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Bad idea or no big deal - using lever nuts to extend shore power cable

dpgator33

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Sep 6, 2021
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I'm about to wrap up my solar/battery upgrade project, and I need to move my 30A shore power cable from the existing distribution panel in the middle/rear of the trailer to the front pass through where the new batteries and inverter/charger will reside. The existing shore power cable won't reach. I happen to have on hand enough 10 gauge romex (same wire/specs that is already in place) to extend to the pass through with some wago 221 lever nuts (rated for 600v and 40A) and would with wire prices being what they are, I really don't want to drop $100 on a 50ft roll of wire to make the run if I don't have to. I'm confident in the wago nuts, they're pretty fool proof I think, but I've also never done this aside from extending a run of 14 gauge in the house for an extra outlet, for example. I was wondering if there is anyone who had done this, or something similar enough, and would have any insight from past experience, or enough knowledge about electricity in general to say one way or another that the drop in voltage by splicing an existing 15ft run to a 30-35ft run would have.
 
As long as the joinery is in an accessible junction box with strain relief it should be fine.
Full disclosure: I really like wago lever nuts.
 
Solid core wire is not the best option for mobile environments.
The vibration can cause "work hardening" which can crack the conductors.
 
As long as the joinery is in an accessible junction box with strain relief it should be fine.
Full disclosure: I really like wago lever nuts.
I do have (and will use) an appropriate junction box that would house the connection. Thanks for the input.
 
Solid core wire is not the best option for mobile environments.
The vibration can cause "work hardening" which can crack the conductors.
I hadn't even considered that, considering all the guidance that I've been using for the project upgrade uses stranded wire. Gosh, now you got me thinking I need to just replace the entire cable :)
 
I hadn't even considered that, considering all the guidance that I've been using for the project upgrade uses stranded wire. Gosh, now you got me thinking I need to just replace the entire cable :)
I suspect lots of RV's come from the factory with solid core wire.
Just saying. :)
 
I hadn't even considered that, considering all the guidance that I've been using for the project upgrade uses stranded wire. Gosh, now you got me thinking I need to just replace the entire cable :)
Or extend with flexible stranded cable, like SO rated.
 
Solid core wire is not the best option for mobile environments.
The vibration can cause "work hardening" which can crack the conductors.
All of the house wiring in my LazyDaze uses solid romex for the 120 circuits. As long as the runs are well terminated and secured/stapled down so they can't move around I see no problem with it. Obviously the factory folks that built my RV don't think it is a problem either.
 
I decided to just do it right and run stranded for the entire run (60ft of 10/3 triplex marine wire for what is probably 35-40ft all told when routing and angles are taken into account). It's a little bit of extra work and cost, but at this point it's a drop in the bucket, so what the heck.

Thanks for all the input everyone, really appreciated.
 
My Momentum has a lot of solid core wire, its a b*tch to work with, and I try to replace it with SO cable whenever possible/feasible.
 
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