50 amp inlet replacement

[Bierp]

The 50 amp inlet on my 2018 3950BR appears to have experienced an incident and I'm looking to replace it.

To be more exact, I think the cord (and upstream) had an incident, but things got a bit "melty" in there, and I want to replace it to be safe.

I wire brushed it and cleaned it out and and it is working. My EMS didn't register a problem and nothing down the line is damaged. The cord looks like there may have been some arcing or something unpleasant. There was a storm this morning, power was lost. Did it happen then? Not sure, but I noticed it when I went to swap cables to connect a generator.

The old cord was replaced immediately, of course.

None of that is really a question. My question is this: What's the best one to buy?

Regarding electricity, I'm wary of just buying one off Amazon from some company nobody has ever heard of. Anonymous Chinese cabling is a crapshoot at best and for something this important, I'm not willing to play games.

I'll spend a few extra bucks to get a quality piece, but I'm honestly not sure what that piece is and a search of the forums didn't turn up a good answer on this.

So, for the millionth time, I ask the amazing Montana members. You guys are the best!

[Jay Merritt]

I installed this one on the side of our rig a year ago. It is doing great. It does not come with mounting screws.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B87W9WZ1

[BB_TX]

You are just one of many. The problem is not with the quality of connector. It is with the quality of the installation. Wires on the trailer side have often not been tightened properly or inserted under the screws properly resulting in poor wiring connections. Those poor connections lead to resistance. And resistance and high current lead to overheating of the pins that burns the connectors.

[Bierp]

Thanks for the product endorsement.

It's moderately encouraging to know that this isn't an issue I caused, though the burned connectors certainly appear to be a fire risk.

I'll be checking YouTube for installation videos, but if anyone has any pointers on this install, I'm all ears.

Electric and plumbing are my two least favorite areas. At least plumbing isn't likely to burn your rig to the ground.

[Jay Merritt]

The outlet has color code marks on the terminals. Red, Black, White, Green

Cut the old tarnished copper off and strip it back to expose new clean copper.

The terminals on the outlet use a screwdriver to attach the wires.

[Bierp]

Sounds incredibly straight forward. You know, the kind of thing you'd expect them to do correctly during the build. <sigh>

Part will be here in a day or two.

[Moondragon]

I ripped one right out of my '06 Mountaineer (you know you're supposed to unplug before rolling off, right ). Replaced it with an Amazon generic. Still fine 8 years later when I traded it in.

[Bierp]

Originally Posted by Moondragon

I ripped one right out of my '06 Mountaineer (you know you're supposed to unplug before rolling off, right ).

Ahh, that sweet RV life. We all know your pain.

[rohrmann]

About six years ago, preparing to move the rig, found the right angle adapter and the receptacle were melted together. I managed to tear them apart, got relocated and went to a local RV dealer. I found matching brand receptacle and new adapter and they have been flawless since then. When doing the replacement, be prepared to be able to cut the heavy copper cables. You will need more than a light wire cutter.

[432bartman]

Last year I replaced my 50 amp outlet and also the power cord too. There was a short between the two and after replacing all is well. Why these things come with cheap plastic threads that can easily be stripped is beyond me. When I replaced I put in a 90 degree attachment, which appears to have taken the weight off of the main outlet housing.

[Karenraecamp]

Ok not really related but sort of. The flap on the shore power inlet broke off. Purchased the inlet but Leary of trying to remove inlet. Will I need to rewire? Or is there a way to just install the flap and box?

[Daryles]

Originally Posted by Karenraecamp

Ok not really related but sort of. The flap on the shore power inlet broke off. Purchased the inlet but Leary of trying to remove inlet. Will I need to rewire? Or is there a way to just install the flap and box?

The inside contacts piece separates from the outside box.
Remove the red screws and cut through the outside silicone sealant.
Pull the outside shell from the wall.
The electrical cable will come with it.
Verify the electrical cable wires screws are TIGHT!
Remove the tiny inside green screws. This will release the inside contact piece from the outer shell (box with cover).
Put the new outer box cover on and reassemble.
Pay attention to the orientation of the contacts so your power cord hangs down properly if you have a 90⁰ cord.
Use Trempro 645 sealant. That's what Keystone uses.
I added three extra, tiny screws to the inside contact piece after mine fell inwards one time when I was plugging in my cord.

[Karenraecamp]

Originally Posted by Daryles

The inside contacts piece separates from the outside box.
Remove the red screws and cut through the outside silicone sealant.
Pull the outside shell from the wall.
The electrical cable will come with it.
Verify the electrical cable wires screws are TIGHT!
Remove the tiny inside green screws. This will release the inside contact piece from the outer shell (box with cover).
Put the new outer box cover on and reassemble.
Pay attention to the orientation of the contacts so your power cord hangs down properly if you have a 90⁰ cord.
Use Trempro 645 sealant. That's what Keystone uses.
I added three extra, tiny screws to the inside contact piece after mine fell inwards one time when I was plugging in my cord.

Thank you

[Vet4jdc]

I had one leg of the 50 amp that kept shorting out and losing half the rig. I finally traced it to the male connector on back of the camper. When I pulled everything out, one of the hot wires was loosely connected to the outlet and was heating up the entire outlet. The charring was an indicator that it was only a matter of time until it would catch fire. I was lucky. I replaced the charred and melted male outlet with a new one from a boat store, tightened all the wires and have had no issues since. Did I mention I was lucky.