hi all im looking for an electric hook up for dandy tt iv seen some on ebay cheaper than the other ones they look just like the blue plug in for campsite and 3 sockets, are these safe or should i really get the more expensive safer looking ones please help
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Link would help, but I suspect your talking about ones like this Dodgy ebay cable
In which case most certainly not.
Please read this thread its also a sticky at the top f the page Ehu safety thread
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Oh God, for my first EHU camping trip i bought a reel with 2 sockets on and a blue 3 pin plug for the campsite electric source, i bought it from a man on a camping selling page who made them up for prople who needed them for camping, we used it for 3 days in October when it was windy and rainy and didnt give it a 2nd thought.....wow, i didnt realise these could be dangerous, i have recently bought a different TT with plugs in so i also bought a long orange proper cable with the two blue ends and sold the reel at a car boot for a fiver.... the man who made it for me assured me that he makes them for many people and he uses them himself....
I was trying to keep costs down as the proper ones with the covered sockets are so expensive when starting out,
Be safe and buy the proper kit, it seems i was lucky and could have paid a hefty price had it gone wrong x
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Enjoyed trailer-tenting,
Now loving caravanning 😊😊
as my dear Mother always says, buy cheap, buy twice. I have hunted out bargains for everything as new to camping. However, the two things I would not mess with and bought brand new were EHU and a new gas bottle and all the correct fittings... regulator etc.
Save money on the other stuff, but not with stuff that can do you harm..........watch me now trip and fracture my leg on a guy rope haha
------------- As a child my families menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it.
I have just got this from halfords EHU which I'm happy with. They are very hard to get hold of though, only 2 stores within 60 miles had one.
We also paid with love to shop vouchers and capital bond vouchers that we received for free, the unit ended up costing £1.99 (£30 in vouchers) and the fuel (about £4.50), we also got cash back because I reserved through topcashback (£0.95) so (£5.50 ish for a £40 hook up).
My wife said they looked a bit expensive, her dad had seen them for £10 on ebay, I pointed out I wouldn't trust them and where electrics were involved I'd rather be safe than sorry, but even she was pleased with the quality.
Quote: Originally posted by paulyk74 on 10/7/2013
as my dear Mother always says, buy cheap, buy twice. I have hunted out bargains for everything as new to camping. However, the two things I would not mess with and bought brand new were EHU and a new gas bottle and all the correct fittings... regulator etc.
Save money on the other stuff, but not with stuff that can do you harm..........watch me now trip and fracture my leg on a guy rope haha
Paul, you mention a new gas bottle, but when you exchange for a refil, you could get any bottle, I've seen many customers disgruntled because their new bottle is exchanged for a rusty one. They have all been tested before being refilled anyway.
yes steve those are the ones cudnt copy the link (am bit techno challenged )
but thanks for all advice everyone think il wait a while and do without electrics til i save for the safer looking one theres something nice about camping without it 2 and just bought some solar fairylights in argos
thanks everyone again
------------- lifes too short.... lets enjoy it while we can
You need the blue 16A plug, correctly wired with live, neutral and earth in the correct pins. 2.5mm2 HOFR cable.
A double pole RCD 30mA. Many are single pole.
Caravans are special locations in the regulations due to the inherent danger of electric in a metal box in the middle of a field. The earthing is TT not TN-C-S as in most houses. This means the RCD is the lifeline to protect you in the event of a short circuit.
Caravans are insulated from the ground. They have rubber tyres anbd probably rubber feet under the corner steadies. Dandies have. It is important that the chassis of the caravan is bonded to the earth of the cable from the EHU.
This will enable the RCD to trip if there is a short circuit to the metalwork. If not, in the event of a short circuit, it could sit there live, waiting for you to touch it from outside with your feet in contact with the ground. Then you have to hope that the RCD really does work and that your heart is strong enough to survive the shock.
Sorry, but thats how it is.
A dandy is really a caravan as it has a metal chassis and body. It really needs to have a fixed electrical installation correctly installed in accordance with the regulations.
At it's simplest, have one twin socket fed from a 2 way consumer unit with DP RCD. that willl give the basic safe infrastructure.
yikes tnx navver that would probably happen 2 me alright , so your saying that i shouldnt even use the proper ehu and get the dandy properly wired 4 electric is this hard to do (wer not really good at diy) or should it be done professionally maybe wel just go off grid (with the dandy anyway)
------------- lifes too short.... lets enjoy it while we can
If you haven't got sockets fitted in your camper, you could use one of these, just run the cable under a bit of canvas somewhere. They are the proper job with a proper plug and RCD etc and they have three sockets.
If portable appliances are used, no fixed wiring or fixed appliances installed the chance of a short circuit to the metal chassis is highly unlikely.Take care to ensure that the incoming cable isn't in contact with the metal frame and the risks are minimal.
We rely on RCD protection in the home and garden and have no option but to rely on the RCD to operate correctly,if it is manually tripped via the test button, as soon as connected and before using any appliance ,then you have confirmed that it operates,whether it operates at the correct level or within the correct time then it would need to be properly tested.
I agree Saxo but the RCD will only work if there is an earth return path to the substation. If none it will only work on the current passing through the person.
Virtually all, if not all, equipment used outdoors at home is now class 2 double insulated with no earth connection so no earthed metal to worry about.
A caravan and a dandy are metal boxes and rely on an earth for the RCD to trip before a person touches it and gets the shock.
Yes the risk is low as long as the EHU lead is in good condition with no damge to the sheath etc. The risk may be lower than driving the car to the site in the first place but it does still exist.
I never cease to be amazed at what some otherwise very intelligent and responsible people plug in. It's as if electricity is so safe now they think they won't be harmed.'
A 30mA RCD needs an earth of less than 1667ohms which is very high but a caravan or dandy on rubber tyres and plastic steady feet may be that much.
The caravan site should be wired as TT not TN C S as houses are. This removes the danger of a lost neutral but can you be sure that the electrician with the lowest price the farmer employed knows about this.
This is bad form chaps,it really is no use harping on about TT, TNCS etc,you are quite simply having a little argument amongst yourselves,whilst confusing (no disrespect Dee) the op. As an electrician whose qualifications and experience will match most,I can honestly say,that in any but the most extreme circumstances,the 3 way rcd protected ehu available from GO Outdoors will be perfectly fine for the Dandy.
End of argument. Anything posted after this is a new argument!!
------------- Silence is golden
Duct tape is silver
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: which ehu
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yikes tnx navver that would probably happen 2 me alright , so your saying that i shouldnt even use the proper ehu and get the dandy properly wired 4 electric is this hard to do (wer not really good at diy) or should it be done professionally maybe wel just go off grid (with the dandy anyway)
