30 amp RV inlet plug | Installation and Maintenance

[@johnpatterson5554]

That hole saw tip is genius!

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

It's gotten me out of a few binds over the years. I'm not sure most will realize how hard it is to step up holes of that size. Thanks for watching!

[@kristenmclean2792]

You are a GREAT teacher. Thanks for sharing. Appreciate your straight, no nonsense style. ❤️

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Thank you, I really appreciate that you tune in!

[@eldonsmith7424]

I had the same issue, which brought me to your channel. My surge protector plugged into the shore power outside showed that it was properly wired and power was going into my camper, however, I had no power inside to run any appliances, and the meter inside showed I was losing battery power. My GFCI would not reset. I decided to check the connection into the inlet box, and BINGO! One of the prongs in the inlet box was fried to a crisp and had melted the female end of the extension cord as well. I will be replacing the inlet box this weekend thanks to your video.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Yikes. I'm so glad you caught it, it's a very dangerous situation, and it seems to happen all too common.

[@lurchlogan]

The same thing happened to me this weekend. The surge protector was reading that it was fine when it wasn't but the surge protector did cut off power to the inlet so that's a good thing. The wires were fried and the white wire and black ones were fried together. I cut out the burnt ends so I can hook up to a clean wire. Videos like these helped me out a ton!!

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

@@lurchlogan​​⁠ it's pretty scary, I'm really glad that you found it and were able to fix!

[@lurchlogan]

@@DIYOutdoorLife... For sure, I can't express enough gratitude to channels like yours and others. I'd be paying someone else a boatload of money to fix my repairs, I enjoy doing the repairs myself plus I gain knowledge and I'll know what to look for if it happens again. Again, I appreciate you & your channel. Thank you 👍

[@brads3111]

Gotta thank the man that started it all.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

lucky indeed

[@chrismartin1734]

I'm a pretty handy guy and I thought I knew how to install my new Shore Power inlet but I stayed for the whole video because your content is so informative and thorough! Well Done!

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Thank you, I really appreciate that.

[@suzannebennett8049]

Thank you for the vid! I smelled burning wires & plastic this morning & traced it to the plug. Both the part on my rv & my wire plug were melted. I'm truly thankful I was home to catch it & that I could do this myself.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Great save! The close calls can get scary.

[@neverwin2518]

Nice to see Ripple contributing on projects like this.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

she's very helpful....

[@58kevinsmith]

Great tip with the double hole saw technique! Another invaluable side benefit of watching your video's. Thanks again Brian!

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

That trick has gotten me outta a few binds before. Spread the word!

[@ChadVanover]

Awesome to know. I went to check this right after the video. There is no way, I would have attempted to disassemble this without seeing this. I felt like I knew what I was doing after watching this video. I had to push some slack to the plug to be able to pull it out.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

that's awesome, makes me feel like these videos are worth it to make. Thanks for watching!

[@billendres3115]

So glad you found the issue before you had a really serious issue. Keep the great videos coming. Destination known

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Thank you, I definitely feel a lot better w it resolved.

[@darrylt5300]

I had the same issue but on a 50 amp plug I was getting power on Leg one but no Leg two so half of my trailer was hot and the other was not but every time I plugged in 50% of the time I would get both legs, so I pulled out the 50 amp plug and found that the Leg two wires were not tight and slipping out and in and even Leg one was not real tight on the clamp screws so I pushed all the wires back in and torqued to 45 in LBS per specs. no problems after that. I think you are right mine was never tighten from the factory. I was lucky there was no sign of burning or arcing.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Yikes.. kinda unbelievable right? Glad you caught it!

[@craigbeattie5209]

More solid, relevant content Brian. Love the hole saw tip too! That would have come in handy many times in the past but will surely use in future projects!

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

That trick has saved me a few times, especially when plumbing. Thanks for watching!

[@jimhullihan4586]

Thanks!

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Thank you for supporting the channel, much appreciated!

