Tent Electrics

[TopTrumper]

My brother in law who likes camping has just asked me to supply him with a cable and a plug to hook into the caravan parks electricity for his tent .lol..
Has anybody come across or heard of this sort of thing happening?

 

[nstreet]

Do you mean via the sockets provided for the caravans. I not a happy camper, but are these normally low vlotage outlets??

 

[TopTrumper]

Ye i think caravans are 50v, i am actually looking now and there might be such a gizmo, i think its just ip44 with rcd, cable and round 3pin blue plug.....egg on my face if it is

check this out
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=81

 

[nstreet]

Just did a quick search out of interest and found these http://www.outdoorfocus.co.uk/equipment/electric_hookups/electric_hookups.htm

 

[Steve]

Just did a quick search out of interest and found these http://www.outdoorfocus.co.uk/equipment/electric_hookups/electric_hookups.htm[/QUOTE]

socket conversion - lead to connect a mains connection lead to a 13amp plug. (Using this a home appliance can be connected direct to a campsite supply - not recommended since an RCD is not being used)

then why are they selling it??????

 

[TopTrumper]

And on that link it also states
"if the campsite owner will let you use the electric supply"

 

[plugwash]

caravans are NOT 50V i dunno where you got that crazy idea.

afaict touring caravans often have two wiring systems (sometimes interlinked by charge management gear). a 12V battery system for use on the road and a 240V mains system for use on campsites.

at the simplest you can just take a extention lead (make sure its made with at least 1.25mm flex and if you have multiple sockets either a fused socket block or at least 1.5mm flex) and put a 16A blue CEE plug on it. HOWEVER some older or dodgier campsites may not have RCD protection of thier outlets so having your own is strongly reccomended.

you can buy (and that suncamp site lists) rcd protected mains supply units. The price on the things is quite high but they are well worth considering as a simple safe soloution. i'd advise against the use of a standard plug in rcd as that would mean a non-waterproof join before the RCD which is something you wan't to avoid! If you do wan't to build yourself CPC do a well waterproofed inline RCD from powerbreaker which might be usefull http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/endecaSearch/partDetail.jsp?SKU=PLH65&N=411

 

[plugwash]

then why are they selling it??????

because people wan't it and there is no law forbidding them selling it.

 

[breezer]

i agree with plugwash, my mate has a camper van, some is 12v but most is mains, no idea where 50v came from

 

[Big_Spark]

Do you mean via the sockets provided for the caravans. I not a happy camper, but are these normally low vlotage outlets??

You are correct, they are legally defined as Low Voltage supplies..However I think you need to check your definitions...

Extra Low - (Can be SELV*, PELV~ or FELV+) Normally not exceeding 50V a.c or 120V ripple free d.c, whether between the conductors or to earth.

Low Voltage - Normally exceeding Extra Low Voltage, but not exceeding 1000v a.c or 1500V d.c between conductors or 600V a.c or 900V d.d between any conductors and Earth.

High Voltage Normally exceeding Low Voltage.

* SELV SEPERATED EXTRA LOW VOLTAGE. In this system the circuits are electrically seperated from Earth and from other systems in such a way that a single fault should not and must not give rise the to risk of electric shock

~PELV PROTECTIVE EXTRA LOW VOLTAGE. This system is not electrically seperated from Earth, but in all other requirements meets the criteria required for SELV installations and circuits.

+FELV FUNCTIONAL EXTRA LOW VOLTAGE. In this system not all the protective measure usually applied to meet the requirements of SELV and PELV system are applied.

From this you can clearly see that 230V and even 400V 3 phase supplies are defined as LOW VOLTAGE. As the other have pointed out caravan parks supply power at 230V a.c 50Hz..mains single phase voltage..

 

[andy]

search for 'RCD' on ebay. youll soome get what your after

 

[punchjoshua]

buy one length of artic blue cable one male socket one female socket one in line rcd go to local elec wholesaler ask there