Connection problem between power cord and the Garmin unit

I have had a couple of Garmin units that have had the same power cord connector on the backs of the unit that a brand new 2555 unit has, and have had trouble with them wearing out. I have noticed all the power cords supplied with the units have been very long, 48" or so, and I have no need at all for a cord that long. I would be happy with a 12-18" cord. I end up wrapping all the excess around something. I use my Garmins on my motorcycle and it seems to me that all that extra cord adds more weight to the small connection on the back of the unit. After a while, I have to start folding up little pieces of paper and putting them in the small connection hole as I'm pushing the power cord into the unit to tighten the connection. After a while, even that doesn't work and the unit starts flashing signals that it lost power and all kind of other odd behavior. Before I buy another unit, I wanted to know if there are solutions to the problem. I actually would like a unit with a stub cord permanently attached that has a heavy-duty connector further out, that would still hook up to a computer. Any ideas would be appreciated. Jerry