[@kevinhannah8636]

Great job in explaining this and especially explaining how it happened. I will have to look at my teardrop. I have a Bend Teardrop from Bend Oregon and I haven't used the exterior plug yet. I will check, better to be safe than sorry. Thanks Brian for your continued videos. Very helpful.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

I really appreciate you watching and commenting, thanks!

[@jimthayer8356]

Great info and presentation! Not over my head but not talking down to me. Enjoyed it.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Thank you so much, appreciate you watching!

[@Ekwuss]

Prefect! Thanks so much. Just wish I'd found your video a few days ago 😂 Finally came to the same conclusion. I was helping a friend with her Tab 320. But at least now we know what the problem is and she can get it replaced. Great job explaining, thanks again!!

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Thats always the way it goes! Happy you found us, thanks for watching and commenting.

[@bobbybeard5657]

Dang man that's crazy and I will for sure be checking this out as soon as I get home. Thanks again Brian

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Let me know how you make out. I’ve received messages from people that had similar problems as me … scary

[@EverythingRVbyPat]

OMG!!! That's scary! Something to check for sure. Good thing I viewed all the way to the end of the video!!!

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

I’m glad you watched, I got a lot of messages from people that had the same or similar issue. Make sure to check!

[@jerettmendenhall5182]

Good video I just went to look at a 5th camper I'm planning on buying and plug looked a little burn some if I end up purchasing the camper going to replace the plug

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Good find, definitely swap it.

[@geoffreno3584]

Yikes!!! That’s a scary situation. Headed out to check mine now.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

We’ve had some people find a mess, let me know what you find. Most have just been severely over-stripped, some have been loose.

[@quinnbergman892]

After a summer stay at a Mn resort. I bring or camper home to store. When it came to remove my power cord it would not come off easy. The ground wire arched and plastic welded the end of cord to the receptical. Bad news. Have a new receptical on the was. Check you connections campers

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

I'm glad you caught it before anything serious happened. A loose connection is almost always the culprit in this situation.

[@sheldonkirschbaum6213]

Video question. Is there a list of all your videos available. I would like to see them all. Thank you.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Hey Sheldon, subscribe to the channel and select the “playlist” options. You can watch them all or select specific topics. Here’s a link, thanks for watching! DIY Outdoor Life kzbin.info/aero/PL_RUWtWMvfgI-8FC9lDlVYJsyDyT5BhxB

[@connietanner3863]

Wow, thank you for the heads up. Never ceases to amaze me.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

me neither, I'm already getting messages about others having similar problems...yikes

[@Thebearcave1776]

Yikes! I just added the task of checking the connections on mine to my "Camper To Do List". Hopefully soon when it's not 100 degrees+ out there. Thanks for the heads-up brother.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

That list list never seems to be finished…lol Did you get your batteries yet BTW? Thanks for watching.

[@ChrisCastillo1]

I am having an issue like this right now. We came back from a camping trip and when I plugged it in at the house, nothing. I checked the camper breakers and fuses, everything looked good. So I figured that the converter went bad. So I got the voltmeter, unmounted, tested. The converter was just getting no power. It turns out that the wire to the 30A receptor is having issues. If I jiggle it enough, it'll get power. And at night, I can see the back of the receptacle light up from arching sparks. Not good! Thank you for this video!! Before I left it unplugged last time, the fire alarm in the camper woke us up twice in the middle of the night; although no fires.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Wow, it's scary how common it is! What kind of camper do you have?

[@emmanuelleporlier3843]

Hi! Do you have video on how your organised with your gears? Thanx! :)

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

I talk about it in passing in most the videos in the “teardrop trips” playlist. Maybe I’ll make a dedicated video about it. Thank you for watching!

[@loggie45]

This just happened to me. Thank you for the video!!

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

It’s been pretty sad to see how many of these messages I have received, very common issue. What kind of camper do you have?

[@Actias1974]

Braxton creek is one of the most “ gives zero F’s” manufacturers out there.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Haha… After seeing thousands of different campers, it seems like “no f’s given” is pretty standard. Braxton Creek has got to be one of the worst though.

