Elect cons in france

[skids]

What will l need to plug in in France that l don't have for the uk and where do l get it? :-S

[enodreven]

Hi, On a lot of the campsites and aires what you have for the UK will be perfectly adequate, however you will also need a converter to convert from your BLUE European connector to the french and other European 2 pin plugs these are readily available from most caravan/motor home spares shops, you could also look at having a similar connector made up to cover you in the event of you finding that the connection has reversed polarity (which is covered in another thread on this site) Hope that helps

[Brian Kirby]

Re the reversed polarity connector.  If you can wire a plug you can do this.  But, if unsure, get an electrician to do it for you.

1. Get hold of a pair of blue hook up cable plugs, a male one for the feeder pillar end and a female for the motorhome end. 

2. Cut about 300 mm of cable from the motorhome end of your hook up cable, leaving the existing motorhome end connector attached. 

3. Attach your new female (motorhome end) plug to the hook up cable, connecting the brown insulated wire to the + terminal, the blue insulated wire to the - terminal, and the yellow/green insulated wire to the earth, all as normal.  You now have a hook up cable just as before, only 300 mm shorter. 

4. Now attach the new male plug to the cut end of your 300 mm length of cable, but this time wire the brown insulated wire to the - terminal and the blue insulated wire to the + terminal.  Attach the yellow/green insulated wire to the earth terminal in the normal way.  Label / identify this cable "Polarity reverser" if you feel the need, although it should be the only short bit of cable you have with blue plugs each end!

5. Now check the remaining two plugs originally fitted to your hook up cable, just to be certan they are both correctly wired as at 3 above.

6. While buying your continntal type two pin converting cable from your favourite motorhome / caravan accessories shop, as in the post above, obtain also a polarity testing plug.  (W4 make one that most seem to find satisfactory.)

7. When you get to the site connect to the feeder using the blue plug, or the adapter plus the blue plug as necessary.  (it'll make sense once you get them!), insert the tester plug into a handy power socket in the 'van, switch on at your main switch, then at the socket, and look at the tester.  The instructions will tell you what the lights mean.  If they indicate reversed polarity disconnect the hook up from the feeder, (desirable) then from the 'van.  Plug the 300 mm polarity reversal cable you made into the 'van socket, then connect the hook up cable to this, then re-connect at the feeder.  Re check the tester and all should now be OK.  If the tester shows no earth, try another socket, or another pillar.  If you can't find an earth, whatever the polarity, DO NOT USE THE SUPPLY.  Report the situation to the site operator and, if you've paid extra for it, ask for a refund!

The reason for doing it this way is that polarity is frequently reversed at the feeder whatever type of socket is fitted, blue EC socket or continental 2 pin socket.  By using the reverser as described above you can reverse the polarity whichever type of feeder socket is fitted.  You can, of course, insert the reverser at the pillar end just as readily as at the 'van end.  However, some site sockets are mounted a bit low and, if you need to connect both the two pin adapter and the polarity reverser, you may find the last in line connection is left lying on the ground, which is not desirable, especially where if there is standing water/wet grass.

That's about it.  If you want to amuse yourself for week or so, search the forum under "reversed polarity", and look down the most recent string, but keep a tin hat handy!  You'll learn more than you ever wanted to know, including a fair bit about human nature :-)

Hope this is helpful.