110v Wiring Choice

[bigbendhiker]

My cargo trailer is at the dealer now and I will be able to pick it up either next Monday or Wednesday. I have my converter, my power cord arrived today and the shore power inlet should be here soon. I plan to run 10 ga wire from the inlet to the converter and I am planning on running 12 ga for all of the 110v circuits. I have read and reread most of the stickies in the electrical forum and have learned a lot, but obviously there are different opinions on most subjects. So my question is;

Anybody see any problem with buying a 100', 12 ga, 3 wire, 15 amp, stranded extension cord and cutting it up for each circuit? Both Walmart and Home Depot have them for sale for about $68 or so. I haven't checked Lowe's yet. If I have any left I can even buy one of the ends to repair the cut end and still have a shorter extension cord.

I guess I should also ask if 10 ga is sufficient for the run from the inlet to the converter or should I use 8 ga?

Thanks for any advice.

[8ball_99]

10gauge is good if your running 30 amps for the inlet.. There are tons of opinions on here. Plenty will say they hard wired extension cords and power strips and their trailer hasn't burnt down so its fine.. Its not even close to code though and I wouldn't do it to mine. Sure you will save a few bucks, but I would use proper wire and not fool around with electricity.

[bobhenry]

Chubby , my 1st teardrop build has extension cord for the AC and vacuum sweeper cord for the DC

The barn is wired like a house with 12-2 w ground romax

The chuck wagon has a bit of both

and the 4x7 is right back to extention cord.

If properly routed and fuse protected I see nothing wrong with either choice.

As to "CODE" I haven't gotten my copy of the homebuilt tiny trailer code book yet

[legojenn]

I am not sure if it's a Canada/US wiring difference, but I thought that you use 14gauge for standard 110V/15A outlets and 12gauge for 220V/20A for things like baseboard heaters.

While I see a good reason for being able to handle 30A between the shore power connection and the circuit panel, isn't using anything more than 14 overkill?

[eamarquardt]

If you use the stranded extension cord, which I think is just fine, I'd use crimp on spade terminals crimped with a good quality crimper (not a cheapo one) to connect the wires to the receptacles. Clamping the stranded under the screw will not, IMHO, work well at all.

Cheers,

Gus

[pappaw]

That sounds fine to me. I like the idea of using a stranded cable in a trailer, which is what i did too.

And like Guss said, use crimp ons at your terminals.

I did run 12ga for the A/C, and to the cooktop area so someone could run a electric skillet, or toaster here and be safe.

I do think your shore power cord should be a 12 or 10ga myself.

Pappaw

[8ball_99]

I am not sure if it's a Canada/US wiring difference, but I thought that you use 14gauge for standard 110V/15A outlets and 12gauge for 220V/20A for things like baseboard heaters.

While I see a good reason for being able to handle 30A between the shore power connection and the circuit panel, isn't using anything more than 14 overkill?

In the US 12gauge 20 amp breakers is pretty much the standard for outlet circuits. If you walk it to most new homes and open the breaker box you won't see breakers smaller then 20amp very often or wire smaller then 12gauge

His trailer is a cargo trailer not a teardrop. So I'm sure he will have everything from an AC to a coffee maker. I wouldn't go smaller then 10Gauge for the shore power connection.

[8ball_99]

With him having 30 amp service going into the trailer and a power converter with breakers. I still say I'd use proper wire. Running stranded wire to 110 outlets being fed from breaker box seems dangerous to me.

And its not so much of a code book as it is a agreed standards the RV manufactures follow. Things like not using stranded wire for 110v, Not using PVC for the plumbing, not installing gas regulators in the living space, carbon monoxide detector installed, ect ect. They have their reasons and I'm sure not everything they do is that important but I think most would agree some of them are...

[eamarquardt]

SO cable has two layers of insulation. Typical stranded house wire has one. I regularly run 300 (three hundred) amps through a #12 wire. You can do a lot if you do it right and pay attention. #10 wire is rated for 30 amps. The machine tools in my garage are all wired using stranded wire (to code). If you use the crimped terminals or proper receptacles you'll get excellent connections. I still say: "Go for it".

Cheers,

Gus

[bigbendhiker]

His trailer is a cargo trailer not a teardrop. So I'm sure he will have everything from an AC to a coffee maker. I wouldn't go smaller then 10Gauge for the shore power connection.

Correct it is a cargo trailer and I will have A/C, toaster oven, possibly a microwave, and a coffee maker. I am not opposed to using solid wire and the cost is not that much more especially when you considering crimping on the terminals for the stranded wire. Just after reading many of the posts stranded seemed to be preferred over solid for a trailer.

I will use at least 10gauge for the run from the shore connector to the converter.

Thanks for the input from everyone. It is appreciated.

[H.A.]

[.

[H.A.]

n

[8ball_99]

I was just going off experience. My family owned an rv dealer ship for 27 years (first 20 years of my life. I now build and lease commercial property for a living. Ive never seen stranded wire used for perminent installations between breakers and outlets. And this is with doing stuff by the book so to speak. Now I have used so cable plenty. But it's always been to connect equipment to an outlet. Not to hard wire it in to the panel. Most of the time the equipment was mobile.

I would atleast use so cable vs cheap extension cords.

[linuxmanxxx]

I have the spools of 12 solid core and drill through my stick frame studs and pass individual wires one to a channel and use the standard rv 30 amp supply cords to feed the breaker box and split off to 2 or 4 15 amp breakers depending on ttt size and setup. Pass through wall and use the outlet boxes for external conduit to mount outlets and switches inside so if issues arise it can be replaced easily without destroying the walls. I approach everything with the idea of it being maintained off the shelf and as standard as possible. Every outlet and connection is grounded and would meet almost any code requirements. The absolute last thing anyone would want is a fire in such small quarters and approach it in the sense would it be safe for anyone to use.