[@JedWunderli]

Great job, Brian. The question for me is...if you have a Goal Zero, which you do, how do you hook up your Anderson powerpole connections to the 30 amp plug to power your RV??? Thanks.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Check this video out- Using Goal Zero for RV Battery kzbin.info/www/bejne/lX61eppmiN-bY5I

[@jimhullihan4586]

your the man, No bullshit and clear advise!!!

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

I appreciate that you found us, thanks for tuning in 👍

[@bigj200016]

So short of being a little thicker gauge romex, it sounds really similar to adding a household outlet

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Yes, even more important to be neat and make secure connections bc of the vibration. Good luck w the project!

[@campmodewithrussell]

It looks as though they used solid wire? If so that may be or could the cause of future problems. Stranded wire is a much better application for mobile units.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

You are 100% correct, although it is standard practice for these campers AC feed to use solid Romex connections. If I was building one from the ground up, I wouldn't even use stranded THNN, there's plenty of heavy gauge automotive wire that is safer with vibration. Since this is found in almost all campers, it really is critical to get in there and check your connections frequently .

[@twloughlin]

Clearly another QC issue on the Bushwhacker. Given all your experience with this unit, if you would ever consider doing a post-purchase "checklist" video on it, I think people interesting in buying one would appreciate it greatly.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

that's a great idea for a video. I'm leaving tomorrow for the east coast BW gathering, it'll be nice to see a bunch of BW side by side to compare notes.

[@twloughlin]

@@DIYOutdoorLife Happy trails! Bring back a video of cool mods! 😉

[@ronaldlarrimore1522]

Where in the east coast is the gathering? I’m interested in a BW and would love to see some in person

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

@@ronaldlarrimore1522 hot spring NC. Come visit us! I’m leaving soon, but the rally doesn’t start until the 28th.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

@@twloughlin will do!

[@rlmaz1111]

Great Info Man !!! Thanks !!!

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Thank you, I appreciate you watching!

[@jimb1312]

Checked my bushwacker plug Brian, it was fine. Thanks for the tip! That could have been awful.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Really glad to hear that, I’ve already heard from people that have checked and found issues… yikes

[@billleland957]

Great info Brian

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Thank you!

[@stevenchristiansen2122]

I’ve got a 36 foot class a boat anchor I’d like to burn down

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Hahaha

[@stevenchristiansen2122]

I’m serious paid 30 grand for a motorhome serpentine belt, pulley and water pump pulley ripped right off the motor on the belt tensioner side generator took a crap with only 290 hours on it then I went to fill the storage tank for my water for the toilet and that leaked everywhere trying to put water in above the LP tank other than that it runs up and down the road 27,000 miles on itoh yeah my ABS light is on

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

@@stevenchristiansen2122 Oh man, thats the worst. I hope youre able to bring it back to life

[@Mity_Moose]

Most excellent video. Great tips. Thanks.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Thank you, as always, for watching and commenting.

[@RM0818]

Only mildly terrifying! Checked mine immediately and they were tightened down correctly - course there was a lot of exposed wire, but all still well within the shroud at least. And of course I accidentally pushed the collar down behind the wall.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Haha… I think I warned about that, didn’t I? You can fish it out pretty simply from under the galley though right? I would trim those wires to the proper length, you don’t wanna exposed conductors, even behind that shroud.

[@RM0818]

@@DIYOutdoorLife You probably did warn about it but I still managed to do it! It didn't go far, was easy enough to get out :) Yeah I'll go back and trim those wires accordingly.

[@secretlocketsparks8092]

Thank you

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Appreciate you tuning in!

[@stevemueller7376]

great info

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Thanks Steve, appreciate you watching!

[@johnr5545]

Thanks god bless

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

🙏🏻 thank you!

