Need Cord for Inlet

[Bianca Fiore]

Hi:

I have just bought a 1965 Bee Line travel trailer. The inlet, which I'm told is 15 amps, is a male plug with three straight blades arranged in a triangle. All three pins are flat, straight blades--none is curved or rounded. I'm told this is a very old style. I've looked everywhere for a cord, so that I can use the trailer with electricity at a campground, and can't find one. Can anyone help me find a cord? If not, can this inlet simply be replaced with another one with no additional modification? Also, I know nothing about electricity--assuming I can find a cord, can this 15 amp plug be hooked up to a standard 30 amp connection at a campground?

Forgive me for my ignorance, and thanks for all help!

[Steve_Cox]

Hi:

I have just bought a 1965 Bee Line travel trailer. The inlet, which I'm told is 15 amps, is a male plug with three straight blades arranged in a triangle. All three pins are flat, straight blades--none is curved or rounded. I'm told this is a very old style. I've looked everywhere for a cord, so that I can use the trailer with electricity at a campground, and can't find one. Can anyone help me find a cord? If not, can this inlet simply be replaced with another one with no additional modification? Also, I know nothing about electricity--assuming I can find a cord, can this 15 amp plug be hooked up to a standard 30 amp connection at a campground?

Forgive me for my ignorance, and thanks for all help!

Welcome to the forum

This is an easy problem to solve for the electrically skilled. Just to be on the safe side, how about taking it to the local RV dealer and let them change the older 30 amp male plug on your RV to a 15 amp male plug, that way you can use a standard 15 amp extension cord and in those campgrounds that don't offer 15 amp power you can get the " 30 amp to 15 amp Campground adapter for less than $5. Your local RV dealer could really use the business right now.

[Bianca Fiore]

<<change the older 30 amp male plug on your RV to a 15 amp male plug, that way you can use a standard 15 amp extension cord and in those campgrounds that don't offer 15 amp power you can get the " 30 amp to 15 amp Campground adapter for less than $5. Your local RV dealer could really use the business right now>>

Thanks so much for your prompt response!

[goldcoop]

Bianca-

Sounds like you need a new 15 amp inlet installed on your trailer?



http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/store ... 00_225-7-0

...and here's another:

http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-001-5239- ... dogpile-20

Then you should be able to use a standard 15 amp outdoor extension cord & 15 amp outlets at the campground.

Cheers,

Coop

[Bianca Fiore]

Thanks. Is there a way to just get some kind of adapter, so that I don't have to INSTALL anything?

Thanks again!

[goldcoop]

Thanks. Is there a way to just get some kind of adapter, so that I don't have to INSTALL anything?

Thanks again!

Bianca-

I don't think so. If memory serves me right these were called "delta" connectors. I couldn't find ANY thing about a adapter or cord on the net.

BUT I did find this, check out Sabrina & "Trailer Talk" working out of her '65 Bee Line:

http://www.sabrinaartel.com/index.html

Cheers,

Coop

[Bianca Fiore]

Okay, thanks. And Sabrina Artel's trailer is completely identical to mine, except for the color.

Thanks again!

[Miriam C.]

Hi Bianca, do you have a picture of the offending inlet. We can most likely guide you if we have a visual. Installing an inlet isn't really a difficult task. Honestly it is color coded. The difficult part is identifying which wire is which. If you have an electrical chart this will be easier.

Also if you have a picture of the back of the inlet where the wires are connected too.......

Or your local RV shop can help out. Doubt if they would charge too much.

to the playground too........

[Bianca Fiore]

My "local RV shop" is no help at all. I've really tried to work with them, but they think it's too old to be any good and they won't to touch it. They seem to think it's a death trap and I should drive it to a junkyard.

Yes, I have a good photo of the front. I tried to put it in my first message, but couldn't figure it out. I just put a photo pf the plug up on my blog: http://turquoisetrailer.blogspot.com/. Thanks again to everyone for your help! There's got to be an adapter somewhere?

[Miriam C.]

Mike says it looks like what they used to call a crows foot and you might still be able to get a cord head for it. He will try to remember tomorrow. If you don't get an answer to this by tomorrow hit me in the PM.

Now my opinion, (being what it is) is to get a new one unless you are just hung up on keeping it pure. The RV guys is lazy or he would have sold you on a whole new wiring set up.

If you are comfortable you could tell us where you live. There might be someone in the area who can show you theirs or direct you to help.

[Bianca Fiore]

Thanks so much. I have no problem with getting a new one, and will be taking the trailer to a restorer this summer (over 1000 miles away) where I plan to have a lot of stuff done. If I could just find an adaptor to hold me over until then, I'd be happy. Thanks again!

[Bianca Fiore]

Forgot to add that I'm in Ohio. I really don't want to get a lot of electrical work done now, because I'm getting the big restoration done this summer and don't want to end up paying for something that might need to be redone, and so I wind up paying twice. The restorer has already warned me about how they often have to fix other people's mistakes. But I will pay to have a new inlet plug put on if I have to, if it's the only solution. It's complicated, however, because the trailer is parked in a storage place with no electricity, so it will be hard to test the new plug, and I've already talked to an electrician who won't work on it for this reason. Based on my bad experience, I don't want to go back to the RV people. All of this is why, again, an adaptor seems like the best temporary solution. With an adaptor, I could stay in the trailer and have lights, a fan, and a few other comforts until I get the big restoration this summer. Thanks again to everyone for all the help so far!

[satch]

My advise is run an extention cord to the trailer and use a power strip for temporary use, if you don't want to change out the plug. I'm no sure you could fibd an adaptor for that, looks pretty old. Changing that plug should'nt be hard. Why don't you remove it and take pics, we here could walk you though installing a new one.

[Bianca Fiore]

Sounds good! Will a campground allow me to run an extension cord? Thanks! I'll remove it and take pix!

[Mary K]

Sounds good! Will a campground allow me to run an extension cord? Thanks! I'll remove it and take pix!

That's how we all get power to our campers power inlet, with an extension cord. And tent camper do it like Satch says with a power strip so they can have power in there tents.

Just run the cord in through the door into the trailer and use it for fans and a lamp.



BTW, A camp ground Power Post will look like this...



Plugs for the Big Rigs at 50 amp & 30 amp and 15 amp (like a wall socket you have in your home) for us smaller trailers. A outdoor power cord will work.





Hope this helps.