Seeking recommendation/advice for electrical survival kit

[mdh]

I am a new Leaf owner... I am looking for advice on what should I carry in my Leaf as an electrical survival kit .

1. I am going to upgrade my EVSE charger to allow for 240v

2. I did not see a 240V extension cord at Home Depot. Seems like this would make sense?

3. I assume I should get a 10 gauge 120v cord? Should i get 25, 50 or 100 feet?

4. Any other adapters for 240 or 120? My friend tried to connect into a friend's dryer, but her EVSE adapter did not fit.

Thanks in advance as i am trying to assemble a best practices survival kit for an emergency, etc.

 

[smkettner]

I carry nothing. The unmodified Nissan evse is all I use and it stays in the garage. I plan to use the towing service if I really get in a jam.

Otherwise if there is an alternate place you frequent I would just get an adapter for what is needed. I carry a 100' extension on a reel if needed. #12 wire works fine. #10 wire would be way heavy and bulky.

 

[thankyouOB]

a pint of rum and the ingineer pigtail to hook to a grounded 120volt socket.

 

[arnolddeleon]

What do you mean by survival? Are you expecting to use it everyday? Is it for visiting friends who just outside you round trip range? Is it to bail you out of an oops I planned wrong? If you are a minimalist an unmodified EVSE is sufficient. If you are into the sport of foraging for power then you can go more hard core. You said you are getting an upgrade to your EVSE, this tells me you want to charge faster away from home from "non-standard" places. Here is what I carry:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=5222

Those I figure are the most likely outlets I would encounter.

I don't actually expect to use this much at all. For me the primary sport was building a kit that was really compact. Things I didn't do:

Get super long cables (I own a 25' extension but I don't travel w/ it)
Choose plugs with big handles on them
Grind the Neutral/Ground pin on the 10-30 adapter to make it into a 10-30/50 adapter
Pack circuit breakers
Buy/Build a quick 220/Easy 220 (converts two 120V outlets[on opposite phases] into a 220/240V outlet)

Phil says a "Quick 220" or "Easy 220" is an easy way to get 240V charging. If I was visiting someone on a regular basis that was just outside of round trip range I make buy/make one of those.

I will point out that there is huge difference in the convenience where comparing that time and effort to plug in to an EVSE that is already in place versus unpacking and plugging in a portable EVSE.

arnold

 

[mdh]

What do you mean by survival? Are you expecting to use it everyday? Is it for visiting friends who just outside you round trip range? Is it to bail you out of an oops I planned wrong? If you are a minimalist an unmodified EVSE is sufficient. If you are into the sport of foraging for power then you can go more hard core. You said you are getting an upgrade to your EVSE, this tells me you want to charge faster away from home from "non-standard" places. Here is what I carry:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=5222

Those I figure are the most likely outlets I would encounter.

I don't actually expect to use this much at all. For me the primary sport was building a kit that was really compact. Things I didn't do:

Get super long cables (I own a 25' extension but I don't travel w/ it)
Choose plugs with big handles on them
Grind the Neutral/Ground pin on the 10-30 adapter to make it into a 10-30/50 adapter
Pack circuit breakers
Buy/Build a quick 220/Easy 220 (converts two 120V outlets[on opposite phases] into a 220/240V outlet)

Phil says a "Quick 220" or "Easy 220" is an easy way to get 240V charging. If I was visiting someone on a regular basis that was just outside of round trip range I make buy/make one of those.

I will point out that there is huge difference in the convenience where comparing that time and effort to plug in to an EVSE that is already in place versus unpacking and plugging in a portable EVSE.

arnold

Just wondering if i was to make a slightly longer trip without the best planning what i might carry. Thanks for the link.

 

[DaveEV]

Just wondering if i was to make a slightly longer trip without the best planning what i might carry. Thanks for the link.

The stock supplied portable EVSE is all you need for the occasional trip beyond range. Just need to make sure you spend enough time at your destination to get you the range you need - otherwise modding it for 240V is useful.

 

[DarkStar]

I am a new Leaf owner... I am looking for advice on what should I carry in my Leaf as an electrical survival kit .

Congratulations!

1. I am going to upgrade my EVSE charger to allow for 240v

Perfect!

2. I did not see a 240V extension cord at Home Depot. Seems like this would make sense?

See my next note.

3. I assume I should get a 10 gauge 120v cord? Should i get 25, 50 or 100 feet?

It depends how many feet you're running. With the modified EVSE, you'll have a NEMA L6-20 jack on the end of it. I ended up making two extension cords, 25 feet each of 3 conductor, 12 gauge wire with NEMA L6-20 plugs and jacks on either ends. For the cord, I bought a standard Rigid brand 100 foot extension cord and chopped it up into the two 25 foot sections. I also use this cable to build any necessary adapters.

For more than 50 feet, I would recommend upgrading to 12 gauge wire to minimize the voltage drop and keep temperatures in check.

4. Any other adapters for 240 or 120? My friend tried to connect into a friend's dryer, but her EVSE adapter did not fit.

