Typical power consumption shown. Varies for different appliance models. Electric hook up top 5 safety tips There should be a built in residual current device, known as an RCD as well as a clip that enables you to keep the cable lifted off the floor. If it does not have all of these things then we really wouldn’t advise risking using it. However, a 230V mains appliance taking a 1A supply from an invertor will require 20A from the battery, which can cause the battery to discharge rapidly and overload the 12V wiring system. It is also important to remember to take the same safety precautions with a 230V supply from an invertor as with a normal 230V mains supply. Generators Cheaper generators may cause electrical spikes or surges in voltage that can result in damage to the caravan’s sensitive electronic control systems. Allowing generators to run for a while to warm up before connecting can sometimes alleviate this problem, but it is better to buy a generator with the technology to provide a smooth surge-free electrical supply.

Reduce power consumption as the 1.5mm sq CSA cable is not as capable of sustaining maximum electrical power usage on a caravan or motorhome without the cable overheating Most of the so-called reversible two pin plugs are in fact plugs with two pins and a third earthing strip down the side. Many people confuse these plugs with a two wire plug - they are definitely three wire, with live, neutral and earth. Modern caravan components don’t have a problem with reverse polarity, so this shouldn’t cause any damage, but there is always that safety issue. Be very careful not to cut too deep, though, and damage any of the inner wires’ protection (brown, blue, green/yellow). Next, using the wire strippers, trim off about 5mm of the sheathing from each of the wires, to expose bare wires. A leisure battery is a great way to provide electricity when you are away from a mains connection. You can use it to power a range of 12V devices, from lights to toilet flushes and from televisions to caravan movers. However, the appliances must be designed to run on a 12V supply.

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One of the reasons for using a properly-designed electrical connection to your unit is that a Residual Current Device (RCD) safety device will be wired into the circuit. This is designed to cut off the supply immediately in the case of a leakage of current to earth. Such a leakage can occur when someone touches an appliance that is damp. Particularly if the person is standing on damp ground, which can easily happen in a tent. Keep it all dry Although the electrical standards require a 25m cable with a CSA of 2.5mm sq these are rarely available for sale so if you must get a 1.5mm sq CSA with only 15m of cable consider the following: You’ll see that the ‘terminal’ part of the plug will be similarly marked to the end that you’ve just completed. However, at this end, the brown Live wire needs to be attached to the Neutral terminal, and the blue Neutral wire needs to be connected to the Live terminal (that is, the wrong way around). The green/yellow wire still goes to the Earth/Ground terminal. Reassemble the plug, and you now have your adaptor.

This type of cable connection links to your vehicle’s internal electrics so you can use your built-in appliances and power-points. How Many Watts Can You Use? The Club recommends you bring a 25m cable with you. A pitch with electrical hook-up will have an electrical supply bollard within about 20 metres. Each Club hook-up bollard is individually protected against overload by a miniature circuit breaker (MCB) and a residual current device (RCD). For UK-wired vehicles, this can cause a safety issue. Power is travelling down the neutral wire rather than the live wire. This means that an appliance will work, but live power will continue to flow to it even when it is switched off. We advise all our members to carry a Campingaz adaptor/regulator because if you do run out of gas, you should be able to find a Campingaz supplier where ever you are in Europe.

Finally, a reverse polarity adaptor lead. The latter makes things very convenient should you encounter reverse polarity and is easy to make. But you should only make up the reverse polarity adaptor lead if you are competent to do so! Electricity supplies worldwide can vary from anything between 100V and 240V. It can be extremely dangerous to use an electrical appliance that is rated at a voltage different from the supply. Normally, a hook up cable will come in a bright colour. The reason for this is simply to make the cable more visible. In some cases, you’ll have to run the cable through another pitch so these bright colours help to prevent trips. Mains Hook Up Lead Splitter You’ll need to do a bit of simple maths to figure this out, but I promise you, it isn’t complicated. You will need to multiply the voltage by the amps, as follows: