American - Hubbell power hook-up

seaboy

seaboy

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Have a Hubbell 125v 30 amp power cable for a Rinker Express Cruiser.

It has a yellow twist and lock female plug and a heavy yellow cable, and previous owner has fitted a UK blue male plug where the boats electrics are 230v.

I want to change to the normal lighter blue cable still with a compatible twist and lock plug for the boat and onshore UK power source plug.

Anyone know of any UK supplier for these American plugs or UK equivalent.

thanks
 
The American twist-lock plugs are a notorious fire risk - the actual contact area carrying the current is tiny, and the locking mechanism using the tips of the contacts is poorly designed. That said, they'll be somewhat safer on this side of the pond where they're only being asked to carry half the current (I take it yours is rated for the higher voltage, though?).

Personally I'd swap it for a standard ceeform connector, or some other more convincing fitting. But Abraxus has the answer if you want to keep it.

Pete
 
pvb said:
Can't you simply re-use your existing plug?
Click to expand...

The physicality certainly appears the same (colour aside) from what I have seen, but... the insulation may not be suitable for the higher voltage rating, though it is marked 125v it may well be safe but the fact t that it is so marked would make me err on the side of caution.

The Furrion range has the same form as the Hubbel but much more robust internally, available from Fernaux Riddall.
 
Last edited:
The picture shows the plug trying to get replaced. Its a sealed plug with no access, unless a knife is used to open it up.
 

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seaboy said:
The picture shows the plug trying to get replaced. Its a sealed plug with no access, unless a knife is used to open it up.
Click to expand...

The pic appears to show a molded plug-ie: factory molded to the cable sheath. If it is,then you will have to cut it off the cable by cutting the cable near the strain relief or wherever. The cable itself should be rated 600V-standard in N.A. . Then you would install UK plugs on cable plus a UK socket in your boat.
Cheers / Len
 
Thanks all,

Tried prodding, levering and twisting etc the plug, and I'm pretty sure its a molded sealed plug as suggested. The boot shown by 'Abraxus' link is a different shape to mine.

Think the route to be taken is to replace American on-board socket with a UK version and with cables and plugs.

thanks
 
Not entirely sure what you are after? I'm also on the Dart and have a Hubbel setup exactly the same. When the original cable needed to be replaced, I bought a complete Hubbel cable from a fellow forumite and simply put a CEE male plug on the shore end of the cable.

Works really well.

Pm me if you need to see it. Will save an awful lot of hassle replacing on-board original sockets.
 
I had the same idea as you, but was only able to find a smaller gauge plug for sale, which I bought on spec, then found no good. I posted on the forum to find out more info.

A fellow forumite read the thread and offered me one he had used for a while in the U.S. Although coiling the thing up is heavier work, the extra diameter and rubberised covering of the cable is really quite comforting when in a busy marina and I figured that the huge hassle and not insignificant cost involved in rewiring the socket (original fitting in stainless with a solid screw-on watertight cover) was just not worth it when compared to the very reasonable price he asked for the cable.

it might be worth looking on EU websites, as I've since noticed that a pal with a 8 y.o. Beneteau in Kingswear has the Hubbel/Marinco type socket and cable supplied as standard fitment.
 
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