Batboard

Hey Guys,

I am going to install an AC Inlet plug on my personal vehicle so I don't have a male edison cord hanging out from the hood, or under the front bumper. It just powers a battery charger for now, however it may power a Block Heater in the future, but that may be long off.

What do people use? I have installed this style on a few vehicles in the past

However I didn't know if anyone else used something or would recommend something to try.

I don't want to get into the whole Auto-Eject thing...too many parts to break...and I want to keep it basic.

I'd look at the Marinco line of marine plugs... they tend to be highly regarded in the diesel circles, for replacement for the block heater cords that tend to hang out from under various diesel trucks.

Pay close attention to ratings and current consumption - most block heaters are 1-1.5KW, plus your charger. You may also want to consider two plugs - you may want to run the charger and not the block heater, or be able to run the charger constantly and run the block heater on a timer (I did this with my old Super Duty - the timer turned the heater on 4 hours before I was to leave for the day).

I know you didn't want to use an auto eject plug, but you might get some ideas. Take a look at
www.kussmall.com and go to the fire and emergency selection.

With that said, there is a couple of things to bear in mind. Most people tend to forget to pull the
plug from a vehicle before trying to start it. Being in the fire service for well over 40 years now,
I have seen a number of repair jobs from an over energetic driver forgetting to remove the AC
power cable from a vehicle. As a result, I would start in saying you should consider putting the male
receptacle on the rear of the vehicle.

The second point to bear in mind is trying to weather proof it so the road rain and spray don't
destroy it over time. You may want to consider using a weather proof electrical box. Your
next best option is to try and obtain a weather proof connector that is flush mounted from
you local electrical house. Make sure it has an auto close cover to seal the opening. Use
plenty of RTV around the connections and back shell to keep the water out.

Jim

The correct spelling of the website mentioned above is www.kussmaul.com.

That's what happens when your at work and your trying to rush.

Jim

Tom in D.C. wrote:The correct spelling of the website mentioned above is www.kussmaul.com.

Jim202 wrote:That's what happens when your at work and your trying to rush.

Jim

You're sure about that? *grin*