Smart Plug Conversion?

[rideadeuce]

26 minutes ago, JCampbell said:

@rideadeuce, are the mounting holes the same?  was the hole for the unit sufficient in size?  any modifications needed or was it a clean swap?  Thanks in advance.

 

Mounting holes are the same. Easy peasy. Use a little Dawn to lubricate the power cord to get it through the rubber reinforcement entering the orange housing. That was the hardest part. 
 

[Galileo]

We installed a SmartPlug on our ‘92 Catalina 30 sailboat years ago and never looked back. Installation was dead easy and there’s no issue with the flimsy and hard to thread plastic lock ring as there is on the 30 amp twist lock.

From my reading - primarily on marine forums - the so-called 30 amp twist lock plugs used on many sailboats - and our Oliver - is just -barely- capable of handling 30 amps. That assumes clean, tight, good condition contacts. Wear and tear, dirt, corrosion, damage, overheating will degrade the current carrying ability. Sailboats occasionally “burn to the waterline” - and the cause is often overheated “shore power” connections.

I was actually a little surprised to find the Oliver had a detachable power cable. Our previous three motor homes (all 70’s-80’s vintage) had cables that pulled out of a port - but were permanently connected at the vehicle end. The only time that this arrangement has been a serendipitous advantage is when we camp out at our marina - where all of the power outlets are twist-locks. We used a shore power cable from our boat to hook up the Oliver. Without that marine cable - we’d have been out of luck.

IMHO - the twist lock connection on the side of the trailer is a nuisance. That silly plastic lock ring takes several tries to get started properly because of the interrupted thread, and I’m sure that my other half has cross-threaded it a few times. It’s rare to see a boat with the lock ring still intact. They crack off.

Movement of a boat vs a trailer shouldn’t be an issue. Good practice dictates securing the cable away from the connection to make sure the outlet and plug don’t take the strain. 

Anyway - just look at the contacts on a SmartPlug. They’re much more substantial than the flimsy contacts the twist lock uses. Wider, thicker, more rigid. 

As for being able to find spares while camping - I don’t see that being an issue. The only way it’s going to fail without warning is if you drive off without disconnecting and shear it off on a post or some equivalent mechanical event. 
 

I haven’t upgraded the shore power connector on the Oliver to SmartPlug - but it’s on the list. I may just install a second power connector - probably up on the nose by the tongue - and leave the old one there. Best of both worlds.

 

[Gliddenwoods]

On 6/26/2024 at 9:07 AM, rideadeuce said:

Mounting holes are the same. Easy peasy. Use a little Dawn to lubricate the power cord to get it through the rubber reinforcement entering the orange housing. That was the hardest part. 

SmartPlug...where did you purchase the kit from? Any install advice in addition to that the holes match and the use of Dawn lubicate?

[ScubaRx]

On 12/31/2023 at 3:05 PM, ScubaRx said:

I took the time and read up on the 'Smart' Plug. I didn't find any evidence that the Smart Plug is a better product than the power receptacle that was supplied when the Oliver was delivered. But, wanting to give it the benefit of the doubt and in the interest of sharing accurate and reliable product information, I offer the following information:

From their website, under the heading About Smart Plug:

Our vision...

Smart Plug Systems is a privately held manufacturing firm specializing in power delivery systems. It was founded in 2007 and is located in Seattle, WA. Its flagship product, the SmartPlug, is a patented device positioned to replace the current power delivery system for RV’s, Boats, and a variety of specialty vehicles and miscellaneous industrial applications.

Every corporation has to have a Vision Statement, Right?

Designed to be versatile

Developing and providing innovative world-class solutions that make power delivery safer, more secure, and easier to use. Continuing our aggressive growth strategy and expanding far beyond the domestic recreational power delivery market to industries and geographic locations that can leverage our technology.

We’re just getting started

Establishing strategic partnerships and building long-term relationships with our suppliers, customers and the consumer. Sustaining a preferred work environment that will create positive share-holder value while maintaining a high level of innovation, quality, and customer service.

This nothing but corporate techno-babble and tells us nothing about the Smart Plug. Here is additional BS from their website...

Contrary to popular belief, the #1 cause of shore power failure and fires is not electrical shorting, but rather overheating caused by poor electrical conductivity.

