Smart Plug Conversion?

[Ollie-Haus]

When I saw the title, I was expecting a different subject matter, that of upgraded 115v receptacles with smart features. I'm not sure what smart features would be useful on our Olivers, but I have considered changing out a few of the 115v receptacles for the type that have the built in USB receptacles. To me this would be well worth the upcharge from the factory. Regarding the actual topic of the thread, I knew of these from our boating days and hadn't even considered it then, let alone now with the Oliver. 

[jd1923]

I must resurrect this subject and thank you @Gliddenwoods for bringing this to my attention. Like I posted earlier, in the short 7 months we've owned our older EII, I likely plugged her in 2-3 times, as she sits daily batteries charged full by solar.

Connected to our home shore power last night, after our return from a short camp, batteries being down to 67% and being unusually cloudy here lately. I had trouble getting the threads on straight and after putting light on the subject, I noticed the threaded plastic part was cracked, and then a chunk fell out! I believe the front streetside of our Oliver has seen quite a bit of AZ sun through the years.

I now find myself in the position to replace the 30A inlet. SmartPlug is comparable in price the OEM Furrion brand. eTrailer sells the Furrion SS replacement inlet for $147 and the Smartplug SS inlet for $160. I understand being little to no need to replace a working 30A inlet, but I now must purchase a replacement. Actually, I would have to spend $269 for a full replacement set, the inlet and the matching power cord male end. Should I spend $122 additional to switch brands? I will say beyond all the marketing hype, some of which is plausible, there is one key feature that separates these brands. SmartPlug is "Made in USA" and Furrion is not! Most likely China made; "country of origin" not listed on eTrailer.

The other thing is I don't believe mine every "twist-lock"ed into place. The screw ring held it in place and the copper on the receptacle looked old and somewhat bent, the plug side dirt in the openings, copper dull. The TT is over 7 years old. Buying a new inlet and plug set would make everything new at the Oliver end and the shore power plug is easy to wire brush like new.

I have not yet measured and checked the specs, but if the 4 mounting screws are of the same pattern, I may switch brands at this time. I have said 100 times and made 1000s of purchases paying double for Made-in-USA brands, so for me (and my soul) another $122 is worth it. I have found regardless of marketing promises that these 3 little words 99% of the time mean a far superior product when available. We are not towing a foreign made TT! This alone makes SmartPlug the better choice. Knowing this, what would you do if you had to replace yours?

My next dilemma is I can purchase the replacement set on eBay for only $200. But I should likely go with eTrailer, spend the difference in fear of receiving a China manufactured knockoff on eBay! 🤣

[topgun2]

Any idea of why the twist lock on your current Furrion isn't working?

While the hype on THIS contact cleaner isn't entirely correct, it does help.  The cleaner and an old tooth brush gets the job done - especially in those hard to reach places.

Since you have said that you don't really plug into shore power very much, I'd give strong consideration to cleaning up what you have - at least if you can correct that twist lock.

My plastic ring "broke" (actually I broke it in yet another fit of stupidity 🤪) several years ago and I've not had any problems living without that ring.

Good luck!

Bill

[Gliddenwoods]

JD1923.  This project is still on my "to-do-list". I still admire the product on my neighbor's Airstream and plan to upgrade my Oliver. Good luck with your project and keep us updated on how things go.

Thanks.

[mossemi]

I sat through a RV Electricity presentation by Mike Sokol at the 2024 Florida Super Show last Wednesday.  He recommended the Smart Plug and gave it a very positive review.

Mossey 

[jd1923]

13 hours ago, topgun2 said:

Any idea of why the twist lock on your current Furrion isn't working? ... Bill

I went back out to the Oliver today, first to disconnect shore power (I trust the solar charger more so for charge maintenance), and to measure the 30A receptacle mount (2 1/2" square, 3 1/2" diagonally).

Then I did check the twist lock and IT DOES WORK. Before I was not thinking twist-lock (Duh) and just pushed the plug in and screwed the large plastic retaining nut.

Given it connects when needed, and I seldomly use it, for $269 +tax for the SmartPlug kit I will likely take my time with this repair. I may check with Furrion parts, but the ring alone is likely not available. Thanks Bill, good question!

[MAX Burner]

So, everyone's camping style is slightly different depending upon their needs, wants, and desires - that's been discussed here regularly and it's a good thing, IMO, to recognize that we all have different ways to "roll."  Right?

Regarding the shore power cable...  It's rare that we use the cable (or the Honda GENSET, for that matter) anymore.  They both live in the bowels of our TV.  We're happy with just letting the 540Watts of solar modules ramp up the BBs... We rarely find ourselves in a "pay for hookups" campsite, unless it's necessary for a particular route to get to a boon docking site.  But hey, if it's WOXOF out there, we'll definitely dig out and use the cable/GENSET to top off the bank, if needed.  Both items are considered backups at this point.  

One is none, 2 is one.  

HA!

Cheers!

[Jason Foster]

4 hours ago, MAX Burner said:

So, everyone's camping style is slightly different depending upon their needs, wants, and desires - that's been discussed here regularly and it's a good thing, IMO, to recognize that we all have different ways to "roll."  Right?

Regarding the shore power cable...  It's rare that we use the cable (or the Honda GENSET, for that matter) anymore.  They both live in the bowels of our TV.  We're happy with just letting the 540Watts of solar modules ramp up the BBs... We rarely find ourselves in a "pay for hookups" campsite, unless it's necessary for a particular route to get to a boon docking site.  But hey, if it's WOXOF out there, we'll definitely dig out and use the cable/GENSET to top off the bank, if needed.  Both items are considered backups at this point.  

One is none, 2 is one.  

HA!

Cheers!

I don't have issue with anyone's particular camping style, as long as it doesn't bother others (referring to loud, obnoxious and bright during the night people).  Personally, I love being outdoors most of the time.  However, I'm not a big fan of heat and humidity and I sweat a lot during the summer.  A/C is a must in the southern latitudes, especially at night because I don't particularly sleep well on wet sheets.  If I could chase mild climates during the year, I would, leaning more towards colder regions.  In Spring, Fall and southern Winters, I will gladly park my rear in a free location and just use the batteries.  This is the ideal situation.  

The Oliver is the first camper I have ever had that contained batteries with enough capacity to boondock effectively.  The option I chose when I bought the trailer was 390 ah and 400 watts solar.  I believe that if I don't use the A/C, watch TV all night long or run the microwave/convection oven, I will likely never run out of power.  Of course, if the weather doesn't cooperate, and the solar panels don't get the optimal amount of sunlight, I will either have to cut back on power output or break out the Cummins generator.  Most of the time, I would consider this the backup plan.  For this reason, the power cable isn't all that important to me.  I suppose I would change my mind if I owned an Airstream with one battery mounted on the front.  Those things are dependent on external power sources unless someone refitted them with a much larger battery bank and solar.  This is also one of the other reasons I went with Oliver over the Airstream.  I don't want to be dependent upon someone else's power.

[Steph and Dud B]

On 1/20/2024 at 11:05 PM, jd1923 said:

I don't believe mine every "twist-lock"ed into place.

The cord that came with our Oliver at delivery was defective and wouldn't twist lock. OTT replaced it before we left. 

[MAX Burner]

8 hours ago, Jason Foster said:

I suppose I would change my mind if I owned an Airstream with one battery mounted on the front.  Those things are dependent on external power sources unless someone refitted them with a much larger battery bank and solar.  This is also one of the other reasons I went with Oliver over the Airstream.  I don't want to be dependent upon someone else's power.

Right on, brother.  We've come a long way from starting with a '78 VW "Westie" which had a single lead-acid battery and shore power provided by a standard 20A extension cord - no GENSET.  Progressed to a 12' pop-up tent trailer/lead-acid/but after adding a Honda 1000 we thought we were in RV Heaven (kick myself every time I think about selling that Eu-1000i)!  Two highly modified AS's and a Casita later, we landed in our Casa Blanca, now with an Eu-2000i.  We configured the AS's with two AGMs and 250W worth of solar modules - but not enough energy to boon dock for extended periods without firing up the Honda.

After just completed a solid 2-week trip to AZ, neither the OTT power cable or the Honda saw the light of day.  Granted, mild WX conditions contributed to that.  But it's a wonderful feeling not relying on someone else's power.  Our thoughts are now (in terms of upgrades), is much like @mossemi explains... wait until the Xantrax 2000 dies and move into a Victron Multi 3000 inverter/charger.  At that point, we'd be able to run the Dometic AC unit off the Battle Borns for a few hours.  Looking forward to integrating a Victron inverter/charger with our Cerbo S GX unit.