I buy and build my adapters as needed. The most common are probably NEMA 14-50, 10-50, 6-50, and 6-30. Definitely build (or buy with your EVSE modification) a NEMA 5-15 to L6-20 adapter so you can still plug into any standard power outlet and NEMA TT-30 in case you find yourself at a RV park (still only 120 volts though).

Thanks in advance as i am trying to assemble a best practices survival kit for an emergency, etc.

Good luck!

 

[arnolddeleon]

Pre-made extension cords for L6-20:

http://www.stayonline.com/nema-20-amp-locking-plug-208v.aspx

Making your own is not hard but when you can find factory made for about the same cost I recommend buying. I particularly like molded versions of the connectors (usually much more compact). When I building adapters I tried to make at least one end be factory made. That worked out for me w/o incurring additional costs.

When you place your order from http://evseupgrade.com consider ordering the pigtails you will want for adapters you will be building.

arnold

 

[kovalb]

"Never use extension cords or plug adapters with charger."

Quote from the LEAF's owner's manual.

 

[TangoKilo]

I prefer a bottle of Southern Comfort over rum... :mrgreen:

 

[Volusiano]

"Never use extension cords or plug adapters with charger."

Quote from the LEAF's owner's manual.

If you had already decided to send your EVSE in to be modified, you already made up your mind that you know best on how to deviate from the idiot-proof rule in the manual but still arrive at another alternative that's still safe and operational for your need. Otherwise, don't bother considering doing the upgrade.

 

[JimSouCal]

"Never use extension cords or plug adapters with charger."

Quote from the LEAF's owner's manual.

As has been said, rules are only fun to break when you know what they are... Clearly if one uses an appropriately rated adaptor, or a gauge of wire suitable for the length of extension, then it works safely. I did have an emergency charge once using a 16 gauge cord and if it hadn't been a cold night, it would have gone badly.

I have two 50 lengths of 10/3 extension cords, maybe heavier, but clearly capable. Plus a sani-wipe disposables, and gloves to wear, to clean wipe down after use in sketchy lands...

 

[Volusiano]

Plus a sani-wipe disposables, and gloves to wear, to clean wipe down after use in sketchy lands...

Wow, you ARE prepared! I must copy you and add this to the list of my charging arsenal.

 

[aqn]

I am a new Leaf owner... I am looking for advice on what should I carry in my Leaf as an electrical survival kit .

I don't carry anything.

I have found that the LEAF is like my cell phone. It only takes a bit of forethought to keep it charged enough to suit my purposes.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Do I understand correctly from the discussion above that the Leaf manual recommendation against extension cords is widely disregarded?

The reason I ask is that I was hoping to use my local library as a backup 120V charging spot (I am president of the board of trustees, so permission isn't an issue). But the closest I could get to the outlet is just over 25 feet so I would need a small extension cord to get the Leaf cord to fit. Would this work ok?

 

[DarkStar]

Do I understand correctly from the discussion above that the Leaf manual recommendation against extension cords is widely disregarded?

The reason I ask is that I was hoping to use my local library as a backup 120V charging spot (I am president of the board of trustees, so permission isn't an issue). But the closest I could get to the outlet is just over 25 feet so I would need a small extension cord to get the Leaf cord to fit. Would this work ok?

If you're using at least a 12 gauge (awg) extension cord you should be good for 25-50 feet. More than that and I would recommend using a 10 gauge (awg) extension cord. Nissan doesn't recommend using an extension cord because frequently people are using extremely undersized cables (18+ gauge).

 

[smkettner]

Do I understand correctly from the discussion above that the Leaf manual recommendation against extension cords is widely disregarded?

The reason I ask is that I was hoping to use my local library as a backup 120V charging spot (I am president of the board of trustees, so permission isn't an issue). But the closest I could get to the outlet is just over 25 feet so I would need a small extension cord to get the Leaf cord to fit. Would this work ok?

My unmodified Nissan cord is continuously plugged in with a 6' appliance extension cord. It has #14 wire and a 90 degree plug so it will drop straight down with no cord strain or sharp bend. This has been the primary method to charge my vehicle for four months now.

I have also used a 100' extension cord to charge 8 hours straight with no issues. #12 wire.

Just be careful of creating a trip hazard in a public place.

 

[thankyouOB]

My unmodified Nissan cord is continuously plugged in with a 6' appliance extension cord. It has #14 wire and a 90 degree plug so it will drop straight down with no cord strain or sharp bend. This has been the primary method to charge my vehicle for four months now.

I have also used a 100' extension cord to charge 8 hours straight with no issues. #12 wire.

Just be careful of creating a trip hazard in a public place.

i like that allot.

 

[z0ner]

...I have also used a 100' extension cord to charge 8 hours straight with no issues. #12 wire.
Just be careful of creating a trip hazard in a public place.

It's all about safety. No trip hazards, and make sure you don't start a fire by using wire that's too long and too thin. 100ft 16# coiled up when you only need 25ft is a bigtime hazard.

I have a 100ft 10# in my arsenal (it cost a pretty penny), but it will do the job safely even if I have to coil it up like a python.

 

[surfingslovak]

I have a 100ft 10# in my arsenal (it cost a pretty penny), but it will do the job safely even if I have to coil it up like a python.

:lol: