Need help deciding on extension cord solution

[jeeden]

I'm trying to purchase an extension cord for traveling to destinations without high speed chargers to avoid any anxiety while there, be able to drive as much as we want locally, and perhaps avoid DC charging on return legs of the trips (Airbnb's at the beach, in-laws in interior New Hampshire).

With the super slow 120v charging rates of 2mph maybe, that isn't really a solution so it's off to a 14-30 solution to plug into a dryer outlet which just about every place has. However, I find myself in a research loop on getting a 14-50 cord or a 14-30 cord. IIn either case, I'm pretty locked onto a 50ft cord to handle the most number of parking/dryer location scenarios. The pros/cons seem to be the following:

14-50 cord
Pros
- 20 mph charge rate on 14-50 and 15 mph charge rate on 14-30
- Can use at RV parks and camprounds
- Can use on dryer outlets (I know you can buy adapters, but looks like many people just cut off the neutral pin which is 110 that EVs don't use and then you can plug it into the 14-30, 14-50, and 14-60 without an adapter)

Cons
- more expensive
- super heavy 6 gauge cord

14-30 cord
Pros
- A lot lighter to lug around
- Quite a bit cheaper
- No mod or adapter needed (not a big pro)

Cons
- 15 mph charge rate only on 14-30 outlet
- No use anywhere there isn't a dryer (like RV parks and campgrounds)


If the weight and expense of the cord wasn't such a big delta I would be in for the 14-50, but I'm tempted to stick with the 14-30 unless someone can spot something I'm missing. Thoughts?

Thanks!

Sponsored

 

[Dark-Fx]

I carry a full gamut of common NEMA adapters, but we typically end up places where a TT-30 is the highest output available. Unfortunately that means a specialty setup since it's only 120V. Rivian will charge at 48A on 120V if your EVSE supports it. The stock portable EVSE will work with an EV specific TT-30 to 14-50 adapter, but you have to remember to adjust the amperage in the truck down to 24A every time. Same with a 14-30 to 14-50 adapter though.

I have a 40' J1772 adapter we bring with us and that has covered a lot of situations where a charger is ICED (like at a hotel, etc)

 

[jeeden]

I carry a full gamut of common NEMA adapters, but we typically end up places where a TT-30 is the highest output available. Unfortunately that means a specialty setup since it's only 120V. Rivian will charge at 48A on 120V if your EVSE supports it. The stock portable EVSE will work with an EV specific TT-30 to 14-50 adapter, but you have to remember to adjust the amperage in the truck down to 24A every time. Same with a 14-30 to 14-50 adapter though.

I have a 40' J1772 adapter we bring with us and that has covered a lot of situations where a charger is ICED (like at a hotel, etc)

Yea, I figured I could just put a big tag on the cord to remind myself and/or the wife to drop it to 24A for safety. I think I'm leaning towards the dryer cord. Of course if I do that I will wind up seeing nothing but 14-50 outlets everywhere! haha

 

[camaroz1985]

I carry a full gamut of common NEMA adapters, but we typically end up places where a TT-30 is the highest output available. Unfortunately that means a specialty setup since it's only 120V. Rivian will charge at 48A on 120V if your EVSE supports it. The stock portable EVSE will work with an EV specific TT-30 to 14-50 adapter, but you have to remember to adjust the amperage in the truck down to 24A every time. Same with a 14-30 to 14-50 adapter though.

I have a 40' J1772 adapter we bring with us and that has covered a lot of situations where a charger is ICED (like at a hotel, etc)

I have a tote of adapters (14-30, 10-30, TT-30, 6-50, and 10-50), 14-50 extension cord, and J1772 extension cord that I take when we go on a trip to an unknown charging area. Also always carry the OE EVSE and Lectron J1772 to Tesla adapter. Doesn't take up much room and I think (key word) will have us covered for any situation.

 

[Killer95Stang]

That 50' cord will probably weight 50 pounds... and at 6 gauge it is not exactly flexible in a tight loop. I'd stick with a 25 ft cord with adapters. I use a 25 footer for my welder in the garage and I would not want to have to coil anything longer than that.

 

[bgoldber88]

I just went through this in my own garage because the location of the NEMA 14-50 in my garage doesnt allow the 23' cable of my chargepoint to reach all the way to the front of the truck when backed in. I originally bought a NEMA 14-50 extension cable but after many horror stories of melted plugs, overheating outlets, and so on, I decided to return it without using it. Instead, I purchased the 20' Lectron J1772 extension cable: https://ev-lectron.com/products/lectron-j1772-extension-cable . I have been very happy with this so far, and I actually really like the flexibility it offers me in situations like what you've described above. You know that they used the correct wire gauge in this extension cable, and that its going to be compatible with your mobile charger or even J1772 destination chargers on trips.