This is very true...but, on our Oliver’s, not for the reasons stated below

How does this happen? The problems with many plug designs are that the shape of electrical pins allow for very little contact area, and the pins themselves are also largely responsible for bearing any physical stress placed on the cord (from constant movement of the boat, someone tripping on the cord, etc…)

This is partly correct. There is plenty of surface contact area on the standard Oliver supplied power cord. Last I checked these are NOT boats moving around while attached to shore power.

This results in the pins working loose, further lessening the precious little contact area they had to begin with. Furthermore, such loose connections allow for moisture intrusion and ultimately corrosion of the pins.

This does Not apply in our situations.

Arcing occurs and the connection heats up, scorches, and in some cases, catches fire. Because the current draw is unchanged, all of this happens long before a breaker or a GFCI can cut the power. Additionally, the old design can be very difficult to use in low light or hard-to-reach scenarios since the “L” shaped pin must first be located and then oriented before connection.

The actual #1 cause of shore power failure and fires is not electrical shorting, but rather overheating caused by poor electrical conductivity, not from the pins in the connectors but from the screw connections between the pins and the supply wires not being tight. This has been the source of the problem in every overheating situation I’ve seen or heard about concerning Our Oliver's.

Then I decided to go right to one of the vendor’s that supply this product for their say in the matter. In about an hour long chat session, this was revealed...

Ashley: Hi! Can we answer a question for you? If not, feel free to close out this box.

Steve: I am curious about your Smart Plug product. I am familiar with the plethora of other "smart" products like smart phones, thermostats that can be adjusted via an app on my phone, Alexa etc. What is it about this product that makes it Smart?

'SMART' OBJECTS

Ashley: Hi Steve!
Let me get you some information for you

Ashley: There really is no "Smart" Feature as you are thinking about, but here is the description: SmartPlug is the highest quality electrical plug in the RV industry. This is the ultimate solution to replacing your standard twist plug, and it completely eliminates typical heat issues due to poor electrical contact. The standard twist plug that comes on many RVs has problems with electrical transfer because of minimal contact from the plug to the inlet. The SmartPlug has 27 times more contact and this makes for efficient electrical transfer and drastically reduces the heat on the plug. If you have a standard twist plug on your RV then you need to get that changed to the Smart Plug today!

Steve: What is the amount of surface area that is contained in the Smart Plug in square inches? I'm confused about how their contacts are 27x larger than normal.

Ashley: Let me see if I can find you a video
I am going to post a link below to one of our Installation videos. Let me know if it helps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTkd_nMW-sw

Steve : Let me take a quick look at the video. I have other questions.

Ashley: Ok, sure

Steve: This appears to be nothing more than an installation video. Can you tell me more about the claim that this product has 27x the surface contact area of other plugs. How was that determined. For instance, if a standard RV plug has say 2 square inches of surface area spread between the contact legs then your claim would be that your plug has 54 square inches. How is this possible?

Ashley: I am not exactly sure why the manufacture claims that. I am trying to find some more information on it.

Steve: OK, Thanks...

Ashley: "27x more electrical contact than the old twist type connector" This is all I can find; I am unable to get an exact explanation.

Steve: Thank you for all your help Ashley. But can we agree that this plug is really no better or worse than a standard plug and there is no way to cram in 54 square inches of contact surface area? Yes, No?

Ashley: Apparently, they are claiming that is 27x more that the "Old Twist Plug" According to your logic, no it does not make sense. However, I couldn't find enough of an explanation to really say one way or the other what exactly they are comparing it to.

Steve: Ashley, I want to apologize to you for putting you on the spot like this. I realize that you could not possibly know all the technical details of the products your company sells. I just could not find this information published anywhere, and I wanted to see if there was information I was missing. I'm sorry. You're a good sport.

Ashley: Absolutely! No need to apologize, I couldn't find it either and you brought up a very good point. It is extremely vague about what they are comparing it to. I would like to think I know enough about what we sell but sometimes, unfortunately, I met my match. Is there anything else I can help you with today?

Steve: No, we’re good.

Ashley: Ok! Have a good day!

I didn't find any evidence that this is a better product than the power receptacle that was supplied when the Oliver was delivered. If any of you want to change your plugs out, go ahead. Or, you could just make sure the screws are tight instead.

For those that haven’t read the entire thread, I still stand behind what my research showed in September of 2023.

[ScubaRx]

On 2/22/2025 at 10:17 PM, Galileo said:

…I haven’t upgraded the shore power connector on the Oliver to SmartPlug - but it’s on the list. I may just install a second power connector - probably up on the nose by the tongue - and leave the old one there. Best of both worlds.

 

IF you decide to install a second connector, best practices would be to install a transfer switch between the two and reroute the output through the EMS. Otherwise, there would be no protection from electrical problems while using the front connection. An additional benefit would be that you could then use the front connection as a generator hookup. 

[Galileo]

2 hours ago, ScubaRx said:

IF you decide to install a second connector, best practices would be to install a transfer switch between the two and reroute the output through the EMS. Otherwise, there would be no protection from electrical problems while using the front connection. An additional benefit would be that you could then use the front connection as a generator hookup. 

Thanks ScubaRX,

    The thought behind a second connection up front was to use a generator. I’ll have to dig deeper into the “transfer switch” as that’s something I’m not up to speed on as of yet.
 

When you say “electrical problems” do you just mean the monitoring and control the existing power monitor does?

Guessing the transfer switch is to ensure someone poking their fingers into power connector 2 while power connector 1 was in use didn’t get a shocking surprise?

[ScubaRx]

25 minutes ago, Galileo said:

Thanks ScubaRX,

    The thought behind a second connection up front was to use a generator. I’ll have to dig deeper into the “transfer switch” as that’s something I’m not up to speed on as of yet.

This is the one you will need...Progressive Dynamics Transfer Switch w/ Quick Flip Connectors - 30A - 120V AC Part Number: PD5110010Q

When you say “electrical problems” do you just mean the monitoring and control the existing power monitor does?

Yes

Guessing the transfer switch is to ensure someone poking their fingers into power connector 2 while power connector 1 was in use didn’t get a shocking surprise?

That's correct, but actually it's much more than that. An RV transfer switch allows switching its power between a generator or an external power source, such as a campground power post, without accidentally connecting those two power sources to each other. It is also used to seamlessly switch between different power sources like shore power (campsite electricity) and a generator, ensuring your RV always has electricity without risking back feeding into the grid and possibly killing a lineman working to restore power to a line he thought was dead. It will prevent damage to the RV's electrical system by allowing only one power source to be active at a time. It will also provide a delay to let the generator reach operating speed before powering the RV appliances; essentially, it manages the power flow to prevent electrical issues and maintain a consistent power supply when switching between sources. If you plug a generator into the trailer, you will have to have a neutral/ground bonding plug which is very easy and inexpensive to make yourself.

 

 

Edited Monday at 11:23 PM by ScubaRx

[Galileo]

Thanks ScubaRx!

Makes sense. When I was musing about adding solar to our cabin, I learned all about making sure you don’t fry a lineman - or - have two sources trying to feed the same load. 
 

Right now, I do all of the above manually. Then again, with just one power connector, it’s pretty hard to mess up.

Yeah - I discovered grounding plugs for my generator as well. Also discovered that the power monitor does not care for older, 2-wire service!

[Galileo]

BTW - I found this to be a pretty convincing test and endorsement of the SmartPlug from a marine electrician.

 

https://marinehowto.com/shore-power-cords-smartplug-vs-1938/
 

Also - folks that have been around a while and remember when cars had real chrome bumpers, mirrors, and door handles will likely remember that not just boats are subject to corrosion from sea air. Just finished a circuit through the whole of Florida (it was cold…) and I saw some campground toilet and urinal flush valves that had pretty much every bit of the chrome eaten away. That was a first for me, but a good indicator that RVers who hang out in coastal areas need to be aware of corrosion!

[rich.dev]

I don’t have a brick in this wall, a horse in this race or a dog in this fight, I just stumbled upon this “older” video from James of The Fit RV testing a smart plug…. so just an FYI! 

 

[CRM]

20 minutes ago, rich.dev said:

I don’t have a brick in this wall, a horse in this race or a dog in this fight, I just stumbled upon this “older” video from James of The Fit RV testing a smart plug…. so just an FYI! 

 

Interesting.. Cooler is always better, though we don't know the condition of the standard 30 amp plug he was testing against.

He was also loading at 24 amps which just happens to be the exact maximum continuous (3 hour) load rating of a 30 amp circuit. Would have been nice to see if the temps varied even further if loaded to a full 30 amps for the hour test.