[@ronnjerremy5796]

Im surprised the manufacturers are using romex it usually doesn't last long in RVs,Campers,boats, and Vans.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

💯 I like to rewire mine with marine grade tinned, pure copper. It does not cost that much more and is far superior… Kind of shocking... lol

[@charlesswank6401]

"Oh my. Hold my beer" Scrambles out to my trailer with screw gun in hand... Yeah, given the never ending list of things improperly assembled on my current (new) rig I wouldn't be surprised to find this condition on mine. That's just so rare. This weekend's RV DIY for me? Replace all of the self destructing drawer slides with real ones. I think my manufacturer is taking a hint from the laser printer industry and installing "starter parts". Like how printer manufacturers ship new printers with "starter cartridges", good for maybe 2 pages of text? I digress.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

haha...starter parts... did you ever read that leaked memo from an RV company, where they informed the engineers that the components should last the use of 40 nights? They tasked the engineers and designers to not overshoot the 40 nights mark for expected use...it shows... Electrical is another story, someones going to get hurt or worse with this stuff.

[@charlesswank6401]

@@DIYOutdoorLife Yep, I saw that. I've worked places where that sort of "let's build disposable stuff" mentality prevailed and they usually treat their employees with equal regard. It sickens me. As for RV's I think the danger covers the entire vehicle. I've had my fair share and then some of RVs over the years and recent quality is piss-poor and some of it down right dangerous, in my opinion. I recently had a close call with my brand new little rig when my 3/4 full 55 gal water tank fell out while towing. I was 5 mins off the freeway and going slow when it happened so no one got hurt. Had it happened 5 or more minutes sooner I'd have probably pogoed that trailer or at least did some nasty damage to someone behind me. And have you seen some of those few cases where lightweight rigs on Lippert frames are buckling at the tongue? Lippert just build them to spec so if the RV manufacturers are cheaping out and underspecing the frames they order then there's another potential safety hazard and a hairy one at that. I bet there's far many more in general. I've been obsessively going over mine and finding and fixing all manner of things to fix, including sketchy electrical. Have I mentioned I miss my BW? It wasn't perfect either but compared to this thing, it was awesome. And this isn't a cheap brand I now have. In my case with the tank, it was just held up with 1/4" steel straps and self tapping screws. It all got fixed under warranty and I and the dealer made sure that all of the tanks were remounted properly with through bolting and saddle mounting. Be that as it may, I still called up the RVIA and had a chat with them and they didn't seem to pleased about what I had to say and show. I don't know how far that got but maybe we all should start considering that. This isn't a spite thing, it's a safety thing and that's something the RVIA is supposedly there for and having their sticker on the side of an RV adds to the cost. I say take advantage of it, especially if a manufacturer refuses a warranty claim of a safety or sizable nature.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

@@charlesswank6401 yeah… it’s kind of unbelievable. Frame isn’t something to cheep out on.

[@midnight121190]

Eep! K brb gotta go check mine. 😮

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Please do, I have received countless messages from people that have found issues after watching this.

[@midnight121190]

@@DIYOutdoorLife I pulled mine out this weekend and am happy to report it was pretty tight 👌🤘

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

@@midnight121190 no exposed copper?? Nice, seems like most were a wreck.

[@ansomriding9542]

Smart plug

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

🧐

[@ansomriding9542]

@@DIYOutdoorLife I just had to replace mine last week. I feel comfortable we this hook up. We have 2 A/C’s and it gets hot in Texas. Great video thanks for posting it so people can see

[@MsRotorwings]

Why are you using romex on a camper. It should be stranded wire 10/3.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

I agree and I believe I mentioned that in the video. I did not add 10-3 romex, this is what is used for the panel feed on all of these campers. When I rewired mine, I used ancor 10awg tinned pure copper. It’s crazy to me that they use solid in high vibration environments, but this is a permissible activity for all of these trailer manufacturers …

[@sheldonkirschbaum6213]

Very scary. You never want to have loose connections on any receptacle.

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Pretty scary stuff, the quality control these days leaves something to be desired…

[@randallcunninghamjr.9270]

Watched the entire video wow interesting. Could have been disaster

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

Sure could have. I appreciate you watching and commenting. Thanks