Warning: Electric Hook-Up Cables

I carry 10m in the gas locker and have never found the need to use longer. The only other thing that I carry is an adapter which I have made up which enables me to connect to a domestic circuit as occasionally I need to do this. I could not envisage, nor would I want to use, a 25 m length of cable.

Keith

boxerman wrote:

You're a fickle lot on this forum! On the one hand people are removing bits of their vans and leaving them in the attic to save weight and on the other folk are wanting to carry extra items that they will only use occasionally

It's only a lead Frank

We have so much storage space now we are struggling to fill the internal lockers, never mind the outside lockers....
carrying an additional lead is not really a biggie for us any longer (not even sure it was before) but I do understand your point

Hi there,

Just back from checking out why my electricity supply had tripped! (Took the opportunity to measure my cable - it is 20 metres long!)

There was an international convention studying the electricity point (which has eight outlets) and I had a surreal conversation with a Dutch lady who explained "I run my wire across the road because 'they' (?) have problems at the one near my caravan."

Deeply suspect that either a) The cable has been damaged as cars ran across it. or b) The lady was causing the problems across the road and has now imported them to our outlet.

Ah well, I have cooked the roast that was in the fridge and have no other "urgent" need so we will see what develops. In the meantime we can enjoy all the Christmas decorations that flash, ripple and pulse around the site - and probably add just that soupçon of extra load that causes trips!! ("Bah humbug!!" - who said that????)

Best regards,

When I bought my 25mtr one I chose to go for a "heavy duty" one to be on the side of safety - it's a great thick thing and takes up a surprising amount of room, which was one reason to split it. My old, thinner 10 mtr one is doing service as an extension lead in the shed, after swapping the plug & socket.

Frank

[quote="CruizingComet"]Think Dutto has a point about cutting cables up...

Surely it's better to do as I have done and just purchase a 10m lead, then just keep your 25m lead for those "Rare Occasions" where you may need it
From my experience a 10m lead is adequate for the majority of sites we have stayed on, otherwise just use the longer lead!
[/quote

"Better"? Different solution to the same problem perhaps, but why carry 35m of heavy cable when 25m in two lengths provides more flexibility for less weight? Think this is my choice, and as Roli has pointed out on many occasions, the load allowance in these otherwise very nice Windsors is hardly generous. Nor is the storage space for that matter - though people are constantly amazed at what I pull from the locker.

As is always the case - you pays your money etc...

Tony

Hi all,
I wouldnt have thought that a coiled up cable would have got that hot, unless under very heavy electrical load, but years ago when I worked as a welder I had a cable overheat and melt its self together, but that was when running a welder through a tightly coiled lead, consequently I have always uncoiled the lead before hooking up. However the disaster shown in the photo does reinforce the need to uncoil the lead before use and it isnt much trouble to do that .

Brian

Hi all, Worry not --visit an electrical wholesalers e.g City Electrical Factors, (forget the camping shops), Their catalogue will show all this gear, you will find the 16a blue sockets are all worded weatherproof, in their design hence the "flap" ( BUT not underwater). There is a trade secret to rolling up the feed cable, I will try to explain --ensure its flat before you start i.e no loops, if there are, flip it over fully laid out like "skipping" rope, (its the wires internal twist in manf: that causes the problem! ) When rolling up, the cable it may start to stiffen thats the start of a loop /kink--now turn the whole circle you are holding either left or right you will see which way as the cable about to be rolled will "relax" so continue and repeat as necessary. Practice makes a man P.....t. Does this help -try it at home. Brian K.

One problem I see quite often is people using 1.0/1.5mm cable for hook ups. One reason 2.5mm is used by leading producers is it will withstand the weather and being run over by vehicles more along with its abilty to standing greater power loading (safety factor)

same safety theme
We were advised to do all connecting to the van or leads to each other, THEN connect the power end last. When packing up to leave, disconnect the power end FIRST. This ensures the cables are not live, when sorting them out. Makes sense, once you know. Michael

Hi there,

Just a note on this subject.

In Germany we used a site that had a complete ban on "pigtails" and "connectors"!!

Luckily, they used the blue three-pin system that we use here so we didn't have a problem BUT they did come and check to make sure that we were in compliance.

Best regards,

murph wrote: ...... years ago when I worked as a welder I had a cable overheat and melt its self together ........

Brian,

Totally off topic but .....!

A mate of mine used to say the word "Welders!" like a curse.

He was a time served Boilermaker and often remarked "In the war you know, a Boilermaker was a restricted occupation; but they taught women how to weld in six weeks!"

Best regards,

Ian

michael5151 wrote:same safety theme
We were advised to do all connecting to the van or leads to each other, THEN connect the power end last. When packing up to leave, disconnect the power end FIRST. This ensures the cables are not live, when sorting them out. Makes sense, once you know. Michael

We witnessed a chap next to us last week at C&CC site Cardigan Bay come back each day and connect his lead to the power pillar first then unwind it as he walked to his van and plug it to van last. Made me cringe every time! (Not an Autosleeper, not that it makes any difference).

