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Old 05-06-2020, 02:56 AM   #1
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Model: Freedom Elite 24HE (24F)
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THOR #17874
Shore power cord management

The shore power cord compartment on my Freedom Elite 24HE looks like the attached when packed up and it irritates me. The slide controller is screwed to the back wall of that compartment and I just know my shore power cord is going to knock something loose one of these times while I'm cramming the cable in. The generator ATS is on the left wall taking up quite a bit of space too.
For reasons that escape me they put the door on upside down compared to the generator and propane access panels next to it so you pretty much have to run the power cord through the floor grommet rather than just leave the door cracked if you don't want it wide open. It's another literal hoop to jump through as the cord will just get stuck in the floor grommet while uncoiling. I have to pull it all out through the door, uncoil, then feed it back in and down through the grommet before heading to the pedestal.

Anyhow, has anyone come up with a cord reel or something more elegant for storing the shore power cord that would fit in the tiny space there?
If I can't find a reel I'm thinking of installing a socket like I've seen on other RVs where the cord plugs into the side of the RV instead of being permanently attached like this one. I'd probably just install the socket on the door itself and keep the cord in one of the regular storage compartments.
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Old 05-06-2020, 03:51 AM   #2
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I have pull mine all the way out and feed it through the floor hole to hook up and I have to pull it all the way out back through the hole and then roll it up to store. I don't have Slide controller just the transfer switch. My compartment door opens sideways so depending on angle it may partially close against the power cord with door not closed.

But.... look on the bright side

1. No one is going to steal your power cord
2. You can lock that door and forget about it
3. It looks neater coming out of floor underneath
4. Looks like you only are dealing with 30 amp cord not the 50 amp cord
5. When your door is opened it is out of your way, if it was hinged on top without some latch it would be a nuisance
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Old 05-06-2020, 05:33 AM   #3
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I have some of your same concerns with our 24F with the same compartment. I coil the power cord in 2 small coils. Wedge the back coil in being certain to not contact the slide controller in the back. Front half of the coil is pulled out for use and clears the rabbit hole for feeding it out. This half is long enough for my home connection and nearly all camp connections, back cord half stays in place protecting the slide controller.
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Old 05-06-2020, 11:56 AM   #4
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Buy a pair of male and female 30 amp twist lock plugs. Cut the cord about 3' from the RV. Install the plugs. Male plug on the RV side. Now when you get to camp. You get the cord out and run it to the ped, poke the 3' end out of the bottom and plug them together.
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Old 05-06-2020, 12:20 PM   #5
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Old 05-06-2020, 01:02 PM   #6
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I think that you'll find that most any RV has a similar 'irritation' factor when dealing with the shore cord, especially 50amp hard-to-handle heavy shore cords, like mine...

but, just so you can put your 'aggravation' into perspective:

- you have a door that opens down, easy, and always out of your way.... I don't.
- you have a 'pass thru' in the bottom of your compartment, for your cord.... I don't.
- you have a specific 'place' to store your shore cord... I don't.
- you don't have to bring your whole shore cord out, handle it's heavy weight and bulk, and attach it to the side of your RV... I do.
- your shore cord is hard-wired on the RV end, so you only have to handle one end - I have to handle both.
- FUN... no matter which way you look at it : )


If your desires come true, wanting a 'sidewall' attachment point, and another place to have to 'store' you shore cord, you'll be like most all the other RVrs who COMPLAIN that they wished they had a compartment JUST for the shore cord, and DIDN'T have to handle the whole cord EVERYTIME they want to plug in!

We all have things to aggravate us, but it's only trading one aggravation for another if you change it.
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Old 05-06-2020, 01:17 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DbleDutch View Post
I have some of your same concerns with our 24F with the same compartment. I coil the power cord in 2 small coils. Wedge the back coil in being certain to not contact the slide controller in the back. Front half of the coil is pulled out for use and clears the rabbit hole for feeding it out. This half is long enough for my home connection and nearly all camp connections, back cord half stays in place protecting the slide controller.
Coiled cables generate heat when plugged in. Hopefully the compartment has enough airflow to dissipate the heat generated by the transfer switch and the coiled cable.
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Old 05-06-2020, 01:51 PM   #8
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I have found that if I coil up my power cable in just the right way:it'll feed out through the access port, and can be re-wound right back up through it almost as easily...
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Old 05-06-2020, 02:52 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by TurnerFam View Post
I think that you'll find that most any RV has a similar 'irritation' factor when dealing with the shore cord, especially 50amp hard-to-handle heavy shore cords, like mine...

but, just so you can put your 'aggravation' into perspective:

- you have a door that opens down, easy, and always out of your way.... I don't.
- you have a 'pass thru' in the bottom of your compartment, for your cord.... I don't.
- you have a specific 'place' to store your shore cord... I don't.
- you don't have to bring your whole shore cord out, handle it's heavy weight and bulk, and attach it to the side of your RV... I do.
- your shore cord is hard-wired on the RV end, so you only have to handle one end - I have to handle both.
- FUN... no matter which way you look at it : )


If your desires come true, wanting a 'sidewall' attachment point, and another place to have to 'store' you shore cord, you'll be like most all the other RVrs who COMPLAIN that they wished they had a compartment JUST for the shore cord, and DIDN'T have to handle the whole cord EVERYTIME they want to plug in!

