we may stay at an RV park, I guess I'll need a 30 amp extension cable to plug in. What length would you recommend? 10 foot? 25 foot? Longer?

I have the pigtail cord the Fleet came with but it's just the round 30 amp female with a conventional 3-prong male household plug. Good for powering it while in my driveway.

Any advice appreciated.

Don

 

[kmacafee]

If you have space, 25 feet would cover almost any situation.

 

[longhorn1]

I believe we have a 30' 30amp cord and a 50' regular heavy duty extension cord. Most boxes are within 10'-15' of the camper. We have never had an issue.

 

[Montreat]

25 feet covers almost all campgrounds

 

[AWG_Pics]

Do get a power management / surge protector. It would be a bummer to have to re-wire your fried electronics. This may happen if you hook up to 'dirty' power or mis-wired connections.

 

[Off-Leash]

Wow, replies within

a few minutes of posting. Thank you!

How about a surge protector? Makes sense to have one. Do you use one? If so, is it the fancier type that shuts down if the voltage gets too low? They're expensive and if I need one, I want to make sure I spend my money wisely.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

This is a really basic question, but I have always been a tent camper and we just purchased a used Fleet for our 2003 Tundra.

On the few occasions when we may stay at an RV park, I guess I'll need a 30 amp extension cable to plug in. What length would you recommend? 10 foot? 25 foot? Longer?

I have the pigtail cord the Fleet came with but it's just the round 30 amp female with a conventional 3-prong male household plug. Good for powering it while in my driveway.

Any advice appreciated.

Don

Most campgrounds have 15 amp outlet along with 30 amp. A heavier 25’ extension cord should be fine. If you’re concerned, get a 30A to 15A adapter

 

[PaulT]

+1 on the adapters for 30 & 50 amp service.

I typically use a 25 ft HD extension cord but I also carry a second 25 ft cord. I have needed the extra length twice. Both times when my campsite was in an overflow area because the campground was very full & I really needed to charge my batteries.

Also, carry a outlet/receptacle tester & use it before plugging in your expensive camper. If it indicates a problem, tell the campground people you would like another site. Less than $20 for a useful one.

Paul

 

[XJINTX]

As mentioned 25ft is fine. I would recommend a polarity tester too. If you use remote or seldom used spots it's safe to test but also lets you know if there is actual power at outlet and if polarity correct. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-Bender-Outlet-and-GFCI-Tester-GFI-3501/202867890?mtc=Shopping-B-F_D27E-G-D27E-27_11_TOOLS_And_ACCESSORIES-NA-NA-Feed-PLA-NA-NA-TOOLS_ACCESSORIES&cm_mmc=Shopping-B-F_D27E-G-D27E-27_11_TOOLS_And_ACCESSORIES-NA-NA-Feed-PLA-NA-NA-TOOLS_ACCESSORIES-71700000034238984-58700003943782712-92700048672399194&gclid=CjwKCAjwm_P5BRAhEiwAwRzSO236lLVIunkj49d7DqwbDlBZESLMVErevMVH7Bn3AqZPZ98zdLYkbBoCVc8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Also a 30 amp adapter for power box end is smart too as a lot of the spots with 110vac ground Protect outlets don't work. If you don't already know it's safer to kill breakers at box before plugging in also.

 

[BFH4N]

I don't use the "pigtail" that FWC supplied. Instead, I put a weatherproof 30-Amp twist-lock connector on the end of a 25-foot 12-gauge (20 Amp) extension cord. It connects right to the camper power inlet. You don't need a 30-Amp cord. I also carry another 25-foot 12-gauge extension cord. I have used the extension cord at people's houses but only occasionally at campgrounds. I have adaptors for connecting the 15-Amp plug on the camper cord to 30- and 50-Amp campground outlets, but I haven't ever seen a campground box with the higher amperage outlets that didn't also have a 15- or 20-Amp outlet, usually ground-fault protected. The protection in those GFIs may not work, but the outlet in the camper has it. I carry one of those little plug-in outlet testers which tests for reversed polarity and open ground.

Surge protection is a must. When I re-wired the camper, I built in an industrial-strength suge protector that covers everything. At the least, carry a surge-protected outlet strip.

 

[AWG_Pics]

We bought this surge protector: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BNVKS9F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Although we boondock and with 170 W of solar and twin batteries have never needed to hook up yet.