M146 conversion - Spacial Transformations style

[LowTech]

Having some problems w/ the ac input. The piece on the front of the trailer that the genny plugs into.
The one on this trailer had been broken before we got it. I have another one that I pulled off the She Beast. I'm wanting to mod the receptacle inside it w/ something more civy. Prob is that I can't get the one that's in it to come out. I've tried all the basics, but can't seem to find out how to make it release.
Ideas?

 

[RAYZER]

You could mount an rv or marine style 30a power inlet.

 

[RAYZER]

Also, the guts of the original plug are held in by a keeper plate with screws on the back side of the plug.

 

[LowTech]

Rayzer - I think that you're talking about the plug. I'm talking about the part that's mounted to the trailer.

 

[LowTech]

You could mount an rv or marine style 30a power inlet.

I'm hoping to put that inside the housing that I can't get the other part out of

 

[RAYZER]

Rayzer - I think that you're talking about the plug. I'm talking about the part that's mounted to the trailer.

I was refering to the power inlet plug (with screw on cap) on the front of the trailer, on mine there was a two prong plastic plug inside of said housing, i had the same thought of converting the innards to something standard but didn't come up with anything.
I had the plywood off the front wall and was able to access the plug assembly from the back, that's when I discovered the plug innards pull out from the back of the assembly.

 

[tommys2patrick]

I found same thing on my plug. If you have a little slack in the wire or disconnect them from the terminals in the breaker box inside the trailer you should be able to remove the entire assembly from out side the trailer. Putting something back together with a different receptacle might be more work though unless you remove the wall cover inside the trailer first. You could tie some pull tape to the breaker box end of the wire end only, then pull the receptacle out enough to remove the wire from the end of it. Then back pull the wire back to the breaker box. from there just find a new two wire receptacle and you should be good to go. sounds easy on paper anyway.

 

[tommys2patrick]

By the way, as the plugs and shore cable are basically the Cadillac of wiring and should last several lifetimes, I decided to buy a male / female end of the same make and mfg. I then plug my shore cable into that and wire the "new" receptacle to a gen set with an end plug that works for most RV sites. Just need some beefy 2 conductor. That way it keeps the trailer as near as original as possible.

 

[RAYZER]

By the way, as the plugs and shore cable are basically the Cadillac of wiring and should last several lifetimes, I decided to buy a male / female end of the same make and mfg. I then plug my shore cable into that and wire the "new" receptacle to a gen set with an end plug that works for most RV sites. Just need some beefy 2 conductor. That way it keeps the trailer as near as original as possible.

I see the two wire power cord setup as an issue, when plugging into a standard 30a power source such as in a rv site, you need a ground to the source which the original setup doesn't provide.

 

[tommys2patrick]

Yep, My thoughts as well. However the trailer is supposed to have a ground rod installed when its powered up. So the only questionable part would be the shore cable. As most Rv receptacles are grounded at the plug-in it should still work OK. carrying a ground from the trailer to the RV site would be convenient though. Might even have some electrical benefit.

 

[RAYZER]

I don't think your supposed to use a ground rod when running off of a grounded service (correct me if I'm wrong), there has been some discussion on this. Grounding a generator setup is what the ground rod was for.

 

[RAYZER]

Here's what i used, waterproof too, i have it adapted down to 15a.

 

[LowTech]

opcorn:

No really I'm interested, being that I have 4 of them around me right now and I need to power them. Most from shore power, mine I'll do diff when that one comes around.

 

[LowTech]

Here's what i used, waterproof too, i have it adapted down to 15a.View attachment 500486

But if I recall you redid all the electrics. I kept everything inside intact and was just hopping to change the input. I know the inside is 2 wire w/o ground. I was thinking the same thing, ground rod.

Might have to do some searching.

 

[RAYZER]

But if I recall you redid all the electrics. I kept everything inside intact and was just hopping to change the input. I know the inside is 2 wire w/o ground. I was thinking the same thing, ground rod.

Might have to do some searching.

I think if you went with a 30a plug, some minor rewire of the fuse panel would be all you would need.

 

[LowTech]

Rayzer - Went through the TM again and you're right about the ac connector. I've been looking at the one off the She Beast (M109) and thinking it was the same. A little ass-uME-ing on my part. They're NOT the same, close, but not.
Don't know why I thought the connectors on the shop vans were the same as the connectors on the shop van trailers, that doesn't make any sense does it? Shop van, shop van trailer, wouldn't want to make those the same

Going through the "treasures" that come w/ these, sometimes . . . , I found a plug w/ about 7' of 3 wire cable. It fits the connectors on the trailers (the real ones ). Wondering if I can just add a 30amp plug on the cut end? It has 3 wires, so that makes me think 1 is just attached to the housing? Still only 2 wires going through the wall. If I can I'll prob save it for mine and and put a standard 30amp on this one.

Rayzer - How would you rewire the breaker panel?

 

[RAYZER]

Concerning the rewire, you wire it just like house wiring, when adding the 3rd wire (think that would be ground to service),
Just Make sure there are no grounds and commons that cross paths (connected together). Your breaker panel scenario may be ok, but check it out.

 

[muthkw25]

Great build so far. Have you got any plans for the bathroom yet?

 

[LowTech]

I touched on that in post #19. I'm not a big fan of bathrooms taking up space in live-in rigs. I've spent over 30 years living in rigs and never had what most would call a "bathroom". Sometimes a small cabinet w/ a slide out portable toilet, or a shower curtain ring mounted to the outside that folds flat to the wall. The rest of the time I just wash from a basin.
So, like I said before "no bathroom in this one, or in mine when I build out my studio.

 

[stb64]

I replaced several of those Arktite plugs on power cables for both, shop van trucks and trailers.
The green ground wire attaches to the plug body and grounds the shop van body.