We are creatures of habit and mains electricity seems to be a comfort we take for granted and want in our motorhomes and campervans. Of course, you can manage without electricity for days on end and many motorhomes and camper van owners do just that.
How Do I Use Electricity at a Campsite? Many campsites provide motorhome, camper van and caravan owners with an electric hook-up (EHU). There are safety precautions to take with electricity due to damp weather and to avoid injury through fire, but they are simple to use and provide power for those essentials.
E.H.U. or EHU means ‘Electric Hook Up’ and can be found at many, but not all, motorhome campsites. Some campsites only have electric hook-ups on premium pitches. Needless to say, there are occasions where you roll up at a campsite only to find that the EHU isn’t working.
Let’s take a look at all things electric.
Electric Hook-Up Cables (EHU)
Electric hook-up cables for use in motorhomes, campervans or caravans for that matter, need to meet a minimum specification. While you could pick-up the individual components are wire it yourself, buying a readymade cable is the best advice.
Purpose made cables come with a plug at each end, one male the other female. In simple terms, one plug has pins, the other has holes.
Cables come in several standard lengths, usually 10m, 15m and 25m. Which should you choose?
I have a single 25-metre cable which serves me well. Often the cable is too long as the electric point is close-by. On other occasions, the run between the van and the closest electric point means I use every metre.
Cables are orange in colour, so they can be seen easily outside as they trail across the grass from the electric point to your van.
The cable must be made of flexible PVC and have three cores, each of which must be 2.5mm in diameter. The cable must be able to handle 16 amps. Some thinner cables can only handle a lower amp rating. In all cases, the rating should be printed on the cable. The white and blue male and female connectors should comply to British Standard BS-EN 60309-2.
To keep the cable tidy, I have it on a reel, which makes it easy to roll up after use and stops it becoming tangled. Discover more on electric cables.
Electric Points at Campsites
The electric power supply at a campsite will usually be on a post with one or two sockets, or in a box where they are multiple sockets available.
Campsites in the UK are required by law to have each connection tested for safety every year.
Many sites number the sockets so that everyone has one of their own. I have seen a few times where people who run two cables, one for their motorhome, and a second for their awning or tent. This can deprive another user of electricity and is the height of selfishness.
You should connect the female end of the cable first, which goes into the socket on the side of your van. Uncoil your cable as you go and plug-in to the post or box. Most points these days are simply used by pushing your male plug into the socket. However, some also need you to twist the plug to make the connection.
Check back in your van that all is well with the electric supply. If it isn’t working, this could be because the campsite hasn’t turned on your supply, or because a fuse breaker has tripped at the electric point. If you are unable to resolve the electric supply fault easily, the campsite wardens should be able to help.
When you come to leave the campsite, try not to drive away and pull the electric post with you! It does happen. I have a piece of laminated card I keep in the driver door pocket, which I take out and lean against the foot pedals to remind me the following day, that I am still connected. This has saved potential embarrassment and dangerous damage on more than one occasion.
To disconnect your motorhome, start at the electric post or box end. Disconnect your cable, remembering a twist to release if necessary. Now disconnect at the van end and reel the cable back on to the storage drum. Doing it this way around, means you aren’t reeling up your cable while it is still connected to the electric supply.
Can I Join Two Electric Cables Together?
In theory, yes. In practice, this is like to bring the wrath of the campsite wardens.
If you were to join two electric hook-up cables together, this means you will have a point on the ground where the two are joined. In the case of damp or rain, water can infiltrate its way into the plug and socket and cause a fire, blow the circuit breakers or other more serious damage. Think sparks and fireworks!
If you were to join two cables together, the wardens at your campsite will ask you to disconnect and remove them for the safety of all. The larger club sites in-particular are very hot on joined cables and may ask you to leave if you refuse to remove an extended cable. Electricity is a dangerous commodity and can kill, so don’t join cables together.
That said, in Europe, things seem to be a little laxer and I have seen both joined cables and cable splitters used, left on the ground and rained on. Hardly the model of safety.
Motorhome Electric Phase Tester
In the UK, all campsite electric points should be in the correct phase. That is, they are all wired correctly and in the same way.
When you travel to Europe, sometimes an EHU point may be wired up in a reverse way, meaning your electricity is out of phase.
A simple way to check is by using a phase tester. When you have connected the electric cable to your motorhome or campervan, before you use an appliance, you plug the tester into one of the mains sockets inside our van, to make sure the power is on the correct phase. If all is well, then you can carry on as usual.
However, if the electricity is out of phase, it could damage your appliances. The solution is a convertor which will correct the phase. This goes on the cable outside the van, before it is plugged in.
The tester should then be used again to make sure all is well. The phase tester isn’t designed to remain plugged in, so as soon as you are finished, it should be removed.
Electric Converter Plugs
In the UK, the electric point at campsites use the same connection, so you won’t need any converters.
Across the channel, things can sometimes be different. While I was travelling in France and Spain, I came across just a single campsite electric point with a different fitting. The handy converter plug I had carried for all those months was finally pressed into service.
