Length of hook up cable

It is suggested that a 25Mtr hook up cable is carried although a shorter one may suffice if within range of the electric bollard 

Check out the using hook up point on site section in this link.

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/advice-and-training/technical-advice/mains-electrical-installation/

There is nothing wrong with joining cables providing it is done correctly but CAMC does not allow it on site.

Duplicate Deleted User.

When we recently visited a site particular mention was made of make sure you fully unwind your EHU cable. I also noticed the review and wondered if not being fully unwound might have been the reason for them being unplugged. In effect they would not have been full length as some was still on the reel.

We carry both a 10 metre and 25 metre. Both are properly made up cables and I can see no reason why the 10 metre should not be permissible. It is particularly useful on service pitches where it is often only about 6 metres to the bollard, much better than having 25 metres zig zagged across the pitch.

Even two cables joined wouldn’t have reached the bollard at Sestri Levante but a helpful Italian (about two metres away) took my cable in through his caravan window, and between us we found an adaptor to plug into an internal socket outlet in his caravan.  I bet the Club frowns on that too.They do have a lot of rules, don’t they.

Hi

I have just returned from a Club site where we had a problem with the cable length.  My wife and I arrived on site to be told we could pick any pitch we liked as long as it had the two white posts.  Pitch selected, caravan set up, levelled etc. went to connect electric cable to find it to short by about 4m.  Just then saw warden walking along Service road so called him over to show him the problem only to be told very brusquely that my cable must be the wrong length.  Explained that cable was the one supplied by the caravan manufacturer seven years ago and that we had never had this problem before.  Warden strode out length of cable and then said that he was going for his tape measure.  Upon measuring (which I did not observe) warden stated that the cable was short at only 24m (when measured at home with a certified tape measure cable was 24.9m long) and thus to short.  Had to explain that had cable been 1m longer ie 25m long it still would not reach as bollard was to far from pitch.  I was not willing to move caravan as all set up and it looked as if rain was due I therefore suggested that as I had two smaller cables that joined together would overcome the problem I should use them and that any connections would be waterproof as the plug/socket where IP7* after some discussion warden agreed to this arrangement.  Talking to another caravan ner latter I appears that the site had been amended to allow wild areas of grass to grow but unfortunately whoever set it out could not measure

I am aware that the club does not allow joins in a cable. As above if this has been done with the correct IP rated connections I cannot see why the club has a problem and suspect they are are on dodgy ground in refusing such a join.

We use a 25m 2.5mm cable on UK sites and had considered carrying a 10m cable instead but soon discounted the idea due to our continental method. When abroad we use a 45m 1.5mm cable, put two tent pegs in the ground about 5m apart and unwind the cable around these until the cable is fully unwound. 

Incidentally the club does not like 1.5mm cable. Why is beyond me. This cable has an open air capacity to carry 20amp, far higher than the 16amp at the bollard.

Colin

You are right in what you say about the power rating of 1.5mm cable but I don't think you actually use cable.  On the other hand 1.5mm flex, which I imagine you have, is rated at 15 to 16 amp.  In most cases this is more than adequate and much lighter than its 2.5mm brother.  

As with many club rules, it’s not a legal thing but if the club say "you must not", then that’s the way it is. There’s no dodgy ground in them refusing as it’s simply a matter of CAMC calling the shots and members agreeing to abide by the rules.

That might be the stuff we saw most Italians using - flexible, black, rubber coated, on wind up reels , and looked as though they bought it at their version of Wilko - but they knew it was too flimsy to lay it across dirt roadways for cars to drive across over.

We arrived at Spotorno one evening when the site was clearly full, but of course Italian sites never are actually full, so they welcomed us in. Rather than lay cables (or flex) across the dirt road the locals had put them up into trees at one side of the roadway, over and across, and back down a tree at the other side. They were high enough to walk under and even high enough to drive a car under, But we rolled in with a caravan - so everyone turned out and unplugged and climbed trees and dismantled cables to let us through.

No problem at all. No bad temper. No stress. No rules.