RLS7201 wrote:Some folks (not you) just don't know a whole lot about residential vs RV (SCD) receptacles, the difference in connections and how to correctly terminate the wire and are quick to condemn RV receptacles.
While some are advocating screw down receptacles over stab locks or punch downs, because they think they stay tighter longer. How about all the loose screws in the RV circuit breaker panels. More posts about loose screws in circuit breaker panels than loose wires in receptacles. Just goes to prove that screws are not the final answer to electrical connection either.
Richard
Below is a standard side-wired & back-wired receptacle that is common in residential applications. Note the back-wired "quick-connect" connection and how there is simply a spring to hold the wire in place. No way in h*ll can someone convince me that those are better than the SCD receptacles in RVs which require a special tool that forces the wire into the "stabs". These quick-connect receptacle are known to be a problem in the industry, especially at the end of a circuit run that has many receptacles on it and has a high current draw on the last ones, like say a plug-in heater.
Some residential recepts. have a side-wired terminal where the wire is directly under the head of the screw. The correct procedure is to do a 180 degree wrap of the wire before tightening the screw down to get more surface area contact. Many people don't bother to take this important step or the wire is barely hanging on. With some recepts., you strip the wire and it gets clamped down like in the last photo. This is a better method.
Doesn't matter if it's a cheapo 99 cent receptacle, an RV receptacle or military grade one, the connection is only as good as the person installing it. They're all UL tested and listed. As most know, some of the workmanship in RVs ranges from poor to pathetic and that's the issue. I'll take an RV/SCD receptacle any time.
The problem with the SCD type receptacles used in RVs and mobile homes isn't so much the recept. itself, it's improper punching down of the wires into the "stabs". There is a proper tool specifically for these but I've found at least of couple of SCD recepts. with wires only pushed down onto one of the two "stabs" as in the photo. One stab was bent to the side. They definitely didn't use the proper tool. No excuse for this.
Connecting to only one of the stabs means you will be doubling the amount of current going through a stab connection. SCDs go through very rigorous testing process to meet UL requirements and *should* not be an issue IF properly installed.
The bigger problem is that electrical in RVs never gets inspected by an AHJ for code compliance or workmanship.
SCD recepts are used in part because they are much shallower than an outlet box and thus fit into the thin walls RVs have. Recepts. in houses can also be back-wired where you can push in a stripped wire through a small hole which has spring loaded contacts inside. These can problematic sometimes. I'd take a properly installed SCD recept. any day over doing over a back-wired recept..
Connecting to only one of the stabs means you will be doubling the amount of current going through a stab connection. SCDs go through very rigorous testing process to meet UL requirements and *should* not be an issue IF properly installed.
The bigger problem is that electrical in RVs never gets inspected by an AHJ for code compliance or workmanship.
SCD recepts are used in part because they are much shallower than an outlet box and thus fit into the thin walls RVs have. Recepts. in houses can also be back-wired where you can push in a stripped wire through a small hole which has spring loaded contacts inside. These can problematic sometimes. I'd take a properly installed SCD recept. any day over doing over a back-wired recept..
