Protect your outside RV cords from the elements

Go from messy to neat and clean with this bucket that holds your 30/50 amp cord.   Total time to build about one hour plus drying time.





Here is an easy way to keep your 30/50 amp cord from being damaged by outside elements like sun, rain, dirt, as well as possible slices or cuts from a rock or tree limb.  I recently thought about coming up with a way to protect and extend the life of my 30/50 amp outside RV cord.  I knew it had to be contained in something.  What would be inexpensive and do the trick?  As I was walking through a RV service area I noticed a cord all coiled up inside a 5 gallon bucket.  

 It hit me!!!  Use the 5 gallon bucket as a case for the 30/50 amp cord.   

Hmmm??  

 Will it store the cord inside for travel?  Yes.  Will it be easy to carry and set up?  Yes.  Will it protect the cord from the elements of the outside world?   Yes.  Will it still be useable without problems?  YES, YES, YES!!!  

So here is what I did.  Go to your local hardware store or Walmart and purchase a 5 gallon bucket with the lid.  Pick up a small thing of silicone as well as about 2 feet of ½ inch hosing of your choice.  I used black with the threading inside it.  

 Get your razor knife, a rag for wiping your hands off after using the silicone, and a pencil or pen.  A drill with a bit (I used a ¼ bit), as well as a work area.   

At the bottom of the bucket, straight down from where the handle is hanging.  Measure a rectangle hole in the bottom of the bucket large enough to slide one end of the 30/50 amp cord through.  I went about 4”x 3”. 

 After you mark the square on the bucket, take your drill and drill a hole for each corner.  Using your razor, carefully run it from one hole to the other until it breaks the surface and cuts through the rectangle.  Cut the bottom of the bucket last as the bottom will assist you with holding the piece of plastic you will eventually throw out.   

Now that you have a rectangle cut out at the bottom of the bucket, take your electric cord and slide one end through the hole to assure the hole is large enough.  NOTE: If the cord just fits or you have to force it through, you may want to enlarge it some.  When you are certain the hole is large enough, you can begin the next step. 

  

Take the ½ hose and with a lot of careful cutting, slice it from one end to the other allowing it the capability to slide over the cut area and hide the edge of the rectangle.  After you decide how much hose you will need to cover the entire perimeter of the hole, proceed to silicone around the entire hole on both sides and let dry before going forward.   

Your next step is to use your razor knife again and go to the opposite side of the bucket from the rectangle and at the top where the lid secures, cut a U shape or rectangle shape that will be large enough to pass the cord through and still be able to close the lid.   You can do it many ways, choose what works for you.

   


Use another piece of the black ½ hose to go around the cut out again and be sure to silicone that area as well.  

 In a day you will have a dry and ready case for your 30/50 amp cord.  Take the shore side of the cord and insert it through the bucket and out the bottom hole.  Allow about 2 feet of cord to be left outside.  (This cord can also be slide back inside the bottom of the bucket when traveling.)   

 



Using a spiral method, coil the remaining cord and the other plug into the bucket until the opposite end is all in the bucket.  Close the lid.  Now you are ready to store it away. 

 
 When you use it, pull the shore side plug out and plug your shore side in, after that allow just enough cord from the bucket to connect to your RV.   



Replace the lid on the bucket and there you have it.  Neat, protected from the elements, and safe.  Have fun and good luck!!!

"Taste of Pinellas, 2014"

Sometimes you have to leave your home to attend a festival or weekend get together.  This was the case with Taste of Pinellas.  The “Taste of Pinellas”, is a food and music festival produced by Bill Edwards Presents Inc. that benefits All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL. The event, scheduled annually for more than 26 years, was postponed in 2013 and is back in full force this year!

Over the years, Taste of Pinellas has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for All Children's, the most advanced children's hospital on Florida's west coast.  With 259 beds and more than 50 pediatric specialties, All Children's Hospital, a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine, is a leading provider of care for Florida's children. It is dedicated to advancing children's health through treatment, research, education and advocacy.

This year's Taste, scheduled Friday and Saturday, May 9-10, brings an updated combination of local food, celebrity headliners, music and family fun to an all-new venue - Albert Whitted Park in downtown St. Petersburg. The park is located across the street from The Mahaffey Theater and Dali Museum.

Sondra and I decided that we would take on this week end of 70s long hair bands and as well as some of the best disco.  The full lineup included:     Friday 4 p.m. T. C. Carr & Bolts of Blue, 5 p.m. Loverboy,  6:30 p.m. Bruce Hornsby and The Noisemakers and at 8:30 p.m. Pat Benatar.  On Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Dan Orlando Band, 5 p.m. The Black Honkeys, 6:30 p.m. KC and the Sunshine Band, ending at 8:15 pm with The Blues Brothers. 

The food was all over the place and choices on what to eat became an important debate.  We settled by taking what we knew would be a tasty meal at Pipo's Café, St. Petersburg which gave us some of the best Jumbolia, pork and rice with a few sides.  After tasting Sondra’s Jumboia, I made a decision to go jumboia on Saturday.  This may not have been the best choice as the flavor o
f it was totally different than the day before.  Almost like a spice was overlooked and not placed in the recipe.  

Musically we had a great time.  Loverboy, KC and the Sunshine Band, The Blues Brother’s all gave great performances but the stand out was Pat Benatar.  I know I told the News article that Loverboy was my favorite only bc Loverboy was , but I have to give kudos to Benatar who is hitting notes like it was her early days.  She was phenomenal!!  On Friday we were approached by a reporter as I just touched with you and we had an extensive conversation about the bands, back in the day, as well as why we were in the area.  

Here is the interview with him, not a lot but enough.  The funny thing about the reporter is that he interviewed myself with Sondra and had a photo graph in his write up that was not us.  Actually and here is the funny part.  Just behind the dancing girls in the photograph is Sondra’s sister Laura, her fiance Kenny, and Laura’s daughter Sarah not the focal point of the picture, but to be in it is pretty amazing as well.  We did not even notice this until it was pointed out to us by my sister in law on Saturday evening.  The website with the interview will be obtainable on here as well.  

http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/taste-of-pinellas-returns-on-a-hot-night-of-food-and-music/2179138

While we were in St Petersburg, Fl we stayed at the Hollander Hotel on 4th Ave N and 4th St. N.  The hotel was a very nice place with a delicious breakfast for a small cost.  We even received a ride over to the concert and back if we choose.  The people at the Hollander were awesome!  

http://hollanderhotel.com/

Summing it up, Sondra and I had a real good time enjoying music we listened to when we were kids.  Eating food that made us say, “YUM!!” and staying in a hotel that was clean, quiet, and reasonable in cost.  Good chance we will come back next year!!  Until next time, have a great day and a better tomorrow!!  Oh be sure to catch Sondra's recent blog too.