50 Amp extension cord - ok?

[Bill P]

Hi All: I tried searching for this and couldn't find it - apologies if it's been covered.

I'm pulling a travel trailer in some off-the-beaten-track areas - ie no fast chargers, but plenty of RV parks with 50 amp service. Aside from parks that prohibit EV charging (a whole other discussion) there are many with back in spots where my portable charger cord is too short to reach.

I'm aware that no extension is preferable, shorter is better, and the largest guage is the best. But assuming you adhere to these principles, what are your thoughts on using a 50 amp extension cord from an RV supply place on occasion?

Any guidance from my wiser/more experienced compatriots is appreciated!

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[Zoidz]

I would buy or make a high quality cord with industrial Hubbel brand plug/socket (no Chinese crap from Amazon), and I would charge at 40 amps or less to reduce heating risks.

 

[JamuJoe]

Hi All: I tried searching for this and couldn't find it - apologies if it's been covered.

I'm pulling a travel trailer in some off-the-beaten-track areas - ie no fast chargers, but plenty of RV parks with 50 amp service. Aside from parks that prohibit EV charging (a whole other discussion) there are many with back in spots where my portable charger cord is too short to reach.

I'm aware that no extension is preferable, shorter is better, and the largest guage is the best. But assuming you adhere to these principles, what are your thoughts on using a 50 amp extension cord from an RV supply place on occasion?

Any guidance from my wiser/more experienced compatriots is appreciated!

I have done exactly this dozens of times. A quality RV extension works fine.

 

[Bill P]

Thank you for your reply! I agree with highest available quality (guage, connections, etc.) In the old days, I would certainly make my own (from good components). But I'm "full-timing" (on the road) and don't have the tools I once did.

I also agree with 40 amp (80%) max on a 50 amp circuit. If I'm not mistaken (and I easily could be!) the supplied portable charger maxes out at 32 amp (continuous) for level 2 charging.

But there isn't something else that explains why Rivian is so adamant about not putting anything between your charger and the socket, is there?

I'm not an electrician!

 

[Eeyore]

I use an extension cord cord for my 50 amp welder. I'd have no issues with using a high quality extension cord to charge. Setting the max charge to 40 amps or less would be prudent.

 

[Eeyore]

But there isn't something else that explains why Rivian is so adamant about not putting anything between your charger and the socket, is there?

I'm not an electrician!

Liability for them.

 

[Dave Cundiff]

Good advice here, I think, @Bill P.

I'm also not an electrician, and I might not be cautious enough, but here's what I would offer as an additional caution:

When using any charging equipment/cords/connectors that are new to me, other than commercial EV chargers, I would also feel all the cords and connectors at various times during the first few uses.

If any part of the charging chain feels uncomfortably warm, compared to the surrounding temperature, I would assume there's a problem and I would either decrease power or stop charging.

Also, my understanding is that not every Hubbell socket is designed for continuous high-amperage current, such as EV charging. Seek an EV-rated Hubbell if you can.

I hope this helps!

 

[Bill P]

Thanks - this is great info!

 

[KBabione]

While it's currently unavailable, I purchased this 50' 50A RV/EV Extension Cord on Amazon when it was on sale. I didn't think about it until I saw the poor Amazon driver struggling to carry it to our house - it weighs about 75 pounds!!!

I've successfully used it a number of times to charge, with the owner's permission, at VRBO's, but my "trick" is to set the amps to the lowest setting in the Rivian that will allow me to reach the charge I need when I unplug. It may take a little tweaking, but I figure why charge at 40A if I can charge at 32A and still be where I need to be when I unplug.

The guidance above about checking your connectors to see how warm they are should be followed (including the wall around where you're plugging in). I also don't plug in and then go to sleep - I'll plug in and set reminders on my phone to check the connections every hour or two before I go to sleep. Perhaps I'm naïve, but I figure the biggest draw will be after an hour when the battery warms up and if the connections are fine then, then they're probably good.

 

[Patrick87]

I use one every time I go camping. The travel trailer gets plugged into the 30 amp outlet and my Rivian gets plugged into the 50amp outlet.

I can confirm that the Rivian mobile charger is capped at 32 amps, FYI.

I went with a 25' long cord:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085HKKJQG?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2&th=1

Between the 25' extension cord and the length of the mobile charger (I don't recall it's length exactly, but it's 16'-18' long I think?), it's worked great with my 30' long camper.

 

[xscotta]

You don’t have to extend the heavy duty side of the portable charger, you can extend the lighter car side
https://a.co/d/4lJ00GG

 

[Airnet]

I use this 50 amp cord to extend our shore power cable on our boat when needed. Good quality. It doesn't heat up while pulling 50 amps for 3-4 hrs. They are stupid heavy though. The 30 amp cord is much easier to deal with and probably more capacity than you need. https://a.co/d/iTQtpiN

 

[Supratachophobia]

Hi All: I tried searching for this and couldn't find it - apologies if it's been covered.

I'm pulling a travel trailer in some off-the-beaten-track areas - ie no fast chargers, but plenty of RV parks with 50 amp service. Aside from parks that prohibit EV charging (a whole other discussion) there are many with back in spots where my portable charger cord is too short to reach.

I'm aware that no extension is preferable, shorter is better, and the largest guage is the best. But assuming you adhere to these principles, what are your thoughts on using a 50 amp extension cord from an RV supply place on occasion?

Any guidance from my wiser/more experienced compatriots is appreciated!

So, A. I'm using one right now and have done so for a number of years. And, B. I usually drop the amperage if it's a campsite/RV hookup. Often by 50% since we will be there for multiple days.

Commenting anyway on your prohibition comment, it's so weird. I've seen it as just general anti-EV sentiment which is often rooted in political leaning (EVs interfere with other RVs, EVs will spontaneously combust, we don't give you gas so why take our electrons.... Etc.).

But also, RV sites can often be 50-75 years old. And Jethro buried that 8 gauge Romex during the Carter years. Sure the breaker says 50 amps, but no one ever inspected it, and the main circuit sure as hell can't support all 36 sites at full 50amps. But with staggard use and lower wattage applications, it was never an issue. So basically you have a legitimate infrastructure problem as well.

 

[2kwik4u]

I have done exactly this dozens of times. A quality RV extension works fine.

I charge this way every day at home; in the summer.

Have a 14-50 plug in the garage on a 50A circuit. In the winter truck is in garage, I plug mobile charger into socket and charge overnight. In the summer, I put our boat in the garage, and the truck sits in the driveway. I secure a 30ft RV extension cord to the baseboard, plug it into the outlet and route it to the front of the garage where the mobile charger plugs in. Cord from charger to the truck routes under the garage door to the truck.

All components from the breaker thru the extension cord are rated at 50A, I only charge at 32A (max of mobile charger), so I'm well under the 80% rule. Thermal camera shows no more than 10deg bump over ambient on any component in the system.

Works for me, I recommend everyone do their own risk analysis before following the lead of anyone else; especially random people on the internet like me

 

[Mousetrap]

I've used this one with every charge at home (and some out and about) for the past 3 years: https://a.co/d/6TRvDy2

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