Dave225 Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 What are people’s thoughts regarding the size of a mains hookup cable? I know the norm here in the UK is for a 25 meter 2.5mm cable which will handle 16 amps as per UK Club sites, but is this really necessary unless you carry a 3 kw electric kettle with you? Looking at my gear the maximum I have is the outside electric oven which pulls 1600 watts when all is operating. The kettle is a 900 watts camping model which works very well. Even the wife’s hairdryer is only 1000 watts and it is unlikely she will want use it while I am cooking lock stock and barrel. So, as I am having to go and purchase another mains cable I am wondering why I shouldn’t get the lighter 1.5mm cable type which will be listed at 10 amps. This gives me 2300 watts to play with, more than what i will use. It is lighter and a damn sight easier to roll up and I do note all our EU cousins seem to use the 10 amp cable and do not have any issues. Also if you can get more than 10 amps on most EU sites you are lucky. So, unless a neighbour offers me his domestic electric kettle to use, I realistically do not see the necessity of such overkill. But then again I wish to be safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 2.5mm flex is rated at 20 amps, 1.5mm is rated at 16 amps. We don't use EHU very often so only carry a 1.5 mm sq cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 More detail on much the same subject in this 2013 discussion (Note: some of the links are ‘dead’) http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Hook-up-cable/31606/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teflon2 Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 The main problem with using a lighter cable will be heat buildup it will depend on the length of cable and how you run it out if it's operating at it's max rating and left in a coil the heat will be enough to damage the insulation and render the cable dangerous. Very few continental supplies are at very high amperages I even stayed at one In Italy that was rated 3amp. this is why they don't use the heavier cable. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Heat build up in a coiled cable is often referred to but many European motorhomers we come across are using 1.5mm cable on a drum and never uncoil the whole thing. I have seen them using 50m cable drums with just a few feet unrolled and the cable reel stashed underneath the van to keep it out of the rain as it has 2 or 3 outlets. Personally, I carry a 25m standard cable plus a 10m cable for places where I am parked near the supply but can then join the two for a longer distance and put the join in side one of the red 'torpedo' protectors. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Me too. I have 15 mtr copper but the label is off. Not sure. Check tomorrow. Not a clue of the amperes of the site. So far no problems. What i fully studied is the electric circuit of my motor home. The house battery need to be threaded very carefully like your dog given full attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Certainly in the UK i wouldnt travel with anything less than the standard 25 metre 16amp orange cable, but on the continent lower amperage is the norm, and also EHU s further than 25 metres away. SO, a lighter gauge of cable but longer would be sensible, as i hate joining cables together. Perhaps a 50 metre 1.5 mm cable would be better, Of course the Blue arctic quality cable would be the ultimate all condition cable to carry, but a bit heavy. I much prefer a standard 16amp supply personally, as i hate tripping the supply, which my wife does constantly on anything less. She just does not compute, less usage, unfortunatley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 Thanks for the comments. If the lighter cable being sold in camping outlets is rated at 16 amps then that would be more than adequate for my use. That equates to a maximum load of 3680 watts, which is way beyond anything we carry, even if I hooked everything up at the same time, which I cannot as there are only so many sockets. I admit that on a French site a few years ago I discovered the nice shaded pitch we had picked was a very long way from the power box and the 25 meter cable was not enough. So it being France we headed to the local garden/DIy centre and bought a outside extension cable. Chopped the socket bit of and fitted a spare blue socket and connected the lot together. It all worked a charm. Of course being a municipal site the outlet was only a bare 10 amps. I kept the extension cable but of course was never on a site where I needed it again, so dumped in the garage. I also find the heavier cable a pain in the neck to roll up especially when it is wet, so may just go for the lighter one. I note Towsure are offering both sizes of hook up cables and may Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterCK Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 A couple of thoughts here, not necessarily 'connected' with the thread but could prove useful if anyone wanted to develop them. Have the amperage put on each power outlet and then have a dial or similar which could be set to the same amperage in the van to avoid tripping the overload, not rocket science, as we all forget the many hidden electrical loads eg boiler. It would be so much easier if the hook up cable could be single wound on a drum, probably similar to a 25ltr one, and set to rewind as a lot of hoovers do. This would avoid having to unwind all the cable and reduce trip hazards. It would also help to keep the cable cleaner and a lot of motorhomes have a large space under the floor to house such a unit. Just an idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanS Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 The cable rating, i.e. the current carrying capacity should not be less than the protective device on the EHU that you plug into. Therefore a 2.5mm2 cable will be able to carry 25 Amps dependant of course on the length of cable and in the worst case, as in the UK, will be connected to a 16 Amp protective device (MCB and RCD) on the EHU. If you were to use a 1.5 mm2 cable it is only rated at 16 Amps but remember the cable length will have an effect on this current carrying capacity. In Europe where most sites have a maximum of 10 Amps you should be OK. Remember though that if the cable is rated at less than its protective device then there is a chance that under sustained heavy loads that the cable heats up and the thermal device in the protective device will not operate leaving the cable to act as a 'fuse'. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 PeterCK - 2017-02-21 6:27 PM It would be so much easier if the hook up cable could be single wound on a drum, probably similar to a 25ltr one, and set to rewind as a lot of hoovers do. This would avoid having to unwind all the cable and reduce trip hazards. It would also help to keep the cable cleaner and a lot of motorhomes have a large space under the floor to house such a unit. Just an idea! The problem with this is overheating of the unwound cable on its drum. This is not too much of a problem with a domestic vacuum cleaner, because of its short period of operation, but could lead to fire with sustained use in a motorhome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 My Hymer has a 10 amp circuit breaker on the incoming mains, so a 1.5 mm² power lead is perfectly adequate as well as lighter and cheaper because I can't draw more than 10amps. If you camp on CC sites (or should I say CMC sites) and want to run a high power electrical heater in your awning as well as normal caravan services, than you definitely need a 2.5 mm² lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share Posted February 22, 2017 My cynical mind (yes, I know I keep saying it, but I can't help it) wonders why the UK sites do not limit EHU to 10 amps. Would that be such a problem apart from Bertie and Gertie who have brought all the kitchen apparatus with them. A lower power supply would of course result in lower site fees........................No, I thought not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Dave225 - 2017-02-22 5:48 PM My cynical mind wonders why the UK sites do not limit EHU to 10 amps. Because the tuggers wouldn't be able to charge their Outlander PHEV's! You think cooking and heating consume electricity, wait until you start charging Plug-In Hybrids!!! Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Rayjsj - 2017-02-21 10:18 AM............ Of course the Blue arctic quality cable would be the ultimate all condition cable to carry, but a bit heavy.................... But, it is intended for low temperature use, and not outdoor use. The orange cable is the only one intended for outdoor use, as it is designated waterproof and the outer sheath is a bit thicker and tougher than regular 20A flex, which is why it is both a bit heavy, and more awkward to coil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 AlanS - 2017-02-21 8:43 PM.........................Remember though that if the cable is rated at less than its protective device then there is a chance that under sustained heavy loads that the cable heats up and the thermal device in the protective device will not operate leaving the cable to act as a 'fuse'. Alan All cables heat when passing a current. They are designed for use when fully extended, in which condition the heat will dissipate harmlessly, even when passing the maximum permissible Amperage. When the cable is coiled, especially if wound onto a drum, only the heat from the outer winding can dissipate, the inner windings being unable to lose their heat. If the cable is then run near, or at, its maximum load, the cable continues to gain heat. This heating effect is a function of resistance to the current flowing within the cable, and is proportional to it. So, the higher the current, the more heat is produced, to the point at which the insulation begins to soften and the conductors begin to migrate towards each other, and eventually come into contact. A big flash, and a fire, then follows. It is "safe" to pass a low current (say 5A) through a high rated (say 25A), coiled, cable, because the resistance of the cable, and so the heat generated, is then insignificant. But, this introduces two unknowns: the amount of cable left coiled on the drum, and the amount of current flowing. The safest advice, therefore, is to stick to the 2.5mm/25A cable, and use it uncoiled, because the site bollard will limit the current to, at most, 16A, which that cable can safely accommodate. Switching to 1.5mm/16A cable carries some risk. When using a 16A bollard, and with close to 16A being drawn (think fan heater, microwave, and hairdryer, all on together), the cable would run "hot". OK if it's fully extended, but potentially dangerous if left coiled. Again, to be foolproof, stick to 2.5mm cable. If consumption is known to be limited to less than 16A at the bollard (say 10A) 1.5mm cable should be a safe as a 2.5mm cable carrying 16A. It is always worth knowing the total load that might be drawn from a site supply, by adding together the Amperages of all electrical items that are carried, because, as stated above, some continental sites have bollards set to 6A (quite common), 5A, or even 3A, and Soddes law states that it will be late in the evening, on the warden's night off, that one trips the bollard, and that all other bollards within reach will be fully occupied. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWO Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Our latest Motor home ( German) has a all singing and dancing service hatch for water and electric bit and bobs. If I was to use a 2.5mm cable through the cut out in the door it would strain door and hinges,as the van was probably designed for smaller cables. So it was down to a 1.5 mm cable. As I don't use a full domestic eleccy kettle or fan heater 10ish amps is enough for me HWO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slave Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 I solved the roll up cold and wet standard 25 mtr cable chore -- i replaced it with a rubber coated one from Lidl, and a reel bought from a show-it's so easy to use i aliways fully unroll it.For French farm sites with limited h/p points i carry extra 50mtr reel. Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 There’s no great difficulty sourcing a 50 metre hook-up cable in France https://www.camping-car-plus.com/index.php?page=DetailProduit&produit=991&nom_produit= Retracting cable-reels are available with a cable-length up to 25m http://tinyurl.com/h9ngowu https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=retractable+cable+reel&tbm=shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 I bought a reel similar to this some years back: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cobra-Empty-Cable-Reel-Drum-/261584005287 .. it was big enough to take our 25M/2.5mm core (and seemingly quite thick outer sheathed) cable..and (as "slave"/Chris said above), being easy to use, it's no hardship to un-reel it fully.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 There is always a simple answer to a problem. A) You already have a 2.5mm2 cable which is suitable for use on UK sites rated @ 16amp. You may even feel that you could reduce the length, as "generally" UK sites have EHU facilities are close to pitches. B) You intend to buy a 1.5mms cable, which you feel is adequate for continental sites which are rated @ 10amp or less. Retain your 2.5mm2 cable for when touring in the UK, then simply swap to the 1.5mm2 cable for when going over the water. Problem solved & safety issues averted ?? Edited for spelling (fat fingers) 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agaric Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Artic cable also comes in yellow, I buy it in 100 metre rolls and have always used this on the farm for safety reasons. I buy it for less than 90p. metre for 2.5mm and make cables up to what ever length I need. Artic cables have a better life span than other cables as I also use a lot of 5 core 32 and 64 amp cables which are not artic, they seem to perish much quicker and are less robust when impacted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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