Then there's always a Nomadic 12vDC AC unit on the horizon....  HA!

Cheers!

[Geronimo John]

On 1/29/2024 at 3:44 AM, MAX Burner said:

wait until the Xantrax 2000 dies and move into a Victron Multi 3000 inverter/charger

All:

I do really like the tech specs on that unit.  Especially the Victron quality and the "power assist" feature.  I am sort of concerned about having all my power eggs in one basket though.  But with a Victron, I could get over this concern I suspect.

The one road block that I have not solved is where to put the VM3000 without taking out of service existing storage space.  Places such as part of the wardrobe closet at entrance or storage between the twin beds is too valuable to sacrifice.   Likewise under the dinette table would for sure get me sleeping with the bears.  

Are there other suitable locations our "older" 2017 and 2018 Ollies that it would fit?  How much heat does it generate that we also would need to accomodate?

GJ

 

[jd1923]

Maybe this latest post should be in another link, vs. Smart Plug Conversion...

Wow 40 LBS really! You got me wanting to go out and measure my Xantrax 2000. I would want it in the same place. There certainly is depth there (ours is under the rear dinette seat, mounted against the wall towards the interior).

Can the VM3000 be mounted sideways? Personally, I'm not mounting an upgraded Inverter/Charger anywhere else!

[Geronimo John]

On 1/20/2024 at 6:05 PM, jd1923 said:

I now find myself in the position to replace the 30A inlet. SmartPlug is comparable in price the OEM Furrion brand. eTrailer sells the Furrion SS replacement inlet for $147 and the Smartplug SS inlet for $160.

Surely someone sells just the left half of this product.  That could be just a $15 investment.  

 

GJ

 

[jd1923]

Sorry @Geronimo John as this would not work. The female receptacle, screwed into the fiberglass side of the OTT has cracked/failed, threaded plastic fallen on the street! This item would only provide another male end like on our charge cords which are in decent shape. I need this OEM receptacle or an upgraded SmartPlug version.

Then realized more issues on the upgrade cost. We have another shore power receptacle at the front for a possible generator, so this would also have to be upgraded or rendered useless!

Thank you though for getting me to think about this again. I just went on eTrailer and spent $159 for the original stainless twist-lock receptacle. I would need 400 to upgrade to SmartPlug and another $200 or so to upgrade the front shore power connection. I should have this fixed next week, sorry no upgrade.

Love eTrailer! I recently bought a Timbren suspension upgrade for your TV. Over torqued the supplied U-bolt (bad design btw on this part). The eTrailer CSR called the manufacturer first thing Monday and the company sent me TWO parts received by Wednesday, installed before the weekend!

[ScubaRx]

39 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

...Thank you though for getting me to think about this again. I just went on eTrailer and spent $159 for the original stainless twist-lock receptacle. I would need 400 to upgrade to SmartPlug and another $200 or so to upgrade the front shore power connection. I should have this fixed next week, sorry no upgrade.

 

Love eTraile! I recently bought a Timbren suspension upgrade for your TV. Over torqued the supplied U-bolt (bad design btw on this part). The eTrailer CSR called the manufacturer first thing Monday and the company sent me TWO parts received by Wednesday, installed before the weekend!

 

I'm happy to hear you got good service from eTrailer. I ordered a new MaxxFan Deluxe from them a year or so ago simply because it was a few dollars cheaper than Amazon and had free shipping. When It came in and I installed it, there was a problem and it would not work. When I call eTrailer to see about an exchange, I was informed that it was now considered a warranty issue and I would have to contact and deal with MaxxAir myself as they did not do exchanges or returns on warrantied products. As The Who said in 1971, I ... 'Won't Get Fooled Again'

[jd1923]

12 hours ago, ScubaRx said:

I'm happy to hear you got good service from eTrailer. I ordered a new MaxxFan Deluxe from them a year or so ago simply because it was a few dollars cheaper than Amazon and had free shipping. When It came in and I installed it, there was a problem and it would not work. When I call eTrailer to see about an exchange, I was informed that it was now considered a warranty issue and I would have to contact and deal with MaxxAir myself as they did not do exchanges or returns on warrantied products. As The Who said in 1971, I ... 'Won't Get Fooled Again'

What a big difference! Sorry to hear they did not help you, when the CSR I got called the manufacturer for me and got replacement parts for me after I reported I had broken the u-bolt platform. I buy from Amazon when I'm thinking I might have to return the item. Returns elsewhere are more difficult. eTrailer you know the parts are legit, and they have videos and PDF manuals. Amazon not always legit parts and the worse search engine. Why can't they just return the search you entered? 

[WhatDa]

We installed a smart plug on our old Oliver when I noticed elevated heat around the plug.  It turns out the interior lugs weren’t tight.  I don’t think the smart plug solves this, but I did like what it did outside of that: we carried a “smart plug extension cord” and then had dog bones for various connectors that felt more secure and water tight than using adapters on the RV style 30a.  So we could plug into 15, 20, 30, and 50a receptacles in a way that felt better than using the various adapters on a 30a cord set.  I did carry a spare “RV end” of the cord, so if I had to make a new cord it would be a 5 minute procedure.  

 

For us - we did a lot of winter camping in the PNW, and the solar did not produce enough for us to do what we needed.

[jd1923]

Received the new Furrion outlet yesterday. It will soon be the shiniest part on our old hull. 😊 I hope the wiring connected to this is good. Minimum is 10 AWG for a 30A circuit which is likely what they used for such a short run. I'll take another pic when I have it open.

Would have liked to convert to SmartPlug, but it would be a lot of $$$ to upgrade (replace two outlets and the cord or cord end). How about that, another warning label! Love a warning label that can hardly be seen in use.

[MAX Burner]

@jd1923 - Hey, John; just curious, will you need to replace your front Furrion 30amp receptacle as well?  If so, why?  

We’ve got the same one as yours and wondering if it may fail also…

[jd1923]

16 minutes ago, MAX Burner said:

@jd1923 - Hey, John; just curious, will you need to replace your front Furrion 30amp receptacle as well?  If so, why?  

We’ve got the same one as yours and wondering if it may fail also…

No Art, our front receptacle appears just dusty inside, nice straight contacts, hardly used at all. We've never used it and I'm not lugging a generator, don't want to hear one and we keep our fire ring in the front bin. The front seal looks like it needs replacing since it is somewhat dissolving from weather, causing a black streak to run below it. Thanks for asking. I should replace (make) that seal.

Was merely mentioning, to do a full SmartPlug conversion you would need to replace both receptacles and the cord to do it right. For $158, we will have a brand-new twist-lock receptacle, everything OEM like new!

[MAX Burner]

44 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

Was merely mentioning, to do a full SmartPlug conversion you would need to replace both receptacles and the cord to do it right. For $158, we will have a brand-new twist-lock receptacle, everything OEM like new!

Got it!  Makes sense... I'd be doing the same drill in your situation.  We like OEM - a lot.

[jd1923]

Just installed the replacement Furrion shore power receptacle. It does appear to be wired with 8/3 AWG cable, the same black rubber insulated cable that I noted when installing the EMS in our Oliver.

Not that you would need any for this task, but this is the cable: 10 Feet 8/3 SOOW Cable Cord Wire - 8 Gauge 8 AWG 3 Conductor 600V Portable Power Extension Cord Cable with Ultra Flexible CPD Insulation Jacket: Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement

Replacement is truly straight-forward. They even mark the back of the unit with black, white, green circles to make wiring simple. Make sure you place the gasket and rear cover on the cable prior to wiring. I cut the wires back about 3/4" so that the connections would hold to clean copper (just enough length to do so). 

Oh cr@p, what happened to the warning labels!?! I swear there was one above the outlet and another inside the cover, wt.
WARNING - possibility of bodily harm if you somehow position a body part between this receptacle and a power source! Instead, please use the power source without involving the manufacturer's product. 
WARNING - Those who admit to reading this may be held liable!
🤣 The shiniest new part (and 2 SF) of our Oliver!

Edited March 8 by jd1923

[MAX Burner]

Nicely done, Brother!

[rideadeuce]

On 7/30/2023 at 5:45 PM, Gliddenwoods said:

Has anyone completed the conversion to a Smart Plug? Advice? Post conversion regret?

We did this about a year and  1/2 ago because we had some melted wire at the connection interface while running the AC with a 12 gauge extension cord. I like it and have had no problems since converting to it. Fairly easy install. The connection is more secure IMO and easier to connect/disconnect.

Edited March 19 by rideadeuce