Like most Brits, I would guess, I carry the orange heavy duty EHU cable with me on trips and it is such a pain, being heavy and fairly inflexible. Almost without exception European campers tend to use much lighter cables which they easily wind-up or roll-up after use, the kind of cable that we use in wind-up extension leads. Given that we don`t run loads of equipment and the max amps on sites tends to be 16A, are the heavy duty cables really necessary?
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Quote: Originally posted by badger54 on 23/9/2025
Like most Brits, I would guess, I carry the orange heavy duty EHU cable with me on trips and it is such a pain, being heavy and fairly inflexible. Almost without exception European campers tend to use much lighter cables which they easily wind-up or roll-up after use, the kind of cable that we use in wind-up extension leads. Given that we don`t run loads of equipment and the max amps on sites tends to be 16A, are the heavy duty cables really necessary?
Bear in mind that some EU sites still have only 6A supplies, and 6A used to be the norm in EU, which I believe could explain why EU campers' EHU leads are not as hefty as ours.
Personally, I carry a 5m, and 10m and a 25m cables in my van, and use whichever is the shortest length possible.
I may look at investing on a cable wheel that I could put on the ground to wind up the cable, like a garden hose wheel that I have at home.
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
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The 25m 16A rated cable may seem overkill, and a bit of a PITA, and for most of us it is in a common usage sense, BUT the requirement is to cover 'worst case' scenario. The EHU bollard is capable of supplying 16A and EVERTHING downstream of that SHOULD be similarly rated. To do otherwise invites risk and injury/damage.
I also carry a 10A rated shorter 15m cable (it's actually safely capable of carrying 16A, albeit with a slightly higher volt drop), which I'm inclined to use when close enough to the bollard and in summer when only light loads drawn, and of course on a 10A or lower rated EHU such as abroad. But with an electrical engineering background, I'm fully aware of loading limitations and volt drops on cables, so can be certain I'm not pushing things too far, that's too big an ask for campers in general, so for safety's sake, they should stick with the 16A rated cable, for UK 16A EHU anyway.
Considering how many people you see using excess length EHU cable still tightly coiled on a drum, there is no latitude for downgrading the 16A cable! A lighted rated cable would overheat quicker!
The 16A cable is also physically more robust than a lighter rated cable, as the outer sheath is proportionally thicker, and they often get dragged over sharp stones, walked on, even driven over, so robustness is a good thing.
I too curse having to coil up 25m of 'iron bar' on a cold day, and 'lose' more than half it's length loosely coiled under the van when right next to the EHU bollard. But equally I've needed every last meter of that 25m on some sites, so a shorter cable would not do. You could carry a selection of lengths to best suit each site EHU, but that's payload weight, stowage space and expense to consider.
Having seen some of the accidents waiting to happen with some of the cable concoctions to get connected I'm glad of my 25m/16A cable.
The majority of sites and aires we've stayed on in France have the standard blue plug and although we have adapters we've used them less and less over the years.
Additionally we've stayed on sites in France and Germany where we've needed two 25m cables to reach the supply outlet.
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If on a tent like us, I have cut the lead off my RCD box and fitted another plug approximately 30cm from the box and then added a socket to the end of the lead. All connections of plug and socket are inside the tent in the dry. This allows me to roll the cable up much neater and in doing so it means I do t have to drag 25 MTRS of lead thru the tent to pull thru the zip for the electric lead. I used appropriate plug and socket and I'm more than qualified to do so. It makes it much more user friendly in my opinion
Quote: Originally posted by Somersetcamping on 24/9/2025
If on a tent like us, I have cut the lead off my RCD box and fitted another plug approximately 30cm from the box and then added a socket to the end of the lead. All connections of plug and socket are inside the tent in the dry. This allows me to roll the cable up much neater and in doing so it means I do t have to drag 25 MTRS of lead thru the tent to pull thru the zip for the electric lead. I used appropriate plug and socket and I'm more than qualified to do so. It makes it much more user friendly in my opinion
That's what Mucker did too.
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 Somersetcamping on 24/9/2025
If on a tent like us, I have cut the lead off my RCD box and fitted another plug approximately 30cm from the box and then added a socket to the end of the lead. All connections of plug and socket are inside the tent in the dry. This allows me to roll the cable up much neater and in doing so it means I do t have to drag 25 MTRS of lead thru the tent to pull thru the zip for the electric lead. I used appropriate plug and socket and I'm more than qualified to do so. It makes it much more user friendly in my opinion
That's what Mucker did too.
DK
My tent EHU cable is a 25m one AND a 16A rated cable, the joint near the RCD/sockets is a good idea, but think I'd downrate the cable to a 10A one to ease use and save weight if I were to modify it, after all the breaker in the box is only rated to 10A, so the 16A cable is overkill and can NEVER have it's full capacity utilised (unlike a caravan/MH where o/a load CAN be 16A!).
All a bit academic for me, don't think my tent hook up cable has been used in last 8 years! All tent use has been on non-EHU pitches in that time!
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
I like the idea of having the 16amp cable as it is better in my opinion to be over kill on the cable and use it under what is rated for just incase. I keep meaning to make up a 10mtr 16amp lead save trailing the 25 mtr one around and trying to keep any excess tidy and out of the way from the children running about
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Topic: EHU Cable
via mobile 24/9/2025 at 8:02am
