Electric Adapters

Wayne McCown · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 11:55 am Post subject: Electric Adapters

Where can one buy marine adapters?

I have a fifth wheel trailer with 50 amp service, and carry adapters from 50 to 30 amp, and 30 amp to 20/15 amp service. Such "standard" adapters are readily available (at places like Camping World) and can be had for a few dollars.

What I need for use with the C-Dory is a Marine male plug with a standard female outlet. Most of the marine receptacles I have seen require a 30 amp three "spade" prong male plug with a "twist lock" feature. I would like to find such a plug that comes out the female side with either a standard 30 amp configuration or adapts down to a standard 20/15 amp configuration.

I simply want to lead an extension cord to the cockpit to plug in simple things like a fan, cooler, or coffeepot.

Thanks for your help!

Larry H · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 1:03 pm Post subject:

Wayne,

Most any marine store should carry the adapters. Try West Marine or Defender Industries. Both are online.

If you can do the wiring, you can get the 30 amp plug, a couple of feet of #12 3 conductor wire and a 15 amp connector(female end) and make up your own adapter. Any Home Depot type store should have the parts.

A third choice would be to buy an extension cord (heavy duty, #12 wire) and replace the 15 amp plug with a 30 amp twistlock plug.

katkt · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:17 pm Post subject:

I bought an adapter at West Marine that allows me to use a regular extention cord to plug into the shore power plug on the boat. Is this what you want to do?
Its 1 piece. It plugs into the boat shore power recepticle, and the extension cord from the garage(or where ever)plugs into the other end. Its about 5 inches long, and I think is made by Marinco. Bright yellow.

Pat Anderson · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:30 pm Post subject:

This is far and away the most economical choice...if you have the extension cord, you will find the 30 amp twistlock plug is about $20 - you will be SHOCKED (or maybe not!) at what the marine stores want for this little adapter - as I recall, it comes in at $50+...

katkt · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 4:52 pm Post subject:

I went and looked at the WM web site. $74.00. I was shocked. Very Happy

I could swear I paid less than $40.00 when I purchased mine.

Heres a pic.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product/10001/-1/10001/8116/10001/311/310/9

I started out the female plug route at Home Depot. They don't like returns on electrical stuff.
The first one I bought, I looked at the picture on the display, and not in the box.....you guessed, it wrong one(it even had an extra hole). Had I looked at the box I'd of realized it was in the wrong bin. Duh.
The second one looked right in the store but by the time I got home, it had magically transformed into one, that although it was 30 amp the prongs were not the same. Duh.
I'm think'n there's probably only 3 or 4, 30 amp twist lock configurations, be sure and get the right one.

So anyway .........I'm in WM, and I ask this guy there about it. He says sure get this. Now remember, I'm down close to $60.00 in female plugs that I'll never use when he showed me this. There was a brief show of emotion(maybe his Mom and girlfriend are the only other people who ever kissed him). I own one of these now, but I could swear I paid less than $74.00. Maybe not??

Gordon

Sea Wolf · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 5:41 pm Post subject:

WM on line catalogue "Only $73.99 USD" Disgust

DIY:

1. Buy the correct recepticles and a foot of 12/3 cable at the hardware store or Home Depot, etc.

2. Look in the WM catalog (p.546 for '06) to get the correct wiring for each plug (white, green, black) and wire it up!

3. Do the math: $74 minus about $30 = $44 for an hour of your time.

4. Beer

Joe.

C-Hawk · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 5:42 pm Post subject:

I don't have the shore power, just the battery charger. I have the marine cord with the twist plug for the dock and the house plug for the boat. I also have a Y connector and an extension cord with four outlets. I plug the Y in the boat and the extension cord, then plug that in to the marine cord. The extension cord brings power in to the cabin to power the refridgerator when plugged in to AC power. Also powers the 'puter and cell phone chargers.

katkt · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 6:00 pm Post subject:

Boaters World is showing the exact same plug for $39.95.

Da Nag · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 6:04 pm Post subject:

rogerbum · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 10:30 pm Post subject:

If your "shocked" by the price of the Marinco 30AMP female to 15A male adapter, take a look at the price to adapt a 30A F to the 50A Male
H20 Resistant, 50A/125V Male/30A Female 264614 110A Only $149.99 USD!!! Bill - you got a cheap fix for this? I could really use one sometimes at Neah Bay where a lot of the slips only have 50A power.

Da Nag · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 11:46 pm Post subject:

Sea Wolf · Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:02 am Post subject:

Roger-

Good advice from Bill.

Actually, you can make any adapter you like if you get the right plugs and know how to connect the wires.

Maybe they expect, though, that if you're parked in the 50-Amp Zone, you should have a 50-Amp Boat along with a 50-Amp Cord and a 50--Amp Wallet (?!?!) Smile

Joe.

rogerbum · Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:45 am Post subject:

Since I already have a 30A-15A adapter, I'm thinking about just getting the 50A male plug and wiring a heavy duty 15A F end from extension cord into it. Probably the cheapest solution.

Wayne McCown · Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 10:44 pm Post subject: Thanks: solution(s) found!

Thanks to all for your suggestions. Here's the solution(s) I came up with....

Camping World has "an RV generator" adapter. It has a 30 amp male twist lock end, and a standard 30 amp female end. Cost: $20.95. (An adapter which converts standard 30 amp down to standard 20/15 amp can be had at CW for a mere $2.77!)

Then at Home Depot, I found a 12/3 6" pigtail designed for "professional contractors." It has a 15 amp twist lock male end and standard 15 amp female outlet. For $7.77, I decided it was worth buying too!

So I think I'm set (assuming that 50 amp only situations are rare!) Both adaptors are small, and take up very little room to keep onboard.

teflonmom · Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2006 1:17 pm Post subject: Electric adapters

We have a collection of expensive adapters from owning several boats over the years. Now we think we have the best with our C-Dory. It came equipted with 30 amp shorepower and a battery charger.we have one double 15 amp outlet. With only small loads possiable - heater-toaster- fan we now store the heavy 30amp cable and carry a heavy duty 75 foot extension cord ond use two adapters we purchased at a marine store. Both are solid. No wire pigtales. The cost less than $30. each and take up little room. The 75 foot cable has helped us many times to reach an open power supply. Having standard 15 amp ends allowes us to plug in to many places with out a formal power pole.

Fred and Pat Messerly