hook up cable struggles

I would give the plastic surfaces a light sanding and then a good dollop of Vaseline, even on the pins. That should work a treat. Is there someone else available to hold the flap up so you can use two hands?

Hello, KeefySher; the one used at home is shorter and less of a trip hazard where we park the van. Not much of a reason I know, neither is that I might forget the cable if one wasn't always in the van or that the one in the van is a faff to get out. We used to use the 'site one' until there was an incident.

No worries. Ours is 'threaded' around various garden ornaments to keep it from being a trip hazard.

In the days of the MH we used to reply to enquiries of 'why is that lead there?', with 'it's an electric MH, and is charging ready for the next journey '.

Using the site one at home means it won't be left behind in our case as the cable travels in the boot of the tow car. Also means as it requires winding up can check it's condition, and make sure the other bits of kit are taken out of the garage.

I use GT85 PTFE spray on my hook up and 7 pin plugs and sockets - it is a bike lubricant really, but does a good job of cleaning and making plastic 'slippery'. Aldi sometimes have it in at a very good price and a can lasts ages. It's good on window seals, door and window hinges, locker/doorlocks and many other little household & caravan jobs.

tesco also sell it at £2:

Personally, i would advise against the use of vaseline or  a grease as these tend to 'grab' and hold dirt and grit and will be  a swine to clean out of the receiver tubes in the socket end of the cable, should you get grit particles in there.

On plastic components it is better to use silicon grease rather than Vaseline which can attack rubber washers and gaskets (particularly O rings). I would spray the electrical connections sparingly with WD40 and wipe off any excess as it attracts dirt etc. as has been said.

Not  difficult  to  remove  actually,  Markflip  --  the  only  safe  use  for  those  bits  of  cotton  wool  on  a  stick 

Keep both plastic and metal parts clean and lubricted but don't sand or file brass pins tubes as they rely on an interference fit for safety.