How to Make a 30 Amp Cord for a Camper
Making a 30-ampere, or amp, cord for a camper involves using a three-pronged male cable end -- designated TT-30P by the American National Standards Institute -- attached to a length of three-core cable. The 30-amp cord, also known as a shore power connection or an umbilical, is typically attached to a camper inside a small cargo bay dedicated to its storage, and is wired so that shore power is routed directly to a circuit breaker board. The installation of a 30-amp cord in a camper is a simple project.
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Instructions
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Purchase 10-gauge wire if you plan to make a 25-foot cord; use eight-gauge wire for a 50-foot cord; use six-gauge wire for a 100-foot cord.
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Trim one inch of jacket material away from the cord's three internal wires at both ends of the cable. Ensure no damage is done to the separate color-coded insulation that covers each internal wire.
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Strip a half-inch of color-coded insulation from each internal wire at both ends, using the appropriately-sized jaws of your wire strippers. Twist the bared strands of each wire into a tight and rope-like thread so that there are three separate braids at each end of the cable.
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Remove the screw from the center of the TT-30P plug's underside, then orient the plug in your hand so the pins point away from you. Lift the top of the TT-30P away to expose the brass pins inside, ensuring the pins are not drawn from their respective housings.
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Attach the three braided wires at one end of the cable to the screw-fastened connections at the top of each pin. Typically, the color codes used to match the correct wires with the correct terminals are as follows: the brass-colored screw holds the black, hot wire; the silver-colored screw holds the white, neutral wire; the green-colored screw holds the green, or sometimes bare, ground wire.
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Use the small harness inside the TT-30P to secure the cable by drawing it down across the top of the jacket material; then replace the top of the plug and reinstall the fastening screw.
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Attach the free end of the 30-amp cord to the terminals inside the cargo bay set aside for its storage. Consult the camper manufacturer's literature to determine the correct way in which to make the connections.
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Tips & Warnings
The TT-30P plug is also known as an RV-30. It features two flat blades set at 4 and 8 o'clock, and one U-shaped pin in the top center.
Ensure the cable's outer jacket is manufactured to resist ozone, petroleum-based products and chemicals, yet will remain flexible in subzero temperatures.
Sometimes the ground wire terminal screw is not color-coded. If so, attach the green, or bare, wire to the U-shaped pin.
