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Just got a Prius Prime...need advice re the power cord.

Discussion in 'Prime Plug-in Charging' started by RoxD, Dec 21, 2019.

  1. RoxD

    RoxD New Member

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    I have to park outside my garage therefore I must run the charging cord under my garage door. My garage door does not allow me to stop close to the cord so I have the door on the cord. It does leave a mark when I release the door in the morning. Any suggestions?
     
  2. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    A mark? What kind of mark? What about in corner where door, concrete and side of garage meet?
     
  3. Rob43

    Rob43 Senior Member

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    Wood or metal garage door ?

    Does it have rubber weather stripping on the bottom of the door or not ?



    Rob43
     
  4. Elektroingenieur

    Elektroingenieur Senior Member

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  5. Matt1984

    Matt1984 Member

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    I’m in the same boat for now. I put thick cardboard over the cord and close the door on it. It’s been fine for over a month.
     
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  6. Ronald Doles

    Ronald Doles Active Member

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    I added a waterproof box with a 220 volt receptacle on the outside of our garage door to connect our backup generator. You didn't state what voltage this cord is but if it is a standard 110 V or 220 V cord then that may be a solution for you.
    [​IMG]
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    get a short heavy duty flat extension cord
     
  8. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    This is the way to do it... To spend all that money on a plugin car and not have something like this set up for both convenience and safety is a dang shame and disrespectful to the value of the technology as well...
     
  9. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Find two small pieces of wood about as thick as the cord. (I used left over door trim about 4" long.) Get a piece of canvas or other thin flexible material. I had some old vertical blinds that I cut a piece off of. Put the pieces of wood parallel so the cable lays between them and the staple or tack the flexible material to the wood over the top so it makes a little tunnel for the cable. This will hold the door off of the cable and should let it come close enough to closing to not make it reverse and open back up.
     
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  10. snakeshoes

    snakeshoes Junior Member

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    Depending on where you are, leaving this sort of a gap under the door during overnight charging can be a great invitation to rodents and/or insects to come into your home if the garage is attached.

    Assuming a simple garage door opened/closed via spring, gravity, and human muscle, this solution will work. If you've got a motorized garage door that's going to force itself to close all the way and might get upset by this wood block method then you're probably going to want to look into ways to go through the door or around it. Maybe cut a hole big enough to run the charge cable through in one of the panels of the door and mount a small cat door or similar closure flap over it that can be secured. Then you can close the door all the way and still run the cord through without pinching it. Otherwise, I'd be looking for an electrician to run a new outlet outside the garage or seeing if a gap could be made in the frame of the garage door to run a heavy duty extension cord through to "make your own outside outlet" if you're inclined to that sort of scrapyard engineering.
     
  11. RoxD

    RoxD New Member

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    Thank you for the suggestions. BTW, I'm renting this house. My garage door does not really allow me to leave it open an inch or so, it just goes up or down and does not stop. It's a new metal door with a thin piece of rubber at the bottom. Nor can I cut into it, etc. I put a couple of paint stirrers under the door tonight, to see how it goes. I did notice the slight mark the door left on the cord did disappear after awhile. I'll check again tomorrow. I have been advised by a contractor NOT to use any type of extension cord, as well as the instructions say not to use extension cords. I'm not super handy with building tunnels, etc. I'll see how the paint sticks work. I have more. I don't want mice/rats to come into the garage. Biding time at this rental until I can purchase a home again.
     
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  12. RoxD

    RoxD New Member

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    It's a slight impression from where the door was on it. I'll look and see if there is a corner where it might not press, but it's a pretty tight sealing door.
     
    #12 RoxD, Dec 21, 2019
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 21, 2019
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  13. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    You might want to do lots of homework and then talk to the property owner... The part of the country you live in is flooded with electric cars and if you can help the property owner with research of equipment costs & bldg. permit issues, as well as offer to cover some of the upfront costs they may see you as a great opportunity to upgrade the property for future renters = higher rent revenue in the long run.
     
  14. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Rodents and insects get in the garage anyway. The door gasket isn't a perfect seal. And the rig I described in post #9 does not affect the operation of my electric garage door one bit. Nor did it affect the door where we used to live. But closing the door on the electrical cord will eventually cause damage to the cord.

    I would think that if you offered to pay for the installation, the owner would be happy to have an outdoor receptacle. That would be the best solution short of removing whatever is keeping you from parking in the garage. Also, it'll be better for the car to be parked inside.
     
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  15. snakeshoes

    snakeshoes Junior Member

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    Regardless of anything else in this thread, the above is very true. Do what you need to, including paying for an electrician or not charging at home, to avoid repeatedly pinching your charging cord.
     
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  16. RoxD

    RoxD New Member

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    Propping the door with the paint sticks seemed to work last night. I'll keep checking on that. They are fairly thick and I used two. I can also try sandwiching the cord between the sticks. This house is old and I don't want to put more money into it. The washer and dryer are in the garage and cannot go anywhere else. I've had multiple issues with the landlord and I'm hoping to move to AZ next year. Thank you all!
     
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  17. Blue-Adept

    Blue-Adept Active Member

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    Ok. Same boat at times. Need to run cord under door to charge.
    But I created this to protect the cord. 3/4 inch pvc. Cost a few bucks at any hardware store.
    Cut a 8 inch to 12 inch piece off and split the pvc the long way. Make sure the split is slightly bigger than half the diameter of the pvc pipe.

    See the pictures attached. No indentation on cord and I lock the garage door to make sure the cord is not stolen.

    If you need one made just PM me as I have alot of scrap PVC.

    Steve
     

    Attached Files:

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  18. RoxD

    RoxD New Member

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    This is a great idea! I'd have to hire a handyman to do this job, I don't have the tools etc. Would they do it for me at Home Depot?
     
  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    how do you split the pvc?
     
  20. Blue-Adept

    Blue-Adept Active Member

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    Reciprocating Saw or a jigsaw. In a vice for safety.
     
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