Ideas for new charging setup

[RickMachE]

I'm searching forums and the internet, but figured I would see what ideas people had here.

Situation:

3 bay garage
EVSE is mounted just to the left of middle bay
Mach-E is parked in right hand bay. Currently, EVSE cord is running across the front of the middle bay, then out to the Mach-E. Works perfectly.

Near future will have a Lightning in the middle bay. Longer term solution is to get a 2nd JB48 ($95 after rebate from utility and 30% tax credit on remainder), share circuit, only extra cost would be IF I have an electrician come to put 2nd JB48 cord into box and connect with existing connectors.

Problem:

Truck will be parked all way in. Passing the EVSE handle over the truck back and forth would be a PITA. Want easy, inexpensive way to move charging cord from between bay 1 and 2 to between bay 2 and 3.

Before pulling truck in, if car is done charging (likely), move cord to position for truck. But, if you then take the car out, and come back, and need to charge car, cord is on wrong side and can't be easily passed over truck.

Desired Solution:

Run cord up so that it's above frunk height of truck, then somehow by suspending cord, and handle, from ceiling, be able to pull handle from bay 1/2 to bay 2/3 and back again.

Given that I can share the circuit with two JB48s, that's my long term solution (don't need 80amp charger for truck). But I'm looking for say a pivoting arm or inexpensive tool balancer, coupled with a way for the EVSE handle to be pulled to the vehicle that needs it.

One idea I had was like a shower curtain track, running side over the middle bay, with handle hanging from a cord. Each side could pull the handle towards them, and cord to pull it would run up to a pulley on the ceiling and then come down to dangle between the bays.

If you've come across any neat inexpensive solutions, please post them here.

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[ArthurDOB]

There's a video of someone using something like a shower curtain track for their cord on YouTube. Unfortunately, I don't remember its title, how I stumbled across it, or who made it.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

I use this tool balancer to raise and lower my EVSE plug. Works for what I need, but not sure it would do what you need. I got it new on eBay because I couldn't find one this size elsewhere at the time.

@scoopman has a cool articulating arm for his garage. He did a video on it last year. I think it was pretty expensive though.

 

[GatorJ_MME]

I wonder if you could use something like this plus an additional way of holding up the plug closer to the ceiling when not plugged in, such as a tool balancer or even just velcro to tie it to the cable higher up.
EV Charger Cable Retractor | Management (industrialcurtaintrack.com)

 

[dmastro]

Why not just park the Lightning on the left, MME on the right, and then the cord is perfectly positioned between the two?

 

[RickMachE]

I wonder if you could use something like this plus an additional way of holding up the plug closer to the ceiling when not plugged in, such as a tool balancer or even just velcro to tie it to the cable higher up.
EV Charger Cable Retractor | Management (industrialcurtaintrack.com)

I found that yesterday. Was a Google result for like $52. By the time I was done, it was over $200... ?

 

[RickMachE]

Why not just park the Lightning on the left, MME on the right, and then the cord is perfectly positioned between the two?

Since both vehicles have the plug on the same side, and the truck fills the bay to the wall, you'd have to back the truck in to share the cord, assuming the cord would reach from where it is.

The garage is 3 wide, double door on left, small door on right. Trucks don't fit in the small door. We used to park car, then truck, then mower et. al. Now we have a boat (from when we inherited a cottage now sold). It has to be in one of the two left bays, it also won't fit in the right door. So, we have boat, truck, then car. If we sell the boat, we will get back to our regular setup. #FirstWorldProblems

 

[RickMachE]

I just found the charger on sale for $574, even cheaper than the $629 I already found. I may just grab it. Then I won't need to rig anything, and just have to buy some 3 conductor connectors for the workbox on the wall.

 

[Blue highway]

I found that yesterday. Was a Google result for like $52. By the time I was done, it was over $200... ?

yeah... but it's cool.

 

[eleven24]

Pretty sure you can't share the circuit. If both chargers are being used it would overload.

 

[RickMachE]

Pretty sure you can't share the circuit. If both chargers are being used it would overload.

JuiceBox chargers are designed to load share.

 

[Glen Boise]

How about hanging an arm from the ceiling that pivots with the charger cable hanging down from the arm on ropes? Place the arm over the middle bay. Swing it toward the vehicle to be charged. Plug in. When done, swing the arm against the wall out of the way.
All it would take is a couple of 1x2's screwed and glued into a "T" or "L"; a hing for the end or a long screw through the arm into the ceiling; and a couple lengths of laundry rope. You may need another rope from the ceiling to the arm, about midway, to support the weight of the arm.
Another idea is simply hang to two ropes from the ceiling. One to provide clearance for people walking in front of the vehicles. The other at a point over the hood of the middle vehicle where the cable could reach either vehicle's charger inlet and still reach a charger handle holder on the wall.
I am sure that other, more creative, members can come up with better answers.

 

[Maquis]

JuiceBox chargers are designed to load share.

There’s even a change coming to the code to make it allowable! ?

 

[SWO]

Hard to visualize exactly what you are trying to do, but on Reddit someone rigged up a horse stall wash boom from Tractor Supply for overhead cord management. There's wall and ceiling mount variants.

 

[RickMachE]

That would work, but it is $350 due to being stainless.

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