120V inlet location/brand

[Matlock]

I'm ready to install a shore power 120V inlet receptacle and have a couple questions;

Some say locate the inlet on the driver's side because that's where most factory RV's have them and RV parks are set-up to accommodate. Note: At some point I'll be adding house batteries and want them on the passenger side to keep things balanced.

I can drill a hole anywhere but would rather locate all the electrical on the passenger side of the box. It's not that big of a deal to run a 120V line across the floor or under the box through the frame. It just seems like a lot of trouble for little gain. It's a 10' x 6' x 6' box with 139" wheel base. An extra 25' 30A power cord would be easier.

Also, which 30A/120V power inlet would you recommend and where to buy; Hubbell and Marinco brands are available on ebay. I'm also considering a surge guard either plug-in or hard wired.

Your thought's please....

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Also, which 30A/120V power inlet would you recommend and where to buy; Hubbell and Marinco brands are available on ebay. I'm also considering a surge guard either plug-in or hard wired.

Your thought's please....

Hubbell is an industrial supplier, Marinco SPECIALIZES in the boating world,  this would lead me to suspect that they might pay extra attention to waterproofing/weatherproofing their stuff.

Marinco's RV line is called ParkPower, and I believe you could get that at Amazon, using our host's Amazon link.

I would ALWAYS hard wire something like surge guard.  I'm not a particularly trusting individual. 

Regards
John

 

[LoupGarou]

Mount the plug on the drivers side. It's out of the way. You won't be tripping over it as you enter and exit the van.
For shore power input, I'd go with a Smart Plug.

 

[SternWake]

I used a quality 12 awg extension cord and just mounted the Male end so it protrudes out below my drivers side headlight, but behind the grille.  i cut a little portion out of the grille and installed a hinge on it, So I just lift the hinged portion, and plug my extension cord into it.  This position allows me to mostly hide the fact that the Van is plugged in to a casual observer.  Also, If I forget to remove it and back out of my spot, the extension cord just falls to the ground.


I use a  protected power strip to distribute 120Vac.  It is mounted next to my inverters so I just move the plugs from power strip to inverter or back depending.

 

[MikeRuth]

If you go with a plug I second the smart plug. The quality of the connection is far superior to the typical design that has been around for years.

 

[Matlock]

I would ALWAYS hard wire something like surge guard.  I'm not a particularly trusting individual.  Optimistic Paranoid
John

Thank's John, I appreciate where your coming from.

For shore power input, I'd go with a Smart Plug. LoupGarou
If you go with a plug I second the smart plug. MikeRuth

I somehow missed seeing the Smart Plug. Sounds like a winner for me. Thank you all for your input.