Anyone use a Caravan hook-up lead ?

[theDaveB]

Just reading a trip report and the first thing the guy did upon entering France was purchase a short caravan hookup lead. Having looked at these am beginning to think it's a good idea even in the UK. One of the sites I camped at last summer I was put on a caravan space as they where a bit empty, so presume I could have plugged in or is it extra ?

Also on eBay noticed ones with a longer lead and a 4 block on. Are the cables waterproof or is it dry use only (I realised the actual 4 block wouldn't be) ?

Dave

[psmiffy]

UK it doesn't work out - (unless of course yo just wing it) - they insist you use a ginormous version with a RCD box that even me as a non-weight weenie balks at carrying on the bike

using the french one I always assume that the RCD box in fixed unit doesnt work and that nothing is waterproof so at the slightest hint that its going to be damp I disconnect everything

I do have a UK one that I use car camping and yes it is extra - not paid over two or three quid

[Paulatic]

We caravan with the Caravan a Club and Caravan and Camping Club. If you take a pitch with a hookup it us included in the price. Something to do with them not being allowed to actually resell electricity.
Have you felt the weight of a hook up cable? Something I wouldn't like to carry on a bike.

[foxyrider]

Did think of doing this but decided against it due to the weight and bulk.

[theDaveB]

When I search hookup cable on eBay, it's a bit of cable with a plug at one end and a socket at the other.

Where is the weight coming from ?

Dave

[mill4six]

I've got one about a foot long, not sure how useful that is really but it has a 3 pin socket I can plug a normal extension lead into. At 1 foot it's not so heavy but it won't reach into a tent. To waterproof the bit with the socket on the end I push it into an empty tin, bang a stick into the ground and put the can over the stick.

[Paulatic]

When I search hookup cable on eBay, it's a bit of cable with a plug at one end and a socket at the other.

Where is the weight coming from ?

Dave

4kg apparently. You will need the length to get to your pitch.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/230v-Caravan-Ex ... uctDetails

[psmiffy]

When I search hookup cable on eBay, it's a bit of cable with a plug at one end and a socket at the other.

Where is the weight coming from ?

Dave

4kg apparently. You will need the length to get to your pitch.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/230v-Caravan-Ex ... uctDetails

Yup - 25m of 13A extension lead will weigh a bit - my European hook up and 4m of 3A extension lead weighs considerably less than that - my needs are only for charging a netbook, camera battery

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=Sh&page_id=143993&v=4W

not big or butch enough for a fridge or a storage heater or the 42" telly - but a lot cheaper and more reliable than a hub dynamo and an converter or a decent solar panel set up

[bohrsatom]

I have this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003 ... ge_o08_s01 "16A-13A Fly Lead Converter 16A plug to 13A socket" which cost me about £8 and weighs a few hundred grams maximum. One end connects to the camp site hookup and the other is a 3 pin UK plug.

It's nowhere near long enough to fit into a tent but I found it useful to charge my Garmin, tablet and phone after a day's cycling. It was one of the most useful things I brought on my bike tour as a few hours charging time meant I could carry on camping for longer - one of the main reasons for a hotel was running out of power. I made sure that it was always in my sight and the slightest hint of rain had me running over to unplug all my devices.

A lot of sites included electricity in their fees; for those that didn't I often charged stuff regardless as I figured it was only a few USB devices which don't draw much power. I'd have paid had anyone come over and asked but nobody ever did!

PS - some electrical hookups in Europe also have 2 pin plug sockets so it's worth taking a look even if you don't have a converter cable.

[phil parker]

You could easily make up a short lead and if you use a waterproof bag (like an Ortlieb etc.) you could happily charge your devices. However, most campsites charge a fee, which used to be nomina, but last year, when using my camper van, I found that this had gone up to a fiver in most places, including C&CC and therefore isn't feasible.

[4wils]

I have been thinking about this for a while. My wife now rides an e-trike (DIY conversion of an Ice Q). We tour with a Carry Freedom trailer and my intention is to make a custom waterproof box for that and to fit a short hook up lead to it. The two batteries (for range) could then be charged in the trailer, possibly locking it to the hook up point. No need for a long cable and no risk of shock, I hope!

[IanW]

We have various camping hook-up adaptors.
These consist of some variety of plug
UK: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets#BS_1363_.28Type_G.29,
Schuko (actually "CEE 7/7") http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets#CEE_7.2F7
Europlug (actually "CEE 7/16"): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets#CEE_7.2F16_.22Europlug.22_.28Type_C.29

Each wired with about 1 foot / 30 cm of 16-amp capacity cable
with a regular blue 3 pin camping hook-up in-line socket on the other end.

We then have 2 rather longer hook-up extensions with blue camping plug on one end and one blue camping socket on the other
One is a big heavy 16-amp capacity cable that is 30 metres long.
The other is a lighter 3-amp capacity cable that is 10 metres long.

We also have an in-line water-proof RCD device that has a blue camping plug and socket on either side, again about 30 cm long
that can be optionally inserted either directly into a hook-up that already provides a blue camping socket
or immediately after the hook-up adaptor
or on the furthest extent of which ever extension lead we are using.

What we take with us depends on transport vehicle, size of tent, country/countries being visited and electicity supply requirements.

[andrew_s]

I have been thinking about this for a while. My wife now rides an e-trike (DIY conversion of an Ice Q). We tour with a Carry Freedom trailer and my intention is to make a custom waterproof box for that and to fit a short hook up lead to it.

It's worth checking the voltage on caravan site hook-ups. I'd guess that it's probably 110V, which may mean your charging time doubles compared with home charging.

[Paulatic]

UK is 240v blue connectors

[MrsHJ]

I've seen dutch cycle campers with a hook up lead in France. Usual stuff- bombproof tent, comfie chairs, electric hookup, upright bikes, quads of steel. I would like to be dutch, would save a lot of lurking in the loos to charge stuff just so an annoying child/husband can run it out of charge.

When I cycle by myself I will just take a basic kindle I think so it probably won't need charging and an iPhone which will need regular charging but won't take that long. I have a power monkey but the iPad needs too much of the power, better with the phone. Otherwise I'm getting a hub charger.