I believe they also offer a 40' version.

 

[jeeden]

I just went through this in my own garage because the location of the NEMA 14-50 in my garage doesnt allow the 23' cable of my chargepoint to reach all the way to the front of the truck when backed in. I originally bought a NEMA 14-50 extension cable but after many horror stories of melted plugs, overheating outlets, and so on, I decided to return it without using it. Instead, I purchased the 20' Lectron J1772 extension cable: https://ev-lectron.com/products/lectron-j1772-extension-cable . I have been very happy with this so far, and I actually really like the flexibility it offers me in situations like what you've described above. You know that they used the correct wire gauge in this extension cable, and that its going to be compatible with your mobile charger or even J1772 destination chargers on trips.

I believe they also offer a 40' version.

Wow, 40ft is really something. Pricey too, but looks impressive. I guess I would need to get a 14-50 to 14-30 adapter for the front side of the EVSE though to plug it into the outlet and you would still need to manually set the amps to 24 though. Seems like it would be the same amount of oversight and cheaper to do the 14-30 extension on the front end

 

[camaroz1985]

Wow, 40ft is really something. Pricey too, but looks impressive. I guess I would need to get a 14-50 to 14-30 adapter for the front side of the EVSE though to plug it into the outlet and you would still need to manually set the amps to 24 though. Seems like it would be the same amount of oversight and cheaper to do the 14-30 extension on the front end

Added benefit to the J1772 extension is you can use it when traveling with an existing level 2 charger that is ICE'ed. Basically you could park 2-3 spots away and still be able to plug in.

 

[jeeden]

Added benefit to the J1772 extension is you can use it when traveling with an existing level 2 charger that is ICE'ed. Basically you could park 2-3 spots away and still be able to plug in.

Yea. I wanted to, but just couldn't swallow the price right now. I wound up going with a 14-30 cord and a 14-50 adapter. I'm going to laminate a tag to put on the cord to remind me to ramp the charge down to 24a when using it. If I ever come across a campground I want to charge at, I can probably park close enough to use the 14-50 direct or I can use the 14-30 direct, OR I could get (although I can't seem to find one right now) a 14-30 to TT-30 adapter. I could even put a 15a 110 adapter on the end of the 14-30 cord and use the 110 if I wanted in a real pinch.

 

[tylerdurden03]

I have a 40' J1772 adapter we bring with us and that has covered a lot of situations where a charger is ICED (like at a hotel, etc)

Which one did you get?

 

[Cosmacelf]

You might also want to get a 10-30 to 14-30 adapter. Older dryer receptacles are nema 10-30.

 

[jeeden]

For our travels to Airbnbs and the possible occasional relatives house I went with the following solution:

After testing the 110 outlet and getting 0mph with the AC on I decided that 110 wasn't for us. If I ever do use 110v, I'm sure there will be a 110v outside outlet around I can use and maybe even an extension cord. The tt-30 seems like it isn't worth it and a headache plus most campgrounds have 14-50 now and if they don't I probably don't want to be there.

I went to a 14-30 cord here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09ND3575T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and the 14-50 adapter here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08XNX8KQ6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I even grabbed a little bag for the cord here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F1ZMLLK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My reasoning was that any place with a 14-50 probably has it within 20 ft of where I could park the Rivian because it has been installed for EV charging or RV power at a campground, so I probably wouldn't need a 14-50 extension cord. Almost every Airbnb, relative's house, etc has a dryer outlet, but it could be some distance away (like a beach house on stilts with it in the center of the second level) so the 18ft Rivian cord plus the 50ft 14-30 will almost always get me there. A 14-30 at 11 mph is pretty nice I think and the 50ft 14-30 is a lot lighter and easier to tote around than even a 25ft 14-50.

I did print a little card that says "DO NO USE THIS CORD FOR MORE THAN 24 AMPS- GO TO ENERGY SCREEN AND CHANGE AMPS TO 24 BEFORE OR RIGHT AFTER PLUGGING IN CHARGER." I laminated it and tie-wrapped it to the end of the cord that would be closest to the Rivian charger/adapter/Rivian.

I picked up a 10-30 (old dryer outlet style - pre 1998) to 14-30 adapter in case I wind up in an older house.

Sponsored