Using a tent lead in a van anywhere is a no no as they are for tents only using the adapter on a lead feeding a van that is fitted with hook up if fine as long as its not exposed to weather
Kind of, there is a few sellers on Ebay all selling the same thing and a couple of the others say they are good for 25 mtrs, this was just the cheapest. Seeing as you're quite handy you could probably make one out of some plywood, sadly the only thing I can make out of wood is logs.
I think Pauls point is that he hasn't got mains hook up in his van to plug the lead into and is wanting to use the tent version.
well that is what i have done in the past and thought it was fine, but I asked the question and Matt has said it's a no no!
Regards Leads... The regs say the lead should be 2.5mm and 25 metres long (plus or minus 2 metres). Sites don't impose this. I have seen 25m of cable coiled up on the floor and also several daisy chained leads covering quite some distance. I do have a 25m lead (somewhere) but as I don't normally use on I just keep a 10m lead in the van which doesn't take a lot of room up.
My van has no hook up, except the mobile cable that you say is for tent only use. The box says it's ok for motorhomes! Therefore there doesn't seem to be a cheap/easy way of extending my camping into the winter. Going propex is expensive and needs fancy wiring set up as discussed in this thread. My plan was to just try a low watt oil filled radiator and take electricity from campsite hook up using my mobile hook up, but that is unsafe! Any suggestions anyone?
Suggest you contact Trading Standards as it clearly isn't compliant with any edition of the Electrical regulations from about the year dot (if the year dot was indeed the early 80s) for use in a motorhome. I now know why people keep insisting Im wrong about this.
As i have said on the other thread you have asked me about this lead you can use them in a awning of a motor home but not in the motor home its self. it does say above in bigger letters can be hung in tent or clipped to tent pole along with the web site stating that its for tents As a electrician i can only give advice that follows the regs electrical reg section 721 electrical installations in caravans and motor caravans 721.43.1 protection equipotential bonding structural metallic parts which are accessible from within the caravan shell be connected through main protective bonding conductors to the main earth terminal within the caravan At the end of the day its your choice but if something went wrong its not just you but anyone that comes into contact with the van that could be effected
I think the only reason they say 25m for you leads is this is the max distance the regs say a campsite should have between their hook up points
If it's just the bonding issue, if Paul can get into the box it shouldn't be too hard to rig a 4mm earth tail he could bolt to something that earths to the chassis? If that helps from a safety perspective & gets him winter camping any reasons why not?
@matty Apologies that this is in more than one thread now, I posted in the thread you linked me to and then didn't check back. I appreciate your time on this matter, I will listen to your advice. I certainly trust your judgement (and others) rather than believe a go outdoors box. Once funds allow I will get a proper 240v set up as described in this thread! I can't justify it at the moment for a possible few nights of winter camping. Sorry for thread hijack.
I read this thread and wondered if my intended temporary set up was not safe. I've been told it isn't a good idea by people who know far more than me, i will listen to and follow that advice. I won't be contacting trading standards about my mobile hook up, but I may take it back!
you would need a 4mm2 earth cable from the body work to the earth connection of the RCD but a other issue is where you run the cable through to the inside of the van as said i can say what the reg say regards a permanent installation in a van getting my head out of my arse If you think about if you where using a drill or something when working on the inside of the van how would you do it
that is what i used to do and would have kept doing if i hadn't ready your bloody thread @zed . Now I have learnt from my errors and won't take such risks again!
