Solid core vs stranded wire

[39Ratrod]

At the suggestion of a friend of mine who has an electrical background, I used stranded wiring on my a/c circuits. I told him I was getting ready to run some romax, and he said that's fine but it has a tendency to break from vibration. I thought that made sense and since this camper will see lots of dirt road, I used a extension cord for my wiring. Opinions on this from any of our electricians?

[TxDave]

I'm not an electrician, but I have built an airplane and 4 teardrops. Your friend was correct about not using solid core wire. I have used extension cords in all of my teardrops. You can get a 100' cord at Lowe's for $15. If they are good enough for your home, they should be good enough for a tiny trailer, and it sure simplifies the wiring process.

Dave

[H.A.]

Solid conductor 'Romex' is used for mains power in virtually all factory built travel trailers. If its securely attached to structures & enclosures, cant vibrate or chafe, its fine.
Trailers can get bounced around alot, But dont suffer so much the high frequency vibrations of motor powered vehicles or machinery.
Of course stranded is 'better' to resist failure from vibration and can carry higher current. It can be more fiddely terminating it to common electrical devices & appliances.
Its debate as old as trailer building will exist and its a building choice for you.

[MtnDon]

We owned a Class C RV from when it was new in 1983 to 2010 when it showed many signs of wear. I replaced a number of things and had a variety of problems to troubleshoot in that time. However there never was a single problem with any of the 120 VAC wiring which was solid copper Romex. It was used over a variety of roads and conditions and we wound the clock back around to zero and past; 2nd engine, 2nd trans, 2nd A/C, ...... So I personally believe that all the time spent worrying over solid core vs stranded could be better used worrying about something else.

[jondbar628]

Ratrod......I'm a retired industrial electrician. Used stranded wire my whole professional career. Everything from 28ga.(electronics) to 750MCM (REALLY big stuff). Built 3 houses and many outbuildings, and used mostly romex. I agree that this is mostly a preference and/or price issue. Teardrop-type vibration isn't a big factor, because generally the whole unit is what is moving & shaking, not the individual terminus for the wire. As others indicated, most fixtures such as receptacles and wall switches are more solid-wire friendly............doug