Shore Power Reel troubles

[BigGuy82]

Yes it is manual. It takes about that long to wind in a cord, which is no time at all. So far I've had no power failures 😉. Best of all it's only about $150.

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I have no problem with the manual part but the reel on my Bighorn is tucked into a small rear compartment that was custom made for the reel - no way to do manual.

It's OK. For the people who have had failures, they need something now. For me, it's just a preference to replace because I don't like the anemic performance, especially in cold weather but I can live with it.

 

[JT-N-VALERIE]

Ours died on our first trip in our 2017 Bighorn.

Ours died second trip. real pain to rewind by hand shoving the cable back in and trying to turn the spool!!!!

 

[JT-N-VALERIE]

Assuming that the new one does, in fact, have "3x the power" as advertised. I still think this thing is not robust", (a nice way of saying "cheaply built") but the problem is there doesn't seem to be an alternative out there (at least not one I could find). I looked at the Mor-Ryde referenced in earlier posts, but it's a manual one.

Mine has been anemic from day one and the dealer says that's pretty much normal operation. Sadly, it appears to be the only game in town.

I gotta say that if you have a manual one with a crank to turn, it's easier than trying to turn the spool with one hand and feed the cable with the other and wipe the sweat away with the third!

 

[jbeletti]

I've had power cord reels on the past 5 coaches. Great product. But, the one on my current coach failed recently. I too had to manually wind the cord. Real hard to do. I had a service center repair it. There is a mechanical clutch-like system that became misaligned or some such. They called Shoreline who walked them through the process to repair it.

 

[CoveredWagon]

I gotta say that if you have a manual one with a crank to turn, it's easier than trying to turn the spool with one hand and feed the cable with the other and wipe the sweat away with the third!

if you’re working up a sweat with the MOR/ryde manual, you’re doing something wrong 😱

 

[JT-N-VALERIE]

if you’re working up a sweat with the MOR/ryde manual, you’re doing something wrong 😱

Wish I had the manual, it was the electric one that gave out and had to turn the drum, push the cable, keep it even etc. all by hand with no handle or anything else to help! I'll be check out what else I can do including terminating the cable at the access door and then being able to remove the cable manually and store it elsewhere.

 

[Shortest Straw]

I like having ours so far. I do think that the motor is too weak for what it is designed to do. I barely pull back on the cord and it bogs down. I do wonder though, and I have asked this before, what in the world is the deal with having the electrical hookup at the back corner or rear of a trailer?

 

[jayc]

Mine broke on my first LM, motor went out. I borrowed a 50 amp extension cord from my dealer and plugged it in to power the trailer. I just had a short pig tail to roll in and coiled the extension cord up in the bed of the truck to travel. No more hand rolling the cord! Returned the extension cord to the dealer when the new motor came in.

 

[jbeletti]

I like having ours so far. I do think that the motor is too weak for what it is designed to do. I barely pull back on the cord and it bogs down. I do wonder though, and I have asked this before, what in the world is the deal with having the electrical hookup at the back corner or rear of a trailer?

It does seem a bit odd to have it at the end of the side wall. But in many years of practice, it's worked out very well for me in hundreds of campgrounds.

The only problem I've had is in campgrounds that put the power ped almost at the road, near the front of the RV. Now that's crazy

In my first LM, the power receptacle (pre-power reel) was in the center and that seems to be the ultimate spot to me. Bear in mind that the area it's installed in now is "virtually" a universally doable location for the plants, whereas placing it at the coach mid-point, will vary up to several feet, exact placement as the long ODS slides are of differing lengths.

I will send this into HL as a suggestion. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Jeb]

Ours died second trip. real pain to rewind by hand shoving the cable back in and trying to turn the spool!!!!

I could hear a hum but reel wouldn’t turn. Manually trying to wind in small area with heavy wire nearly impossible. I did get several feet wound and had to attach rest to ladder. Only 5 months old. Very unhappy with this product.

 

[cookie]

Jeb, if your coach is only 5 months old, get it in for warranty repair.
The cord reel is one of the best options I have ever ordered.

Peace
Dave

 

[Lou_and_Bette]

I could hear a hum but reel wouldn’t turn. Manually trying to wind in small area with heavy wire nearly impossible. I did get several feet wound and had to attach rest to ladder. Only 5 months old. Very unhappy with this product.

Jeb, see my previous post (#10) since you may have the same problem. The chain/sprocket I was talking about is located on the front side of the reel. Getting to it is the challenge but if you can, the repair is easy.

 

[pegmikef]

This year is the first time I have seen failures (Jim B) and then I was another one at the Abilene and Kinder Rallies (same rig, but didn't fix it until Kinder). I do know that the motor on my 2018 LM is a lot weaker than the motor I had on my 2014 BH (and the cord is two or three feet shorter). I guess they got a different vendor.

 

[jbeletti]

This year is the first time I have seen failures (Jim B) and then I was another one at the Abilene and Kinder Rallies (same rig, but didn't fix it until Kinder). I do know that the motor on my 2018 LM is a lot weaker than the motor I had on my 2014 BH (and the cord is two or three feet shorter). I guess they got a different vendor.

Same manufacturer but apparently some redesign.

Shoreline is the manufacturer. Shoreline is owned by TRC. TRC is owned by Southwire.

I think it was Frank B that "may" have fixed my old reel by "adjusting" the motor shaft. I think he used a Crescent-Hammer and knocked the shaft back into it's proper depth. By being slid out of the motor slightly, it caused the attached sprocket to be mis-aligned with the sprocket on the reel hub. When the motor ran, the chain was put in a bind and came off the sprockets.

We (I watched as Kevin W and Don S) replaced my reel as I was carrying the new one with me. New one works well.

Once Frank beat my old reel into submission, we were able to provide DC power to it and reel up the cord. I am storing it in my garage for either a hot spare, a gift for someone in need or to hack the cord off of it and make a 50 amp extension cord from it.

 

[porthole]

(and the cord is two or three feet shorter)

Did you know that cord length is a RIVA standard?


I don't remember the exact numbers but is something like this. I do not know if the standard has changed with the adaption of cords and reels.

Approximates:

power inlet 30" off the ground - 33' power cord
power inlet more then 30" off the ground 35' power cord.