Chuck B 2004 Windsor Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 Do yourself a favor by eliminating your power cord reel. You will end up with dirty contact where the brushes rub on the reel. By removing the reel, you will have space for something else. Chuck B 2004 Windsor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt Mike Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 And what do you do with your power cord? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck B 2004 Windsor Posted August 6, 2021 Author Share Posted August 6, 2021 I stored mine on top of my fuel tank. Chuck B 2004 Windsor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick A Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 “You will end up with dirty contact where the brushes rub on the reel.” Not sure I understand the cause and effect. Isn’t it simpler to just clean/replace the contacts (a relatively small job) rather than removing the entire wheel which would create a lifetime chore? I think the reel is a space saver by definition. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Laursen Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 I have a powered power cord reel on my coach. Have used it for 16 years, 130,000 miles and hundreds of in and outs. Never had any problems with the brushes. The previous coach had a free power cord and I wouldn't give up the powered reel and go backwards. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck B 2004 Windsor Posted August 6, 2021 Author Share Posted August 6, 2021 Whatever works for you. Chuck B 2004 Windsor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vito.a Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 (edited) Maybe it's dependent on the type of climate you live in. In AZ the cord reels work great and last for years but if you live near salt spray and humidity they would corrode. Edited August 6, 2021 by vito.a 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevada Rob Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 I would have to fall on the side of keeping the power cord set up. My cord winds into a steel drum located in the center of the coach between the AquaHot on the right and the service bay panel on the left. If the reel system failed I am not sure how you would even get it out. Maybe piece by piece? I would say the the cord reel winds the power cord into a smaller cubic space than if it was loose and coiled by me. This is exactly why I LOVE AMERICA. We all can have an opinion and ideas, agree to disagree and respect other views and thoughts. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Haggard Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 5 minutes ago, vito.a said: Maybe it's dependent on the type of climate you live in. in AZ the cord reels work great and last for years but if you live near salt spray and humidity they would corrode. Yes And there were cheap reals used and quality reals installed. Also If you look at some pictures posted by some owners you can see that never has there been any house cleaning or maintenance done. Like batteries and other electrical Equipment with a quarter inch of dust, grease and grime covering everything. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck B 2004 Windsor Posted August 6, 2021 Author Share Posted August 6, 2021 Yes John, there is a huge difference between a power cord reel, and the drum a power cord is stored in. Preventative Maintenance is the key to keeping things working property. Chuck B 2004 Windsor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monte Roger Fautin Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 Great info and flow of ideas. Love my power cord, 2008 Signature, how do you clean the drum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck B 2004 Windsor Posted August 6, 2021 Author Share Posted August 6, 2021 Take a damp wet hand towel and place it around the power cord as it retracts into the drum. That will clean most anything that is on the power cord. As to having access to the inside of the drum, I do not know. Chuck B 2004 Windsor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Haggard Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 4 minutes ago, Monte Roger Fautin said: Great info and flow of ideas. Love my power cord, 2008 Signature, how do you clean the drum? Outside ? Simple green or Awsome diluted . Usually annually or as needed. Then wipe down with spray wax. Inside ? I wipe the cord with a damp cloth, paper towling as the cord reals in so the inside stays clean. The power real, just wipe it off as needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanwill52 Posted August 7, 2021 Share Posted August 7, 2021 I always envied the guys with power reels for their 50A cords. But I was short of room in the bays and also did not want a commutator-type reel. I had room in front of my Onan and decided to put a reel there. I bought a hand-cranked cord reel from Mor-Ryde, machined a new shaft, eliminated the hand wheel and converted it to be powered by a tarp motor for a dump truck. I added a "clutch" mechanism to the drive, so I could "feather" the cord onto the reel and stop it at any time without turning the motor off. I welded on two extensions of 2 x 3 x 1/8 rectangular tube to the front of the genny slide to mount it on. The tarp motor is powered through a resettable circuit breaker and contactor, and turned it on with a toggle switch on the entrance side of the reel. I bored out a PVC pipe cap to fit over the Twist-Lock end of the 50A cord to keep rain and road debris out of the connections while traveling. I had one of the coaches whose generator had about 3" vertical clearance when retracted, so I built an aluminum angle "fence" around the top of the Onan for extra storage. It has been one of the greatest improvements I've made to the coach! