2018-2022 Bay Star Power Cord Reel Install

[Lab00Rat]

Just picked up a new 2022 Bay Star and was wondering if anyone here has installed a power cord reel into their coach?
I'm in the middle of an upgrade project to add a 50A power cord reel, but want to know if anyone has done it before in a BS and has advice on installing and use. Is there anything I should watch for with my install?

Bay Stars do not have wood-lined compartments, so the install is not as straight forward as DPs power reels.

 

[Neal]

Pictures of your electrical bay? I think Glendinning makes the one for the DP's. It's not unheard of for Newmar to drill through the floor and have the bolt on the underside of the coach, I seem to recall that's how mine is.

Power Cable Handling & Storage - Cablemaster™ - Glendinning Products

Cablemaster is an electrical cable handling & storage system are designed to handle and store any size cable with an OD of .05"-2.75" and up to 300 amps carry current.

www.glendinningprods.com

 

[Lab00Rat]

Pictures of your electrical bay? I think Glendinning makes the one for the DP's. It's not unheard of for Newmar to drill through the floor and have the bolt on the underside of the coach, I seem to recall that's how mine is.

Power Cable Handling & Storage - Cablemaster™ - Glendinning Products

Cablemaster is an electrical cable handling & storage system are designed to handle and store any size cable with an OD of .05"-2.75" and up to 300 amps carry current.

www.glendinningprods.com

I did purchase the Glendinning low profile 50A reel. Made a 3-part carrier platform to distribute the weight load. The regular 50A reel was too close to the height tolerance before rubbing against the slide out motor mounted above the compartment storage area for the FWS.

​

CRR-50LP​

The original compartment space for the 50A power is not flat, nor is it lined with structural wood to attach equipment or have weight distribution. It has a very thin sheet metal lined with standard carpet, edge welded. The current included electrical box is screwed through the thin metal and capped with silicone on the exterior. The sheet metal is so thin that when pressed on by-hand, it will flex and bow slightly. I can't recall what the load limit for the Bay Star compartments are, but it can't be more than 150lbs total.

I made a carrier platform to hold the reel along the back wall and hang over the upper storage pass through down to the floor of the compartment to distribute the weight along three parts of the compartment; upper lip, wall, and floor.

Just wondering if anyone else was crazy enough to try this in a Bay Star, and what they learned along the way to watch for.

 

[Togin]

I just picked up my new Baystar 3014... I had the dealer install a Glend... 50 Amp low profile reel... works great, no issues.. it can be done...the dealer made a 50 Amp extension cord out of the original 50 amp cord that came with the Rig.... it is raining now, but tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and dry, I will take some pictures and post....

 

[Buly]

If it was me, I will not install one. I removed mine and connected the wire to the transfer box. Coiling the cable like the above photos.

 

[Lab00Rat]

If it was me, I will not install one. I removed mine and connected the wire to the transfer box. Coiling the cable like the above photos.

Why? I have physical issues that a power reel helps, but do not know why to remove one - unless - reasons?

 

[Lab00Rat]

I just picked up my new Baystar 3014... I had the dealer install a Glend... 50 Amp low profile reel... works great, no issues.. it can be done...the dealer made a 50 Amp extension cord out of the original 50 amp cord that came with the Rig.... it is raining now, but tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and dry, I will take some pictures and post....

I am most interested in seeing this setup compared to my planned install in our new 3014. I'm not confident that the thin sheet metal can handle the weight without load distribution support. I'm likely wrong, but have a tendency to over engineer.

 

[Buly]

Here is a picture of what is in the middle of the reel. My coach started loosing power while plugged in TX campground. The local electrician tested the electrical box and it was fine. The phot shows what I found. It is not repairable and there are no parts.
Buying a new reel is only choice.

 

[Lab00Rat]

Here is a picture of what is in the middle of the reel. My coach started loosing power while plugged in TX campground. The local electrician tested the electrical box and it was fine. The phot shows what I found. It is not repairable and there are no parts.
Buying a new reel is only choice.

View attachment 11328

wow- that looks nasty.

We had a "flameout" camping in TX too. Ours was attributed to cycling the AC and thermal loading the transfer switch to the point of catastrophic failure.

I'd be curious to know if all your ACs are on that one line that has the most arc corrosion, or if you have "AC Soft-Start" installed. We did not have Soft Start on our last motorhome, but after seeing that much arc corrosion on your power reel, I'm seriously thinking it might help. I cannot think of other equipment that has the ability to cause that much arcing besides the AC, but it's possible.

I think that's the most useful image I've seen regarding amp limits and material breakdown for the power reel. I will be sure to keep a close eye on the reel contacts.

 

[Buly]

After all that happened, I installed Soft Start on two of the most used AC’s.
Tightening the lugs in the transfer box should be done once in a while.
Also the AC breakers panel. I neglected it, and melted part of the panel $$$

 

[Engleman]

Would love to add a power reel. Have plenty of room to do however, the cord is a pain to reel in any cold weather regardless of power reel or not!!

 

[Togin]

Here are several pictures of my Power cord reel installed by the dealer, on my 3014 Baystar

 

[Lab00Rat]

Here are several pictures of my Power cord reel installed by the dealer, on my 3014 BaystarView attachment 11336View attachment 11337View attachment 11338View attachment 11339

That's not the low profile... they got the regular size reel into that bay, good on them, and good on you.

I wasn't sure if it would fit because it's tall enough to reach the slide motor, but I see they mounted it behind the motor just fine. I'm a bit jelly on how much more simple your install is. I already have the end-part similar to yours to make my original cord an extension... because my reel is only 32ft, not 50 - like yours.

I'm not taken back at my decision for the low profile because I'm mounting a few more parts of the electrical to make it modular. I have an autoformer I want mounted in the bay too, so the low profile is still the better option for my plan. Only time will tell at this point, but it's good to know - and other to know it's possible.

 

[AbdRahim]

Here are several pictures of my Power cord reel installed by the dealer, on my 3014 BaystarView attachment 11336View attachment 11337View attachment 11338View attachment 11339

Here are several pictures of my Power cord reel installed by the dealer, on my 3014 BaystarView attachment 11336View attachment 11337

That is cool. It takes up less space than my manual MoRyde reel.

 

[Lab00Rat]

Before...

After...

Was a bit tricky in some places, but it's modular. I can bypass most of the components, including the power reel. The only one I configured not to be bypassed was the EPO.

Still need to attach the reel control switch to the bay door. Just need to find the right part.

So, there are two options for adding a power reel to a Bay Star, hard and easy.

 

[Rich W.]

Interesting set-up. I’ve considered an auto-former having seen low voltage a couple times. I have a 34’ reel that occasionally comes up short and considered a 50’ reel, but I had around 20’ of spare cable from another job (solar install on a food truck) so I made a 50amp extension out of that. It also means that most of the time I have less voltage drop althougn the difference is probably negligible. Im curious about the grey box front left. Also I just took a quiz on millennial speak so I now know what jelly means ;^]

 

[Lab00Rat]

Interesting set-up. I’ve considered an auto-former having seen low voltage a couple times. I have a 34’ reel that occasionally comes up short and considered a 50’ reel, but I had around 20’ of spare cable from another job (solar install on a food truck) so I made a 50amp extension out of that. It also means that most of the time I have less voltage drop althougn the difference is probably negligible. Im curious about the grey box front left. Also I just took a quiz on millennial speak so I now know what jelly means ;^]

The grey box is connected to the cord reel as the output. Basically, the power reel is a long extension cord terminating at that box. Other devices are plugged to the box, and I can pick if I want the autoformer or the EPO to connect there.
The setup goes ... Shore Power > Power Reel > Autoformer > EPO-Surge Protector > Transfer Switch.
I can remove both the autoformer and power reel from the setup if needed and connect the EPO to an extension cord to the shore power directly.

I know "jelly" from my millennial kids...