Electric Hook-Up (V6)

[helen&tony]

Hi
What about this then? :
I plan to fit a surface- mount caravan inlet to the towbar, feed a wire through flexible conduit and grommet, to a waterproof socket in the Bongo :- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CARAVAN-MOTOR ... cbb&_uhb=1 and plug one of these in : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kampa-Pitch-Pow ... 691&sr=8-7..
Does that sound safe?
Cheers
Helen

[Velocette]

Hi
What about this then? :
I plan to fit a surface- mount caravan inlet to the towbar, feed a wire through flexible conduit and grommet, to a waterproof socket in the Bongo :- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CARAVAN-MOTOR ... cbb&_uhb=1 and plug one of these in : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kampa-Pitch-Pow ... 691&sr=8-7..
Does that sound safe?
Cheers
Helen

If there is no earth to the vehicle, the RCD won't protct you if the vehicle becomes live. If you are going to the trouble of useing an external chassis plug, why not fit a hard wired RCD?

[Velocette]

I have a camping lead with rcd screwed to the rear kitchen unit.the lead fits under the tail gate door even when shut.used mine like this for the last three years with no probs at all.it was fitted like this when the conversion was done and works really well. Not dangerous at all. Most sockets you plug into are rcd protected aswell.if they were that dangerous they wouldn't sell them to go into tents let alone campers.

The thing is that a tent does not have a large area of metal to become live. It needs only a mains carrying cable to get caught for a connection to be made and the RCD is unlikely to trip unless the vehicle body is earthed to it.

Now in the real world I do exactly what lots of other people do and use a camping lead because I am confident that no cables are going to get trapped.

I have been FLAMED on here before for suggesting using a camping lead in the van so although I do it myself, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone because the things are designed for tents and awnings, not vehicles and there is a better way to do it almost as cheaply.

I will be fitting a hardwired (£20) consumer unit before my next holiday.

[g8dhe]

The other solution of course is to move the RCD (or add another) to a point where it can protect you...
If you put the RCD at the source of the power to you, rather than at the end of the lead, you then protect the lead itself which is the most likely cause of any problems. So you buy an in-line waterproof RCD and add it just after the plug, now should the mains lead to the vehicle become damaged either outside of the vehicle or at the entry point to the vehicle you and anyone touching the vehicle is protected.

[Velocette]

The other solution of course is to move the RCD (or add another) to a point where it can protect you...
If you put the RCD at the source of the power to you, rather than at the end of the lead, you then protect the lead itself which is the most likely cause of any problems. So you buy an in-line waterproof RCD and add it just after the plug, now should the mains lead to the vehicle become damaged either outside of the vehicle or at the entry point to the vehicle you and anyone touching the vehicle is protected.

If they have their feet on the ground yes, in the vehicle no as there has to be a path to earth for the fault current to be detcted as I understand it.

To be honest though you still wouldn't be in danger as far as I know until you stepped out of the vehicle as to get a shock you need a return path too in which case the site RCD if there is one and it is working correctly should trip.

Having thought about this I am less convinced by the earlier thread but am still going to go with the two way garage consumer unit.

[g8dhe]

Yup that is the situation, if you don't have your feet on an earthed area then your not going to get a shock anyway! But if the vehicle becomes live then anyone touching it or stepping out does get the belt. An internal RCD at the end of the lead will not protect you if the lead is damaged, whilst one at the post where the plug is will.

[helen&tony]

Hi
That makes sense...For me, it's only to run a lead in for a C-Tek...which I can plonk on the floor in the driver's footwell, and plug into a dash socket...AND it will run charge if we go to a site with hookups...PLUS be available to charge mains appliances....
So...a protected lead will be an even better bet!
Right....off to look for a protected lead!!!
Cheers
Helen

[g8dhe]

This in-line RCD is a good one very easy to fit yourself;

Its waterproof to IP65, it has the lowest trip current possible for direct contact purposes @10mA as opposed to the normal 30mA and is very easy to fit!
See this thread a while back for more details http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 72&t=52401

[helen&tony]

Hi
I remember that thread...thanks, Geoff...I'll get one of those in our hookup lead...we've got a "site" 3-pin in the back garden, so we can run wire up the back garden, and we'll have one in the yard, so It'll be useful...
Cheers
Helen