Burnt plug on A/C shore power

[RobGunn]

I totally agree that checking the plugs frequently should be done.
Thankfully that its ONLY the A/C plug and we never turn the A/C on unless we are on the boat.

[Midnightsun]

I guess this confirms you have dual 30a inlets of which one does the AC only. That being said it is a really serious issue if it burns up after only 1 season of intermittent use. I assume this was factory having the 3 AC units on the one outlet so it should be sized accordingly.

It could very well be the male inlet causing the issue since you seem to be replacing the female cord side regularly. Take off the 4 screws securing it to the boat and pull it away. The connections are usually just a screw clamp type of arrangement that does need to be torqued up every 10 years or so. If not they can become loose which increases amperage and can cause arcing. Best bet is to remove the wires and cut them back a few inches to get a new wire that goes into the new replacement receptacle. Not complicated at all and could be the issue.

If you want to get fancy and ultra safe, go with a Smartplug. A much better and more secure connection than the standard twist lock. Had converted my previous boat to this and was one of the first things I did when we got the Carver albeit the Carver is a 50a 240v connection. https://smartplug.com/features/

[RobGunn]

Yes it was factory to have the 3 A/C units only on the separate inlet. And we only ever use the rear and mid units, the front never gets turned on.
Yes I have replaced the female plug a few times and this year have replaced the Male inlet on the boat also. I did trim the wires back as you suggest and also even applied a coating of solder on the wire ends so it would be solid connection and protect from anticipated corrosion.
I really like your "Smartplug" option. I will be changing to that if I see any more burnt plugs in the future.

[tomschauer]

Just to chime in again, the marina receptacle on your power post are more than likely many years old. the marina won't change them unless they have to. The female receptacles usually fail before the male plug ends, as you cannot clean the contacts. But two new twist lock 30 amp receptacles and ask the marina to install them for you.
It's a WHOLE lot cheaper than buying new cords!

[Midnightsun]

Source of the post Just to chime in again, the marina receptacle on your power post are more than likely many years old. the marina won't change them unless they have to. The female receptacles usually fail before the male plug ends, as you cannot clean the contacts. But two new twist lock 30 amp receptacles and ask the marina to install them

The charring is at the boat end not the pedestal therefor the pedestal is not the problem. He is not going to change the cord if it is in good shape, just the plug and receptacle. I assume he will use a kit like this in the 30a flavour if he decides on the Smartplug. https://smartplug.com/product/smartplug-combo-kit/

Most of the time RV places have better pricing than boat places. Take a look at the PDF installation instruction at the link, well written and really easy to do. https://www.bestconverter.com/30-Amp-Fe ... p_738.html