Shore Power Cable

[Angel-HILO]

I got tired of rolling up and coiling the shore power cable and the external A.C. cable, and then struggle to store them in the small side compartment!! I like the idea on newer Rvs that have a detachable power cord, so I purchased 2 kits (a 30 amp, and a 20 amp) that allowed me to modify/upgrade these power cords. Now I can just plug them in to the HILo and when done I can then store them in the bed of my truck. No more struggling with these two huge cables and scraping my knuckles to get them in that compartment. Here's some pics of how it looks now.
ps, I don't know why the uploaded photos are not oriented straight/properly.

 

[JackandJanet]

That's a nice idea, Angel. I've found I can do a small edit on photos (possibly just saving them in a lower resolution or cropped to show the detail desired), saving the results in the orientation I want and then, those that formerly posted rotated appear upright.

- Jack

 

[sam-HILO]

Shore power cable.

Nice modification. Thanks for the pictures.

 

[Snappy Tom]

I agree it’s a pain getting the cord in there! Very nice solution!

Marissa

 

[DunhamsDen]

Stowing the cable is no problem if you push it into the compartment and force it into a figure eight pattern. The added benefit is that when you pull it out, there are no kinks!

 

[DeLana]

I've been using DunhamsDen's way of stowing the cable for many years without any problem. Beach

 

[JackandJanet]

Same here (regarding stowage), but I still think Angel's mod is a clever one.

- Jack

 

[DeLana]

Hi-Lo connection

I agree with Jack. My son bought an Airstream (lucky guy) and his hookup is the same as Angel's. Really nice if you have the room somewhere in the Hi-Lo or truck. Beach

One modification that I did to our 2509C.
Every so often while we were camping and hooked up to shore power (with the refrigerator, every light in the camper on, along with the TV, coffee maker, and maybe even the microwave running) when my wife got out of the shower and plugged in and turned on her hair dryer, the circuit breaker would trip.

After several knee squats to reset the CB (under the bed), I installed a female 15 amp female connector on the skirt of the camper near the 30 amp cord. I than ran 30 amp wiring through flexible tubing under the Hi-Lo from that connector to a weather protected circuit interrupt outlet I installed on the skirting near the front door.

Next, I ran weather coax up through the floor to the area behind the lower kitchen cabinets inside the camper, behind the microwave oven, and beneath the sink to another 15 amp (CPI protected outlet) I installed on the cabinet near the bath.

Now when I camp, I hook the campers 30 amp cord to the campground's 30 amp pedestral outlet and I hook a standard 25' 15 amp extension cord from the pedestal's 15 amp outlet to the new female connector on the Hi-Lo.

We can now use an electric skillet on the front patio near the door to cook eggs and bacon during inclement weather and we use the outlet I installed inside the camper for hair dryers, coffee makers, etc.

No more tripped CBs. (Unless the pedestral power fails)

 

[sam-HILO]

Nicer Mod.

Do you have your interior lights converted to LED? This would save on power.Our set up in our 2696C is the same. DH is a medium size and only had to crawl to check the fuse on the converter once. I frequent the Airforums web site. The trailers are very expensive and come with a laundry list of problems when new. Parts are very expensive. Some Dealer service is lousy. The trailer is fun to polish. Many get dents from hail storms. The new trailers are all electric. Many quality fit and finish problems. Not for me. Love to see them on the road or in campgrounds. Love to see Airstreams of the 60S vintage restored.

 

[DeLana]

Sam, No offense, but my son has had three different model Airstreams in the past 6-7 years. He traded in for different floor configurations and had no problems with any of them. I've read your past posts about your concerns for them. Yes, they are expensive and not in my price range but he has not had any problems with any of the three. There are a lot of dealer service problems with any RV (let the buyer beware). They probably do get damaged in hail storms but what RV doesn't? Like you, I like to see them in campgrounds or on the road. No, I haven't converted to LED but my simple remodel has served me well thus far. You've given some good advice to many Hi-Lo owners and I'm sure they have benefited from your information. I'm not a devoted Hi-Lo owner but I appreciate the one I have. I have made several modification that made camping and maintenance easier and mine has served me well for the past dozen+ years. Take care. Beach

 

[Angel-HILO]

Thank you Jack and everyone else for the thumbs up on my shore power cord mod.

Beach, I like that modification you did for an extra external outlet for appliances. I think I may do that mod also, very useful especially in the summertime when running the AC and my wife runs an air fryer, bread toaster and a coffee maker it has tripped the breaker. We learned quickly not to do that, lol. So an external outlet would be ideal.

 

[sam-HILO]

Airstreams

I agree that older Airstreams with less electronic gadgets hold up well. Just like the older HiLos. We taKe care of our HiLo and it takes care of us. DH is a retired sheet Metal fabricator so he got me interested in things with metal and rivets. Enjoy your holidays.