help advice needed please

[trixie88]

never used an elec hook up before.....bought the cable etc last year or maybe the year before (halfords)
hoping to use it soon.....it has one end which plugs into site elec...the other end has
and adapter which has female sockets.....(will have to have cable going thru window of van)

we have portable elec twin hob...smaller plate 1000watt larger 1500 watt
would we be able to use this with the elec hook up....
could we use both plates at once or only one at a time..or not at all

would we be able to use the toaster (which we use at home) dont know watts of it.
think we have a small elec camping kettle....could we use this...

would be grateful for any advice as to what we can use...
i have no idea of all this elect stuff.........many thanks

 

[alcam]

never used an elec hook up before.....bought the cable etc last year or maybe the year before (halfords)
hoping to use it soon.....it has one end which plugs into site elec...the other end has
and adapter which has female sockets.....(will have to have cable going thru window of van)

we have portable elec twin hob...smaller plate 1000watt larger 1500 watt
would we be able to use this with the elec hook up....
could we use both plates at once or only one at a time..or not at all

would we be able to use the toaster (which we use at home) dont know watts of it.
think we have a small elec camping kettle....could we use this...

would be grateful for any advice as to what we can use...
i have no idea of all this elect stuff.........many thanks

Campsite will tell you what power is possible.
Just the same as mains at home except power may be limited slightly.
Hob , toaster and kettle should be no problem

 

[TeamRienza]

The 1000 watt is about 4 amps and the 1500 between 6 and 7 amps. Most UK sites will offer 13 amp supply, but easy to ask at reception. More of an issue abroad were as low as 6 amps may be offered.

Look at the bollard into which you plug the male end of the cable. It may have trip switches you can reset if you overload them, then reduce your appliance use. You probably also have a trip in your van, so worth checking it's location and wether it is 'on'.

A good tip is to connect the cable to the van end first, then to the supply bollard, reduces the potential for accidental shock by 50% not that it is likely to begin with. On leaving discount from the post first, and remember not to have your cable tightly coiled when in use. Flake it out in big loops and put it under the van.
Let us know how you get on.

Davy

 

[barryd]

I am a bit confused as to why the cable needs to go through the window of the van. Do you not have a hookup socket on the outside of the van? What motorhome is it?

 

[trevskoda]

You should have a male plug on the side of van which should be able to run any 230v plugs inside, a good idea is to have a ac polarity switch over inside the van with a warning light as many sites are incorectly wired, esp mainland europe, a red warning light on the unit will tell you to flick over to get a green light, and before folk tell you it does not mater yes it does as kettles etc if falty will be live on the shell as with toasters to.

 

[r4dent]

Depending on site you will have between 5 and 16 amps available.

Watts is amps times volts (UK is 230v) so to allow your self a small reserve mulitply the amps the site provide by 200 (Easier than multipling by 230!).

So on a 5 amp site (rare) you can power devices upto 1000 w (1 kw), which rules out many things
a 10 amp site (quite common) up to 2 kw (rules out s lot of stuff made for use in the house e..g. kettle)
a 16 amp site (the usual) up to 3kw.

Remember yo need to add together the wattage of devices. e.g. on a 10 amp site you can use a 1000w toaster or a 1200 w hair dryer, but NOT at the same time.

The cable you describe with a blue male plug and domestic sockets is intended for low watt camping use and may itself be limited. read the instructions. If it is limited to 5 amps then so are you irrespective of the site power. This set up is not EHU, it is just a fancy extension cable.

Maybe worth getting battery charger and using it so you have loads of 12v.

A read of this may help https://wildcamping.co.uk/threads/electricity-in-your-motor-home-for-dummies.74748/

 

[trixie88]

The 1000 watt is about 4 amps and the 1500 between 6 and 7 amps. Most UK sites will offer 13 amp supply, but easy to ask at reception. More of an issue abroad were as low as 6 amps may be offered.

Look at the bollard into which you plug the male end of the cable. It may have trip switches you can reset if you overload them, then reduce your appliance use. You probably also have a trip in your van, so worth checking it's location and wether it is 'on'.

A good tip is to connect the cable to the van end first, then to the supply bollard, reduces the potential for accidental shock by 50% not that it is likely to begin with. On leaving discount from the post first, and remember not to have your cable tightly coiled when in use. Flake it out in big loops and put it under the van.
Let us know how you get on.

