Caravan & Camping Electric Hook Up Leads

Most campsites you visit in the UK and Europe offer both powered and unpowered pitches. You may bravely choose to be self-sufficient, closer to nature and not use electricity, relying on the 12V battery in your motorhome, or just living basically if your home away from home is a tent. However, most of us prefer camping which involves all the luxuries, electricity offers! Even if you want a simple cup of tea, you will need an electric kettle. Even if you have a fridge in your motorhome, a cool box is very useful to keep drinks cold and really essential if you are camping. It’s very hard to find anything in the tent or awning without lights at night and let’s be honest who wants to go without their mobile phone or ipad for a few days? Most motorhomes and campervans have a 12v leisure battery onboard, which should supply enough power to run a small fridge, recharge phones and run LED lights for a few days, but if you are going away for longer, you will need an Electric Hook up mains lead. Have a look below to see what equipment you may need and the best use practices when hooking into electricity on the campsite.

Where do you find the electric hook ups?

If you book a powered pitch at your chosen campsite, look out for the power supply bollard that will be placed conveniently on or next to your pitch. There may be a power bollard with only one connection point on each pitch, but there can be power bollards with multiple connection points that services a number of pitches, meaning it may be a few pitches away from you, so you need to consider your electric hook up cable length. Here at Leisureshopdirect, we sell cables of numerous lengths, ranging from 10m to 25m.

What kit will you need to hook up to electricity on the campsite?

If you are adventuring away in a motorhome or caravan and want to use electricity during your stay, you only really need a single cable, like the caravan electric hook up mains lead 10m. This hook up cable is really like an extension lead that has a 3-pin electric hook-up male end socket that plugs into the power bollard. The other end fits into the caravan or motorhome in the designated connection point. It is worth mentioning that they are brightly coloured, which helps prevent them becoming a trip hazard and makes then stand out for situations like if the pitch is being mowed.

What electrical hook-up cable will I need for camping?

If you are adventuring away with your family in a tent, then you will need a mains cable that has the same 3-pin electric hook up male end that fits into the power bollard, but at the tent end of the cable it will have at least one UK plug socket. A very popular example is the Triple Mobile Mains Unit. It allows you to plug in the essentials, like lights, cool boxes and then also the vital mobile phones and kids’ tablets! If you like real convenience and luxury then the Outwell Mensa Mains 3 Way Roller Kit could be a great addition to your camping gear. It has three UK sockets and two USB ports for recharging tablets or smart phones. For even more ease of use, it has a very practical roll up reel, which makes packing up very easy, but also keeps the cable safe from damage during storage. It also has built-in 74 LED lights and 1 LED night light, so you will be able to access and use it conveniently during the dark night time.

How should you store your mains cable?

It is a good idea to store your mains cable in a bag or on a reel when it is not in use to firstly keep it from being damaged, but also for convenience, because a 25m cable can get very tangled if it is just thrown in with other camping gear. It is important to make sure the cable is fully uncoiled before using it to supply your home away from home as if a cable is still coiled in any way it can have the tendency to overheat. The Maypole Storage Bag for Mains Cable, is a simple, effective and very affordable storage solution. The Mains Cable Keeper with Storage Bag, also allows you to coil the cable around a strong plastic handle, that then fits into a convenient carry bag.

What is a UK mains electric hook up adapter and when is it useful?

An electric hook up adapter fits to your caravan or motorhome mains extension cable to create a cable with a three-pin plug that can be plugged into a domestic socket. This enables a caravan or motorhome user to connect their vehicle to a UK domestic 13A three-pin socket. This is really useful if you want to test all your electrical equipment before beginning your travels, after your caravan has been stored on your driveway all winter. It is also very useful if you ever pull up in a friends drive way for a short visit, as you can plug into their house electricity supply and have a lovely relaxed stay. A classic example of one of these adapters is the Mains Electric Hook Up UK.

Have a look through this section of electrical hook up cables and accessories to see which set-up will most suit your style of adventuring away! Before we finish though, let’s just remind ourselves that we need to keep safety in mind when using any sort of electricity. Obviously, water and electricity definitely don’t go well together and it’s very important when camping to keep sockets covered and plugs dry. Don’t be tempted to wrap up your mains cables and electrical accessories in any type of polythene, as condensation and moisture can build up. Always store all the electrical equipment in good condition and store it all away safely. If there is any sign of damage, do not use it. It is a good idea to regularly get your electrical gear in your caravan or motorhome tested and try to be aware of how much amperage you are drawing at any one time as if you use to much at once, you can trip the system, making you rather unpopular with your surrounding campers!!!