best way to hook up on a powered site

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porterm
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Jun 18, 2017 7:26 pm

best way to hook up on a powered site

Post by porterm » Sun Jun 25, 2017 9:05 pm

Hi
We are new to trailer camping and have a basic set up of 6 x 4 box trailer with oztrail tent fitted by Marlin Campers. I am wondering what would be the safest way to attach to power when staying at a powered site in a caravan park?
Is it as easy to just run a lead to a power board? I am not sure if that is safe.
Would like to find out what other people do, I seem to remember a friend who's parents had a caravan that had an external weather proof plug on the outside that hooked up to site power? Is this something that can be added to a trailer camper?
All help would be greatly appreciated
Cheers
Michael

Peterr
Posts: 39
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:00 pm
Location: Gold Coast , QLD

Re: best way to hook up on a powered site

Post by Peterr » Mon Jun 26, 2017 12:18 am

You can get an electrician to fit the setup you mention to your camper; not a cheap thing to do!; but I , and most I know (and I'm an electrician! ) , merely run an extension lead to a power board. Always a good idea to have your own portable safety switch too , but caravan park outlets must have one fitted anyway ....
Peter and Loretta

MDC camper , modded and still modding!

porterm
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Jun 18, 2017 7:26 pm

Re: best way to hook up on a powered site

Post by porterm » Mon Jun 26, 2017 12:15 pm

Thank you Peter

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robcaz
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Location: Stockton NSW
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Re: best way to hook up on a powered site

Post by robcaz » Sat Jul 01, 2017 9:44 am

Hi Michael,

The safest & correct way is to have a licenced electrician install a 15amp caravan inlet with breaker so you can connect a 15amp lead from the caravan park outlet.

At home you can use an ampfibian http://ampfibian.com.au/ to connect your 15amp caravan inlet to your household 10amp outlet. A cheaper alternative is the Jaycar https://www.jaycar.com.au/portable-rcd- ... n/p/MS4044

A homemade lead with 15amp socket & a 10amp plug is illegal http://caravanandmotorhomebooks.com/sup ... aravans-2/
happy camping
Rob & Carol
Australian CamperTrailers Group co-owner


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We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year

Burto51
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu May 15, 2014 4:42 pm

Re: best way to hook up on a powered site

Post by Burto51 » Wed Jul 12, 2017 5:59 pm

Hello Michael,
We have a simple setup that suits us and may give you some ideas, we only use 12 volt led lights, have no noisy water pump, like home when we turn on the tap, water runs out LOL. Our fridge is a three way so when camped it runs on gas. We leave the coffee percolator, TV, air conditioner at home, the vehicle has a 500watt inverter to charge all devices. Hot water is provided by a Coleman which has its own battery.

The trailer setup is as follows
A battery is mounted to the front of the trailer, it is hard wired to the interior LED lights and to a number of 12 volt sockets; it is also has a cable with an Anderson plug attached.

Also in the front is a metal toolbox which in addition to carrying tent pegs etc has a caravan power socket fitted, it is obviously insulated from the toolbox, this socket is a standard 15amp caravan waterproof socket.

The outlet of the caravan socket is hard wired to a 240 volt multi stage battery charger, the output of the charger is connected to a cable fitted with an Anderson plug. To charge the battery it is a simple matter of connecting the two Anderson plugs together, connecting to a 240 volt supply and selecting the charge rate. All electrics in the trailer then can operate as normal with the battery being charged.

Also fitted to the toolbox is a DC to DC charger, the input of which has a cable with an Anderson plug fitted, this cable is connected to the tow vehicle so that the charger operates when the vehicle is in transit. The output of the DC to DC charger has a cable with an Anderson plug that's connects to the battery cable. So then when in transit the charger is connected to the vehicle and to the battery.

If ever (probably never for me) you wished to use solar to charge the battery it would be a simple matter of connecting the solar panel to the battery by an Anderson Plug.

When we are away we have the required extension lead to connect in caravan parks, at home however I have an "illegal" 15 amp cable with a 10 amp plug on the end which I plug into a standard GPO in the shed. Note the shed has its own sub board with RCD's.

Now before we have all the "experts" predicating doom and disaster, a few facts, the charger I am using is a Projecta 12 V/16Amp Part no PC1600, its input is 240volt, 50Hz 432Watt, as power measured in watts and is a function of current and voltage, 432 watts @240 volts equates to a current draw of less than 2 amps. A domestic GPO has a "capacity" of 10 amps, therefore the GPO will never be overloaded, if in fact it was the RCD at the switchboard would trip.

I hope this is of assistance to you in coming up with what suits your setup. As a matter of interest, we went away for 3 months and this system worked well for us , that we did not need solar, generator nor connected to 240 volt in that time.


Burto

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