Power Cord Reel

[Michael Kauffman]

Hello everybody,  in my continuing RV maintenance course on the 98' Beaver Patriot, I've come upon a new problem.  All of a sudden I couldn't get any shore power.  This happened after I moved the coach to another area on my property and had to run a 12ga. extention cord to it.  I thought that I had a bad GFI outlet or something at the house.  After fumbling around and a lot of head scratching, I moved it back to where I could hook back up to my 30amp RV outlet.  Still nothing, I had power to the coach but nothing at the transfer switch. Ah ha! the only thing in between was the power cord reel.  After moving the reel by hand, I could hear my inverter coming on, I had power.  I moved it a little more, NO POWER!

I have a 50 amp Cable Caddy power cord reel made by H&H Braund Mfg. in Canada.  I took it out and took it apart thinking it must have brushes inside.  Well it does have brushes but the neutral brushes were pitted and melted into their bakalite housing.  The brass ring (contact plate) for the neutral was also pitted and had melted into it's plastic housing so that the ring was offset up and down by 1/4" (kinda like a merry-go-round).  The brushes press against the ring as it goes around and around while reeling in the cord in or out.  It's a weak link in the incoming AC power in my opinion.  Can you imagine running 2 AC's through that thing with a bad neutral connection?  I'm glad it didn't catch fire.  

Anyway, I'm in the market for a new power cord reel.  Is any brand better the another.  I don't think that I want to go back to anything with brushes and contact rings.

Thanks, Mike  

[John and Judy Gardner]

Hi Mike, might want to consider a manual crank power reel, had one installed last year in Engene, really like it and it is pretty maintenance free. Just a thought.

[Edward Buker]

Glendinning has been making power cord reels for a long time and started in the marine industry which has harsher conditions than the RV requirements. I have not heard of many fails and I think they make a quality product. They may also have a brush system but I have seen boats with larger loads than our RVs dockside over the years and do not remember owners discussing fail issues. Not sure if the space constraints are the same. This is a new RV design power cord system from them.   http://www.glendinningprods.com/rvcm_crr50.html

Regards Ed

[Gerald Farris]

All reels (power or manual) use slip rings and brushes to transfer the power from the rotary reel to the fixed cord to the transfer switch. If you want to avoid slip rings and brushes you should look into a power cable feed like the Glendinning Cablemaster that was factory equipment on my Marquis. If does not roll the cable onto a reel, but it runs the cable over a rotating pulley to feed it into and out of a storage locker. So the cord is hardwired to the coach, and brushes are not needed.

http://www.glendinningprods.com/rv.html

Gerald  

[Joel Ashley]

I agree with Gerald and Ed that you need a new Glendinning reel that isn't really a reel;  as Gerald said, it just grabs the cable and pulls it in or out of a cylindrical storage container - no moving electrical contacts to go haywire.

-Joel

[Edward Buker]

I had forgotten that Glendinning was a hard wired system without brushes and a reel......must be age I guess.

This type of brushless design makes the most sense. Brush type systems are hazardous and prone to arcing, heating, and possible fire as the surfaces become resistive with age and use. Owners of this type of reel should be watchful and inspect those contact areas yearly if at all possible.

The Glenndinning systems seem to have a very long life and it is conceivable that you might be able to get a used one from an RV salvage outfit.

later Ed

[Michael Kauffman]

[size=18][face=Arial]Thanks Guys, I went to the Glendinning website but I couldn't see where to buy their products.  Seems like the TDI brand is available everywhere online, but not Glendinning.  Thanks, Mike[/face][/size]

[Keith Moffett]

Mike
In the last few days I have run across several stories of this problem.  Gets me to thinking I should check our reel and cord.
Could you elaborate a bit on the disassembly process and what to watch out for?  I intend to remove and resurface if possible but don't want it falling to pieces in my hands.
Thanks
Keith

[Elliott_Mcleod]

Mike, looks like there are several on eBay motors.  Do your search with just Glendinning,  Additionally you might check with PPl motors.

[Joel Ashley]

Mike-
Just ask Glendinning via an email:  sales@glendinningprods.com

[Michael Kauffman]

Mike
In the last few days I have run across several stories of this problem.  Gets me to thinking I should check our reel and cord.
Could you elaborate a bit on the disassembly process and what to watch out for?  I intend to remove and resurface if possible but don't want it falling to pieces in my hands.
Thanks
Keith

Hi Keith, it's pretty staight forward.  Just a bunch of little screws.  I'm not sure if this caddy came OEM on the coach.  It was a "Cord Caddy".  Once you get into the right side, you can see the brush holder assm.  Just take out the screws and it lifts off.  Then you have access the both the brushes and the rings.

Good Luck, Mike

[220]

TO JOHN AND JUDY GARDNER:  Where did you locate the hand crank cable rewinder?  What is the name of it?  Was it installed in the area where the original cable went into the coach?  :-/

[John and Judy Gardner]

M Canales, I had the manual power cord crank installed while at Eugene last year, a couple of Beaver Techs that were laid off started a mobile RV repair. He came to the Premier Campground across from the Beaver Facility. It is located in the same bay as the orginal cable, he needed to beef up the under side of the bay and move the cable access port. Here is a web site of the crank that is installed in my unit:

http://www.rvupgradestore.com/detail_CC50H01__104.html

Hope this helps.