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The 30 Amp Plug on My RV Melted

by Margitt Conklin
(Chester, NJ)

Camco 30-Amp Power Grip Plug

Hi,

Thank you in advance for your help, we have a 2013 Fleetwood Jamboree 31M that we have had out several times and never had a problem with but last weekend was the first time we needed our air conditioning on all of the time due to the 90 plus degree temp and humidity.

We were at a campground that we have visited before and even used the same campsite 2 weeks prior without this problem. We were hooked up to the 30 amp power at the campsite and when we unplugged we noticed that the plug prongs were discolored and the plastic melted around them from the RV plug casing (no extension cords used).

Was this caused by the air conditioner running all weekend? My husband asked me if I had used my blow dryer or microwave along with the A/C being on and I did use the microwave for 5 minutes the night we arrived.

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We noticed no electrical problems in the house during that weekend or after we got home and plugged in.

ANSWER: Hi Margitt thanks for submitting your question on our Ask An RV Question Page.

First you will be happy to know that nothing you did caused the 30 Amp plug on your RV to melt. Your RV is a 30 Amp RV and by design you should be able to run your built in accessories such as the Air conditioner, Microwave, TV, etc. at the same time. The most common causes of a melted RV plug are:

Low Voltage: If there is low voltage at the Shore Power connection at the RV park and the demand becomes too high it can produce enough excessive heat to actually melt down the

plug. If the voltage becomes really low it can damage your RV's appliances. It is not uncommon to have low voltage issues at RV Parks.

Using a Plug In AC Voltage Monitor in your RV will let you know right after you plug in at a campground whether you have a high or low voltage problem in the Shore Power connection you are plugged into.

Corroded or Loose Connections in the RV plug or shore power receptacle: These corroded or loose connections can cause electrical arcing which can produce excessive heat causing damage to the plug as well as the power cord itself.

If your 30 Amp plug is damaged you should get a Replacement 30 Amp Plug such as the Camco 30-Amp Power Grip Plug pictured at the top of this page. The second picture at the top of this page shows how simple this plug is to wire. When you are replacing the plug make sure that you inspect the wiring in the cord itself to make sure there was no damage.

I hope this helps.

Do you have any suggestions or comments on this topic? You can add them to this page by clicking on the "Click Here To Post Comments" link located near the bottom of this page.

Happy RVing

RVing Al

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Comments for The 30 Amp Plug on My RV Melted

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Same problem, different day
by: Geo Graphy

We have had the same problem. The power cable on our 1997 motor coach is hard-wired into the transfer switch. The plug spades were carbonized and even though I used an abrasive to clean them, the plug still got hot and the spades blackened again. I thought it was the plug and replaced it with one of the Camco units pictured above. It was great until the weather got hot and we ran an AC round the clock. The plastic melted, the wire insulation burned, and the wire on one spade burned off.

I think this is not a problem with the Camco plug. The contacts in the 30 amp receptacle could be the problem. If they are carbonized/blackened then there is a voltage drop across the junction of the spade and the receptacle. If the drop is large enough, there will be a lot of heat created in a very small space and things will melt.

There is no practical way for most RVers to clean the connectors inside of the receptacle. Contact cleaner is for corrosion or dirt. The contacts in the receptacle are burned, not just dirty. Your best bet is to monitor the voltage before you use equipment that draws high levels of current.

Rating

RV Plug Question
by: Anonymous

So if u have noticed that the RV plug has melted, will that affect the operation of the slides. And inevitably the plug will have to be replaced?

Rating

Similar Problem, but with 50 amp service
by: Anonymous

Hello,
My wife and I are a couple of crazies that decided to winter camp in Northern Michigan this year. We have been having a LOT of power issues. We dropped from 240 to 120...then nothing at all. We had a technician come out and test everything. Turns out the plug into our unit was loose and he simply twisted it and boom...back in business. The threaded ring on the cord was broke and so the plug was not tightly secured to the outlet.

Yesterday morning we lost all power. I checked the plug and the red wire connector was completely fried on the cord. I removed the outlet to find the housing for the outlet broken into pieces and the wires corroded. I replaced the outlet and the cord this morning and all is well so far.

Is it possible that all the electrical issues we have been having stem from our outlet being faulty? We have been running a lot of electric heaters and pulling a lot of power. When I replaced the outlet I filed down all the wires to get rid of the oxidization. (I'm guessing green copper wires is not a good thing?) Any thoughts?

Rating

30 amp plug end melts
by: Don

I read the info RVing Al put on regarding a 30 amp plug end melting do to rv parks low voltage rather than running too many appliances at the same time. I am wondering how this plays on our 2001 fleetwood discovery. It is a 30 amp, we have two roof ac units that I believe pull 12.5 amps. We have melted atleast 4 plug ends in the last 3.5 years. The last one was pulged into a $300 protecter, melted it also. At the time the error code on the protector was 0. In our coach from the factory there is a switch that has to be switched from the hot water tank to the microwave so one can’t pull too many amps. When both ac are running my question is what happens when the hot water tank comes on or the microwave. Saying all that it seems if there were a problem it would pop a circuit no melt a cord. Any suggestions?

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