A second converter plug you might decide to buy is one to use at home. This will plug into the male end of the cable and then into a standard socket at home. This can be useful if you need electricity in the van before you leave, perhaps to cool down the fridge, or to do other work.
Volts, Amps, and Watts
The voltage supplied will be like your home electricity, running at +/-230 volts AC at 50Hz, both in the UK and in the EU.
The amp rating will vary from site to site. Some supplies can be as high as 16 amps, and others as low as five, or even two amps. The lower the amp rating, the fewer electric items the supply will be able to run. If you try and run too many items at the same time, expect fuses breakers to trip, which will annoy site owners who may have to re-set them for you.
For watts, each electric item you run will show the wattage. This may be printed on the appliance or was on the box when you bought it. They may also show the amp rating required.
The chart below lists some common motorhome electric accessories and the typical amp and watt ratings.
A simple way to work out if the supply can handle an item is a formula:
Volts x Amps = Watts
For instance:
230 volts x 5 Amps = 1,150 Watts
In this example, a five-amp supply from the electric hook-up should be able to run appliances with a total rating of up to 1,150 watts.
A 10-amp supply at 230-volts comes to 2,300 watts and top of the pile, 16-amps can provide 3,680 watts.
Typical Motorhome Power Uses
We all take different electrical bits and pieces with us as we travel. Here is a range of items, showing example power requirements.
| APPLIANCE | WATTS | AMPS |
| LCD Television | 50 | 0.2 |
| Laptop Charger | 230 | 1.0 |
| 700-watt Microwave | 700 | 3.1 |
| Toaster | 900 | 3.9 |
| 1-kilowatt heater | 1,000 | 4.4 |
| 1,300 watt Hair Dryer | 1,300 | 5.6 |
| Water Heater | 1,500 | 6.5 |
| Home Kettle | 2,300 | 10.0 |
Cable Safety
You should only use an orange cable, which can be clearly seen on the ground outside your van up to the electric supply point. This will help to prevent the cable from being a trip hazard.
Cables should never be joined together to make a longer run. The connecting point can be out in the rain and water and electricity don’t mix.
You should always unroll all the cable from its storage reel. The reason for this is because if even part is rolled up, it will heat up and could melt the cable. This can cause a fuse to blow, or worse, the cable can catch fire and burn your van down. I unreel the cable and push any excess under the van, which also puts a trip hazard out of the way.
Electricity in an Awning or Tent
Electricity is a dangerous commodity and can injure or kill. No more so when mixed with water or damp. Cue your awning or tent.
Any electric point you put into an awning or tent needs to be kept off the ground and have a separate breaker circuit. If there is any rain or damp, then it should be disconnected.
That also applies overnight when you are asleep, whether you expect rain or not, as an early morning dew can have the same devastation effect.
What is the Longest Cable at a Motorhome Campsite?
Personally, I use a 25-metre cable, which is the longest permitted at many campsites.
Sometimes this can be too long, and I have plenty of excess when it is unrolled. However, I have even at many campsites where the electric point is some distance away from the van and need to use every metre.
Shorter cables could be carried in addition to a longer one, giving you a choice. Remember, however, that electric cables can be quite heavy, so watch your payload limits if you carry more than one.
Female and Male Electric Plugs and Sockets Explained
This section could be read the wrong way, but that depends on how your mind works!
Why is a female socket called female and a male plug male?
Well, taking the male one first. This plug has three pins inside, which extend and plug into the female socket. The female socket has three holes, into which the male pins are inserted.
I said it was your mind at work, but it is an easy way to remember which is which.
When you connect to an electric supply at the campsite, you will need to take the male end of your cable to the outside point. The female ends plug into the fitting on the side of your van.
Does the EHU Charge Motorhome Leisure Batteries?
This will depend on your van and the way the electrical controller is wired.
Most vans won’t change the leisure batteries from the EHU and only do from the engine. However, some others will. You will need to check the manual for your specific model of motorhome to answer this question.
Should I Run the Fridge on Electric or Gas?
You have arrived at your destination after a drive and now it’s time to check the fridge.
At the campsite, you have the electric hook-up cable installed and tested, with electricity flowing into your motorhome.
Your three-way fridge will no longer work from the 12-volt DC, as your engine is off and power for the fridge is not supplied from the leisure batteries. Your choice it to run the fridge from your gas bottles, or from the 230-volt electric supply. Which to do?
Logic dictates that you will use the electricity, as that is generally included in your pitch fee at the campsite. That works for most circumstances, but there are exceptions.
In mainland Europe, the number of amps supplied can be very low, sometimes down to five amps. If you are planning to run other electrical appliances, it could be that with the fridge on the electric, there are insufficient amps for everything you need.
One option is to switch the fridge off while you use the other appliances, but if you are anything like me, you’ll forget to switch it back on again afterward.
In the case of a low amp’s supply, using the gas option for the fridge may be more beneficial.
Using the gas bottle will cost you money, but remember, some campsites charge extra for electricity depending on how much you expect to use, the gas bottle may be your friend.
Safe travels!