It's never easy.

[HighTechRedneck]

I think they're trying to achieve compatibility between RV's and campgrounds with a minimum of long shore cords running around finding trouble.

I'm sure it will take a while for it to achieve that result.  There is a state park I have stayed at a few times that has the power posts on the wrong side on many of the sites and often 25-30 feet away on the others.

[Len Silva]

In most campgrounds, the pole will be towards the rear or behind the coach.  That's also per code 551-76(a).

The connection shall be located on the left side at any point from the rear of the site to a point 15' forward of the rear.

The whole thing makes sense when you look at it that way.

[Sean]

What is the purpose of the code for where the cord enters the vehicle?  I am planning on mine exiting the first bay on the left side and I don't see what difference is made  by the cord being nearer the front or rear.  Usually the codes make sence, this one I don't get.

Well, first let me say that this provision of the code, and many others, are intended to protect the end-user of an RV from poor design on the part of the manufacturer.  Without such code articles, manufacturers are wont to do some pretty stupid things.

In this case, the issue is that RV parks are mandated (by the very next chapter of the code) to put the power pedestal at rear of the coach on the driver side.  The idea is to try to standardize where both the pedestal and the inlet end up, so that normal-size cords will reach.

If you build a 40' coach, and put the power inlet three feet behind the front bumper, then you'll need, on average, a 40" long power cord to reach the pedestal, which can be expected to be right at the rear bumper on the driver side.  Most cords are just not that long, leaving the RV buyer up a creek.

In the current version of the code, a manufacturer is actually permitted to do this, but he then needs to supply the customer with a 47' cord as well (37'-15'+25'=47').

If you mount the power inlet within the rear 15', you can supply the minimum-length cord of just 25'.  RV builders are all about minimizing their costs, so they are highly motivated to put the inlet where the code specifies.

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[Tenor]

From the standpoint of protecting us from nefarious manufactures, I get it.  Since I have a 36ft cord,  I can keep it up to 10ft from the front bumper, give or take how much needs to stay in the bay based on placement of the panel it connects to, right?

Glenn

[Sean]

From the standpoint of protecting us from nefarious manufactures, I get it.  Since I have a 36ft cord,  I can keep it up to 10ft from the front bumper, give or take how much needs to stay in the bay based on placement of the panel it connects to, right?

Glenn,

The formula is this:

• Measure how far from the back bumper your cord enters the bus.
• Subtract 15' from that number.  This is the "difference".
• The amount of cord from where it actually leaves the bus to the plug on the end needs to be 25', plus whatever difference you came up with in the previous step.

Since you have 36' of cord, we can work backward:  36'-25' leaves 11'.  If the cord connects directly to the outside of the bus, then you can mount it 15'+11' or 26' in front of the rear bumper.

If, however, you need, say, 3' of cord to reach from the outside of the bus to the junction box in your bay, then you can only go to 23' in front of the rear bumper.  If you have a 40' coach, that's still 17' back from the front bumper.

Make sense?

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[Tenor]

Absoulty clear!  Thanks Sean! 

[chazwood]

It's all very easy ....until you pull in, instead of back in.

[jjrbus]

Wish I would have took a picture. The last park I was at in N Ft Myers FL the box was on the driver side about 3 feet in front of the coach!!

[chazwood]

Yeah, They're all over the map where I stay.

It seems to me the safest and smartest thing to do is put the cord somewhere in the middle of the bus so you can reach anywhere.

[jjrbus]

 I carry a 25 ft extension cord. Even in a modern to code park there may be a problem with an outlet. I cannot recall any instance where 50 feet of cord would not get me power.