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevada Rob Posted August 7, 2021 Share Posted August 7, 2021 Van that is cool as heck. Nice job on the fabrication work. How long is the power cord? After the cord is deployed can you completely close the generator slide? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ray Davis Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 Van, I don't care what they say, you're a pretty fart smeller, err I mean smart feller. ROFLMAO 😁 Yep, you did good, keep it coming, we like it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick A Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 I impressed as hell and luv these innovations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanwill52 Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 21 hours ago, Nevada Rob said: Van that is cool as heck. Nice job on the fabrication work. How long is the power cord? After the cord is deployed can you completely close the generator slide? Rob, the cord is 30' and is SEOW cord. After a talk with a cable manufacturer (who could only supply the cable with no ends attached), he told me to always look for an "E" in the cord designation if I needed it to be truly flexible in very cold temps. "E" stands for "elastomer". There are SOW, SOOW, STW...etc. He said the least flexible will always have a "T", which stands for "thermoplastic". The "clutch" is what makes the device such a pleasure to use. You simply push down on the lever with the motor running and you can ease the cable onto the drum and make it coil perfectly. The very expensive, high quality YELLOW cable I still own is by Marinco, known for great quality marine products, but I never carry it with me. It is STW, and stiff as a brick in cold weather. I could barely get it coiled up enough to get it into my storage bay in cold weather. After purchasing this SEOW flexible cord, I repurposed the yellow Marinco one, and it is now my permanently installed cord in the RV shed. As Bill B once said, "Some cords have a hard-on in cold weather." LOL Yes, the genny door can be closed when the cord is removed. The cord does not have a permanent connection to the coach. The end you see is the Twist-Lock type that connects to the coach. The other end is the standard male 14-50P (?) that plugs into a pedestal. The reel I made is nothing but a storage device. I still carry a 15' extension cord (SEOW) in the bay for times when needed. Thanks. It is truly the second most useful modifications I ever made to the coach. The first was the Samsung residential fridge. The third was a powered MCW front windshield shade. And here's a shout-out to Bob (RIP) and Sue Haught, who sold me this marvelously maintained coach in 2013. Due to their meticulous maintenance, I have enjoyed the luxury of only having to do "upgrades" and "improvements" instead of "repairs". It has been a marvelous coach that I've put over 80K miles on (Alaska and back in 2016) and enjoyed every minute and every new friend I've made along the way. The old girl is about to tick over 200K. Safe travels... Safe travels! 17 hours ago, Ray Davis said: Van, I don't care what they say, you're a pretty fart smeller, err I mean smart feller. ROFLMAO 😁 Yep, you did good, keep it coming, we like it 14 hours ago, Rick A said: I impressed as hell and luv these innovations. Rick A and Ray Davis, you are both great contributors in the spirit in which my good friend Bill D always wanted his forum to be--a place where you could get help on just about anything from folks who had "actually DONE it", not just read about it. As the "crusty ol' Buzzard" Bill said one morning at his house while serving breakfast, "If you've only read about it and haven't actually DONE it, post somewhere else!!" Dave Pratt, Ivan K, Bob Nodine, Tom Cherry, David (427), and countless others continue to carry on Bill's wishes. Kudos to you all! BTW, however much Bill D might have been endeared to the southern dish "scrapple", if it's ever offered to you, either politely decline or say, "Well, I'll just try a wee bit." LOL 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacwjames Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 Well, I see that retirement has slowed you down at all. Nice job. I looked ant the cord reel is and it's not in stock anywhere but I'll keep this in mind if/when I get tired of lugging my cord around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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