We all have things to aggravate us, but it's only trading one aggravation for another if you change it.
I agree with TurnerFam. We had a 24F with the same set-up as yours. Having that door open down keeps it out of your way. You do have to pull it all out to run it through the hole, but that also makes it less of an invitation to thieves as it is hard-wired. Our current rig has a heavy 50 amp cord without a dedicated storage area, and it hooks to the exterior. If we were parked side by side and a thief walked by, guess who is gonna lose his power cord. Everything seems to be a trade-off, but TurnerFam highlights some real positives for your situation.

Look for the positives and have fun. People here who dwell on the negatives are easy to pick out...always complaining about something.
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Old 05-06-2020, 04:01 PM   #10
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I'm a bit confused.
It will coil from the male end as easily as it coils from the attached house end.
Buy the $12 cord reel sold at big box stores, coil the cord on it.
Or
Make a custom sized reel from a coffee can and two pie plates(or similar).
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Old 05-08-2020, 03:25 AM   #11
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THOR #17874
Interesting hearing the opposite perspective on plug-in cables. Theft isn't something I even thought about. There aren't a lot of outside storage bays on the 24HE but I already carry an extra 25ft extension cord for those odd campgrounds that put a pedestal between two sites.

Our old trailer had a little 4" square door that opened into a large cavity over the wheel well for the shore cord. You just opened that door and yanked out as much cable as you needed and there was a little flap you slid over to let you close the door around the cable.
When you were done, there was so much space in there that you could just feed the cable back in through the door and it would stack and coil itself inside without having to cram it in.
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Old 05-08-2020, 04:01 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by cavie View Post
Buy a pair of male and female 30 amp twist lock plugs. Cut the cord about 3' from the RV. Install the plugs. Male plug on the RV side. Now when you get to camp. You get the cord out and run it to the ped, poke the 3' end out of the bottom and plug them together.
That would certainly make it easier. If I had my choice, I wish there was 50 amp female receptacle off the transfer switch inside my electrical compartment bay. When I want shore power, I just pull the entire cord out and plug into pedestal and unroll to go through bottom of electrical compartment floor and plug it directly to receptacle. I could then lock door. Now I would need 50 amp male plugs on both sides of main shore power cord, or a small adapter with 2 50 amp male plugs to use with typical standard 50 amp power cord.
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Old 05-08-2020, 04:07 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post
Hey my comment is down below, so isn't that little kid pointing the wrong way

Reminds me of an old Richard Pryor joke when he said "if I am driving drunk, I am not riding with myself"
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Old 05-08-2020, 12:09 PM   #14
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That would certainly make it easier. If I had my choice, I wish there was 50 amp female receptacle off the transfer switch inside my electrical compartment bay. When I want shore power, I just pull the entire cord out and plug into pedestal and unroll to go through bottom of electrical compartment floor and plug it directly to receptacle. I could then lock door. Now I would need 50 amp male plugs on both sides of main shore power cord, or a small adapter with 2 50 amp male plugs to use with typical standard 50 amp power cord.
NEVER, EVER, PUT TWO MALE PLUGS ON ONE CORD!!! EVER! You trying to get yourself or someone else killed?? Just think about what you said for a minute. Plug into shore power than go pick up the otherend
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Old 05-08-2020, 12:19 PM   #15
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NEVER, EVER, PUT TWO MALE PLUGS ON ONE CORD!!! EVER! You trying to get yourself or someone else killed?? Just think about what you said for a minute. Plug into shore power than go pick up the otherend
I have to assume that it was an error in typing: not in camping protocols...
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Old 05-08-2020, 12:34 PM   #16
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I have to assume that it was an error in typing: not in camping protocols...
I certainly hope so BUT I have heard of it before.
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Old 05-08-2020, 01:12 PM   #17
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I certainly hope so BUT I have heard of it before.
It was both an error and a typo. I was suggesting 2 males plugs in the first thought, so that was a bad thought ; but I was trying to clarify with the OR option to use an Adapter with the standard plug because I have not in fact seen shore power cord with 2 male ends. The typo was on small adapter option when I inserted extra word "male"; given that it was meant to work with standard shore power cord, a theoretical adapter with two male ends would NEVER even plug in to work.

But make no mistake on my point, if I had my druthers. My 30ft - 50 amp shore power cord would be a simple standard cord (Male/Female). [Not hard wired inside my Transfer Switch.] I would have preferred if a receptacle was inside electrical compartment connected to ATS or a very short 12 inches or less extension hard wired to the ATS; so that I could then remove the shore power cord and plug through my hole underneath electrical compartment bay into the receptacle or adapter extension. The benefit is that my 30ft shore power cord connection is actually inside the compartment with no risk of being stolen or exposed to elements.

Note: I don't intend to do any of this as my unit is still under warranty, but I was just saying for OP what I consider the absolute best all around option. I should add that what I have is very good and works well, but there have been a few times I wished I could have unplugged from the ATS. But as it is, there is no chance of me leaving it somewhere by mistake, or for it to get stolen if I forget to lock the compartment door etc.
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Old 05-08-2020, 01:15 PM   #18
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Old 05-08-2020, 01:59 PM   #19
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It's Friday... Crap happens!
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Old 05-08-2020, 02:12 PM   #20
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It's Friday... Crap happens!
I am on vacation too with nowhere to go. I normally would take trip to Arkansas this week to visit my Mom, but high wind and covid 19 got me a little afraid to venture out.

Let me see what other electrical projects I can come with today. I have to do my part to keep Cavie on his toes You ever seen or played the game Lemmings? Cavie protects all of us RV critters from ourselves
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