[quote="Paulmold"]

michael5151 wrote:We witnessed a chap next to us last week at C&CC site Cardigan Bay come back each day and connect his lead to the power pillar first then unwind it as he walked to his van and plug it to van last. Made me cringe every time! (Not an Autosleeper, not that it makes any difference).

I do that! The cable is insulated, there are no exposed wires - what's the problem? You take bigger risks crossing the road. Especially with all these taxi drivers about

Frank

Frank,

All you need is one exposed wire because it got chewed by a rat during the night and it can be "Goodbye Frank!"

Why take the risk anyway? To use your own analogy, I don't cross the road when I don't need to do it.

Best regards,


PS I do sometimes forget though!!

Dutto wrote:Frank,
All you need is one exposed wire because it got chewed by a rat during the night and it can be "Goodbye Frank!"

When I'm putting the cable away, I unplug it from the post first -it's a habit. I always examine the cable as I'm wiping and coiling it so if it had been chewed in the night by a rat, rabbit, otter or elephant I would notice.
There are rcd's on the posts so although an exposed wire could give me a minor jolt, that's all it would do - you don't get rid of me that easily

Why take the risk anyway? To use your own analogy, I don't cross the road when I don't need to do it.

I really don't see it as a risk

PS I do sometimes forget though!!

Ah! the truth will out!

Hi All,
One other point on this theme, if you coil and uncoil from the same end every time it will coil more easily rather than fighting you, so for ease of use uncoil from the MH end and recoil from the electric post end every time, both for safety and ease of coiling.


Brian2

Having some ancient electrical knowledge - my certs are printed on goat skin, although an amp is still an amp and a volt is still a volt, I connect the cable to the van first; my van then becomes an electrical appliance, a la vacuum cleaner, fridge, drill etc.. the final connection is into the pillar. i then turn on the RCD, then in the van switch on and test the trip switch then switch on the RCDs and a socket into which i have pligged (pligged?) plugged a supply tester, if I get three reds bingo. Also as part of a PAT testing process I inspect the cable before and after use.
Rich..

RML wrote: i then turn on the RCD, then in the van switch on and test the trip switch then switch on the RCDs and a socket into which i have pligged (pligged?) plugged a supply tester, if I get three reds bingo. Also as part of a PAT testing process I inspect the cable before and after use.
Rich..

Sorry Rich, but I think you're in the minority here I just plug the bu**er in and that's it. I think that goes for 90+% of people.

Frank

Hi Rich,
I largely aggree with Frank, though on the continent I would use my polarity tester before I used any equipment as I understand that in many cases they tend to use double pole switches but dont care which way round they wire things, but all the palaver with trips etc Mrs M would be tearing her hair out while all this was going on.


Brian2

Hi there,

Off topic, but let me tell you a tale "electric"!

Back in 1969 I went to work at the start-up of the Humber Oil Refinery.

The Blender Control Room had a huge long panel with maybe a thousand or more switches, lights, recorders, indicators etc etc and I knew every one - except for one small push-button on the bottom right hand corner that was unmarked!

I enquired what it was for and was told "Read the Manual." (no result) then "It is to test the lamps on the panel. Watch." The Head Operator pushed the button and the "Lamp Test" button and, sure enough, the lamps flickered briefly.

It just didn't seem right and over the next six months or so I would press the button every so often to see what would happen; and nothing did!

Sometime in the middle of 1970 an electrician called Harry had finished a job early and was sat having a smoke in the Mess Room next to the Blender Control Room. I said to Harry "If you've got a few minutes to spare, could you please check out what the hell this unmarked button does?" and Harry agreed to do it.

Fifteen minutes later the button had a polystyrene cup taped over it and a notice saying "DO NOT TOUCH!" stuck underneath.

The push-button was a "Remote Start" for the Emergency Generator located nearly half a mile away; and Conoco had been refusing to pay for it on the basis that it kept starting "at random intervals and for no apparent reason"!

No-one knew who had authorised or installed the push-button; and I have never trusted things electrical ever since!

Best regards,

I see lots of advice to use a 10m cable. I was provided with one by the dealer who sold me the MH. When I rolled up to me first ever campsite I was told by the unimpressed owner in no uncertain terms that this would always be inadequate, as indeed it was on his site. He did lend me one for the night, but I went straight out and bought a 25m.. I haven't tested his assertion yet as I haven't been to another campsite.

Hi Mrs Grey,
I carry 2 cables, a 10 metre and a 15 metre, (25metre cut to lengths) I find the 10 metre adequate in most cases but ocasionally I need to join them together, the impotant thing is that at no time should they be used tightly coiled, see the sticky post put as permanant by admin.


Brian2

Yes thanks murph I have definitely taken that on board -- good advice.

When coiling up by looping, as opposed to winding onto a drum, I find it so much easier to put the two ends together side by side and loop in double (if you know what I mean). So much quicker and, for me, it never twists, kinks, or tangles the cable. It's still possible to hold a cloth and wipe it as you loop.

Then stuff into a rubble bag.

Another suggestion, if you always recoil your lead from the same end (this should be the input end) then your cable will coil easier, and the cable will not be live whilst you are coiling it.

Brian2