Parts for an RV SCD outlet upgrade

I've not done this yet, but here's my educated guess on what could work to change out a troublesome SCD (Self Contained Device) outlet in your RV.

Everyone,

There were a lot of comments from my article yesterday about SCD (Self Contained Device) outlets. (Read it HERE) But I only hinted at the parts needed to replace the SCD with a more robust outlet. While I’m not going to have time to set up a hands-on demonstration detailing how to do this yourself, I did source most of the parts needed. So if you want to try this yourself, here’s my parts list. But please don’t proceed if you’re not used to changing out receptacles and boxes. Once I’m done teaching seminars for 7 days at the Hershey show in September there should be time for me to create a step-by-step video.

Shallow Box

This is the key to the upgrade. I found this shallow RV135 RV Outlet Box from Arlington. Note that it’s specifically designed for mounting in the thin 1/4” interior RV walls, so it should be perfect for this application. Here’s where you can find them online at Gordon Electrical Supply.

But you can’t buy just one

Most of the retailers I found for this box want you to purchase them in lots of 50 pieces, and who needs 50 boxes except for an RV service center. But I did find a source that would allow small orders with a $10 surcharge. Here’s my test order for 5 pieces which would cost of total of $22.70 plus shipping. I’m not sure how much shipping will cost, but I’m going to call Gordon Electrical Supply today and see if there’s any possible price breaks for RV owners.

Here’s what might work for a non-SCD outlet

I’ve been using these Leviton Lever Edge outlets in my own house, and they seem to work well. But I haven’t done any overload tests yet. But that’s on my long list of things to test this fall. Since these use the same type of clamping action as WAGO connectors, I have high hopes they could be a good choice for upgrading outlets in RVs. But I haven’t tried one in a RV with a shallow box yet.

Extending wires with WAGO connectors

Since many RVs don’t have enough extra wire inside of the walls for this kind of fix, you may need to add a few pigtails to reach these non-SCD outlets. If so, I believe that the WAGO 221 connectors could be a better solution than a traditional wire nut. While a wire nut should be fine if properly installed and wrapped with tape, there’s not a lot of room in these shallow boxes with short wires. So a WAGO connector might be easier to use.

Please let me know if any of you have already done this kind of modification and what you used for components. Thanks for your input.

Let’s play safe out there… Mike