Help, we are new to this an will be picking up our first RV in the next week. My question has to do with the length of an 50 Amp cord. The rig come with 30 feet, I need an addition 60 feet to reach my plug at home before we head out on a trip. Are there limitations on the length of an extension cord? Other ideas?

Thanks,

The Ferris,

It might be cheaper to move the plug 60' towards the RV, those 50 amp cords are very expensive, $125+ for 25, you'd need 3 of them so $300+. I'm no electrician so can't answer the length question.

AS an electrician (Journeyman, Master and Nuclear Power Plant Electrician)....You don't have to worry about distance until you get to about 200' (typically). There are math formulas in the NEC Code Book if you really feel industrious.

I would tend to worry more about the connections. Make sure that are tight. A loose connection will cause voltage drops and a build up of heat.

But Danny is right...If you have the ability to run the power closer to the RV, it will be less expensive. They gouge you on these cords. I think I could open a business selling these things at half the price and still make a fortune errrr, a little bit of profit. We'll see after the start of full-timing...Sign ups start now!

Also remember that at 30 Amps, you'll need to limit your A/C use to 1 only. ESPECIALLY if the refrigerator is on for the trip. Keep the lights off as much as you can. 30 Amps is not a whole lot. If your cord is laying in the sun, that will contribute to heat load. Your breaker won't know the difference when it come to heat.

Happy Trails!

https://www.amazon.com/NU-CORD-94561E-50-Feet-50-Amp-Extension/dp/B005GXQDHU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470516524&sr=8-1&keywords=50+amp+cord+for+rv

I should reflect that wholesale prices are better than retail pricing (depending on where you shop). Some might not have access to the wholesale pricing. If you shop at Home Depot and the like, you may be better off purchasing the cords as the "installed" equipment will cost about the same by the time you purchase cord and caps. AND, you can take them with you! I have found a couple of locations where I needed more than 50' to get to the pedestal. But due to the weight, make sure you store them on the lighter side of your RV...

Depending on what you plan to do with the RW at home, you don't need a 50 amp cable.

I've set up our house with a 30 amp plug and I plug in the RW with a 50 to 30 adapter. I can run the fridge and one A/C on that supply as well as the lights.

I made up a couple of 30 amp extensions for parks where the plugs are far away. I also carry a 90 ft. HD 15 amp cord for the "worst case" parks that we've run into, that power would supply lights and perhaps the fridge. We've lived on 4 amps in Mexico (no A/C, fridge and WH on gas and we were able to use the sat TV and internet).