Davy

the cable wont be attached to the van.......it will run from the site elec......thru the van window etc...cable has an attachment with set of female plugs already on it

bit like an extension elec cable........however this is a camping hook up suitable for tents,campervans. etc....bought from halfords.....many thanks will let you know.
thats if we manage to get away for a few days....fingers crossed

 

[r4dent]

I am a bit confused as to why the cable needs to go through the window of the van. Do you not have a hookup socket on the outside of the van? What motorhome is it?

.it has one end which plugs into site elec...the other end has
and adapter which has female sockets..

From the description I suspect she has an extension cable designed for tents.

 

[trixie88]

Depending on site you will have between 5 and 16 amps available.

Watts is amps times volts (UK is 230v) so to allow your self a small reserve mulitply the amps the site provide by 200 (Easier than multipling by 230!).

So on a 5 amp site (rare) you can power devices upto 1000 w (1 kw), which rules out many things
a 10 amp site (quite common) up to 2 kw (rules out s lot of stuff made for use in the house e..g. kettle)
a 16 amp site (the usual) up to 3kw.

Remember yo need to add together the wattage of devices. e.g. on a 10 amp site you can use a 1000w toaster or a 1200 w hair dryer, but NOT at the same time.

The cable you describe with a blue male plug and domestic sockets is intended for low watt camping use and may itself be limited. read the instructions. If it is limited to 5 amps then so are you irrespective of the site power. This set up is not EHU, it is just a fancy extension cable.

Maybe worth getting battery charger and using it so you have loads of 12v.

A read of this may help https://wildcamping.co.uk/threads/electricity-in-your-motor-home-for-dummies.74748/

thank you...yes i think it is a fancy extension cable..........as its not pluged into van....
so it seems i should be calling the site establish what amp site it is.
soo does the info you have given me re. 5, 10 15 amp still apply...or is that just of ehu

 

[trixie88]

I am a bit confused as to why the cable needs to go through the window of the van. Do you not have a hookup socket on the outside of the van? What motorhome is it?

its a little campervan.....

 

[Nabsim]

thank you...yes i think it is a fancy extension cable..........as its not pluged into van....
so it seems i should be calling the site establish what amp site it is.
soo does the info you have given me re. 5, 10 15 amp still apply...or is that just of ehu

It will work fine, I used to carry one in case of emergencies (plus I already had one from trailer tent).

 

[r4dent]

thank you...yes i think it is a fancy extension cable..........as its not pluged into van....
so it seems i should be calling the site establish what amp site it is.
soo does the info you have given me re. 5, 10 15 amp still apply...or is that just of ehu

All that is true, but before use you MUST check the capacity of your cable.

If you need to ask such basic questions, please please read that document there is important stuff in it.
It is not technical, it was written for people who didn't understand why their electric kettle didn't work in a layby.
It could just save your life.

 

[trixie88]

All that is true, but before use you MUST check the capacity of your cable.

If you need to ask such basic questions, please please read that document there is important stuff in it.
It is not technical, it was written for people who didn't understand why their electric kettle didn't work in a layby.
It could just save your life.

oooh...just when i thought i had it sorted........yes i will check capacity of cable.....thank you for that

think i have the other sorted and understood.....re amps and watts.....

its a 10 amp site which we hopefully will be going to........just got to check the cable capacity.

just hope we manage to get away for a couple of nights now.....fingers crossed

 

[trixie88]

thank you all for your input and advice....think i have it sorted and understood now......THANK YOU

 

[trevskoda]

And remember to uncoil the cable out, as it if not acts like a transformer coil and will over heat or melt because it may not let the the voltage through and the current draw will rise causing heat, same as extension leads at home.

 

[campervanannie]

These are probably one of the safest ones to use in my opinion.

 

[r4dent]

oooh...just when i thought i had it sorted........yes i will check capacity of cable.....thank you for that

think i have the other sorted and understood.....re amps and watts.....

its a 10 amp site which we hopefully will be going to........just got to check the cable capacity.

just hope we manage to get away for a couple of nights now.....fingers crossed

and here is the big BIG secret...
if it goes wrong and you overload the circuit the breaker on the supply post should "trip" and you will have no AC.
to reset the circuit breaker there is a switch on the post
on these switches UP is ON / DOWN is OFF. The exact opposite of the light switch at home.
If I had a £ for everyone who I have had to explain this to on a site .... I would have £3!

 

[r4dent]

These are probably one of the safest ones to use in my opinion.

View attachment 142055

To make the point yet again. On a site with 16 amp supply the max safe draw for the cable below is 10 amp, so no domestic kettles.

 

[trixie88]

These are probably one of the safest ones to use in my opinion.

View attachment 142055

thanks annie....thats similar to the one we have......going to have to check amps on ours

 

[trevskoda]

and these.