I was taken aback when I arrived at a pub site to participate in a rally for V-Dubbders, to find the site only has 6A EHU and only on 4 pitches.
The main party are on the rally field without EHU, and I parked a short distance away from them.
I did not check to confirm the amperage as part of my due diligence, as I have advised others to do so and do not assume it will be 10A or higher.
I knew it is going to be very basic when I booked as the site currently does not have a facilities block with hot shower and flushing toilet (portaloos are available) due to building work being delayed as a result of Covid-19.
However, I was not expecting 6A EHU!
No boiling the kettle, or immersion heater, or using the hob and oven on high.
Good job there is sufficient fuel for heating and hot water.
The pub is nice, famed for its good selection of ciders.
When I asked about hardstanding pitches, the owner said there wasn't any. I asked what would happen if one gets stuck in the mud, and he smiled and pointed at his lovely tractor with pride, quite reassuring to me to be honest.
As mentioned, the owners are in the process of upgrading the facilities, and I would love to come back at a later date to check it out.
At Ratty, I shall provide a site feedback when I get back.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
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One of the things we always like to check is the amperage of the EHUs, especially abroad. For most of the year we only go to sites with at least 10amp, preferably 16!
after starting our ehu camping life off using a site with 6 amp supply and suffering the events the full weekend which included the power going on and off more often than a prostitutes knickers no way will i go on a site that offers that and expects for it to be paid for! ok if its free i will suffer it but for a hassle free weekend i would rather just go off grid and know where you are with that
I can remember when even many big sites were like that. Maybe 150 pitches and only four of them with 5 or 6 amp metered EHU all clustered around one post. That was when they were allowed to set the meters to whatever they liked too.
------------- Best Regards,
Colin
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
6amp usual in France I have 1kw kettle & wife has 1 kw hairdryer. Fan heater ok on half power. But welcome to VW camper meets. When I had my T25 which I haven’t for 15yrs VW fests were no ehu p**sups in a field with a few portaloos which soon got skanky. Can’t you run everything on gas?
It it all T6s these days or are there still Bays & T25s at the meet?
stayed on a 6a ehu in spain a couple of years ago, and it was'nt a problem.i knew before hand what it was, and installed an ammeter, (as explained by Francais) a while back.
we have a 700watt kettle, fridge, coolbox and water heater on constant, and diddnt get anywhere near 6amp, and on a few occasions the voltage dropped to 197volts ,(which lifts yous amp usage up)
no problems at all.
however ,being in spain,we diddnt need any heating on
------------- I predict a riot !!
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Quote: Originally posted by billy on 23/10/2021
Can’t you run everything on gas?
It it all T6s these days or are there still Bays & T25s at the meet?
I do not use or carry LPG by design. Diesel heater and hot water, backed up by air conditioning on the roof and an immersion heater.
Hob is a 2-burner electric one.
Still plenty of the older vans about, don't know their models, sorry.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
Once I knew the supply is only 6A, I made the necessary adjustments after the initial shock, as I still can't find on their website to forewarn peeps about it.
No big deal, and it is quite a nice site, with free music entertainment last night and this evening.
And the owners and their team are very nice and helpful too.
I am coming next year after the upgrading works have completed.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
Quote: Originally posted by billy on 23/10/2021
6amp usual in France I have 1kw kettle & wife has 1 kw hairdryer. Fan heater ok on half power. But welcome to VW camper meets. When I had my T25 which I haven’t for 15yrs VW fests were no ehu p**sups in a field with a few portaloos which soon got skanky. Can’t you run everything on gas?
It it all T6s these days or are there still Bays & T25s at the meet?
Many years ago I had a Bay when I lived in Norfolk. A 1971 model if I remember right and it still gives me nightmares when I think about it. I must admit it was quite old when I bought it but not that old, and probably not as old as the X Trail I have now. How they ever became a cult item I will never know, it was by far the most unreliable vehicle I have ever owned. It broke down that often I knew that if it got me where I wanted to go it probably wouldn't get me back! Very often it didn't either.
I remember driving 10 miles home in the early hours of one winter's morning with my head out of the window all the way because the windscreen was frozen on the inside as well as the outside. The heater was absolutely useless. If I had to list all the things that went wrong with it, I would be here until morning. It put me off VWs for life.
------------- Best Regards,
Colin
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
I had a VW Beetle in Germany 6v 1200cc, it was reliable but slow. Dead easy to service. Wife drove a WW bay window van on base for work, she hated it, very light on steering and not very good brakes. It was a high top so not good on windy days.
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
I chose a MWB VW Crafter as the base van as I had good reviews and recommendations from my neighbour who is a life-long VW owner, and a certified MOT mechanic with his own vehicle servicing business.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
Yes Colin. Things certainly change. If you wanted a cheap old van in those days a Ford Thames or an Austin J4 was a more reliable prospect than a VW. My mate bought an oval window Beetle in 1970 for about £30. The headlights were like candles & the heavier the rain got the less the wipers worked. He dumped it in a lay-by in the end. Oval windows worth a fortune now though.
A restored bay window camper is a lovely looking vehicle though but prices are stratospheric now. It is the 80s T25 that made the best ever camper though imo. I got rid of mine in 2006 for same reason as you. I got fed up with repairing it.
Quote: Originally posted by billy on 24/10/2021
Yes Colin. Things certainly change. If you wanted a cheap old van in those days a Ford Thames or an Austin J4 was a more reliable prospect than a VW. My mate bought an oval window Beetle in 1970 for about £30. The headlights were like candles & the heavier the rain got the less the wipers worked. He dumped it in a lay-by in the end. Oval windows worth a fortune now though.
A restored bay window camper is a lovely looking vehicle though but prices are stratospheric now. It is the 80s T25 that made the best ever camper though imo. I got rid of mine in 2006 for same reason as you. I got fed up with repairing it.
Enjoy your weekend dk !
Post last edited on 24/10/2021 06:56:24
Strange isn't it how yesterday's junk becomes today's treasure. I once had a couple of bubble cars, a Heinkel and an Isetta, both perfectly driveable and roadworthy. I used them regularly. I think I paid £20 for the Heinkel and £30 for the Isetta. Even a total basket case is now worth thousands!
I liked the look of the old VWs, and when it was running OK and the weather was warm and sunny, I actually did like driving mine. What I didn't like though was taking it out on a cold day, or spending more hours fixing it than I did driving it. The heater was practically non-existent, and coming after a Mk2 Cortina that had a heater that you could practically cook chips on, it was a bit of a shock.
I did once have a Thames 15cwt pick-up truck too, and that was far more reliable and the heater worked.
My beetle was comfortable and the heater worked quite well, lights weren't good being 6v.They were very common I Germany at the time LHD obviously so lot of us young airmen bought them. Most then got a new tax free car to bring home. You had to have them 12 months before leaving Germany.
I remember some campsites in France with 6A hookups, probably still are some. OK in summer.
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
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: 6A EHU still exists!
via mobile 23/10/2021 at 11:33am
