Next time you are in France stay at the Chateau Marquis de Vauban Aire in Blaye about 25 miles North of Bordeaux. They have a couple in their grounds.
Thanks. I have seen pictures. Sadly, with many things going on in our lives, I can't see us ever getting back to France in the motorhome. We have only been to one rally this year and done one other evening at another, plus a few hour at Henham both without the van. Those close to us, know some of the issues.
It's pretty obviously not much of a danger the way motorhomes are used on the continent as I've seen lots of dodgy electrics and coiled cables but never seen any overheat. I don't think it is just the resistance of the cable it's also the coiled cable acting as an electromagnet.
The inductive effect is minimal. It would also act only as a very weak electro magnet as its only the harmonics having an effect. You take the risk if you like, but please do not minimise it just because you have never seen it!
I think the ones who say it's not a problem because of the way they use their motorhome and don't use a lot of mains power have a point. It's like everything else motorhome related what suits/ affects one person doesn't necessarily affect the next. People who have an inverter and use a lot of mains appliances and use a fan heater in the awning and electricity to heat water and mains kettle etc should certainly be very careful about coiled cables. People who only use electric to charge batteries, power led lights etc are probably fine no matter if they uncoil the cable or not
Who were you replying too?If you're forgetful enough to use lots of amps while your cable is on a drum, then please uncoil it fully ready for when you forget.
Don't presume we're all like you..
No offence
So how much current does you charger, fridge, in fact any other electrical equipment you have on board use, when it develops a fault? Not all things have catastrophic failures that blow fuses or trip out, even something like a failing leasure battery could cause a charger to run flat out for a long period of time, add that to you being away from the camper all day, while your cable real is sat in direct sun for a few hours in the southern Mediterranean.If you're forgetful enough to use lots of amps while your cable is on a drum, then please uncoil it fully ready for when you forget.
Don't presume we're all like you..
No offence
I do exactly the same as maison (ie. loop up the cable over my arm, rather than winding onto a drum.) I lay out what I need, and then lay the rest with the remaining loops loosely coiled but not quite on top of each other. Meaning, I throw down the remaining cable at a slight angle, so that each loop is not quite on top of the next. When I recover the cable I loop it onto my left arm, and wipe the cable as I do so with a cloth as I pick it up and make the loops. The cable goes into a round ducksback cable bag and is shoved into the back alongside my jack, in a spot which it wouldn't fit into if it were on a drum. It's a 25m cable so it's a bit heavy on the arm, but it's not really any bother doing it this way. I was given a drum to use, but after one attempt reverted back to drumless!
The problem only occurs when there is a metal core to the cable drum because it creates an electromagnetic field. If you have a plastic core it might get slightly warm if you draw maximum current, especially if you have a cable with thin (cheap) wire, but otherwise it will be fine.
Sorry but that is absolute bunkem and extremely dangerous advice. You clearly have not bothered to read the rest of the thread or review any of the other evidence.
Nothing to do with metal core, wire rating allows for ventilation, the wire needs to be ventilated, in a tight coil it is not ventilated, also the résistance of copper goes up with tempreture, the hotter the coil of wire the more resistance, the more resistance the hotter it gets, add 35C air tempreture in South of spain and it is potentially easy to get thermal runaway, resulting in a fire.
Yes you can, we have a 25m and a 10m and had to join them together once in Spain due to the nearest posts not working. If your cables are good quality there is no problem.
Sorry - I thought you meant it was an electrical effect caused by being in a coil.
Life is one big risk. The motorhome might get stolen, someone might crash into you, you might have a heart attack while driving. Best keep your tens of thousands in the bank. Hang on - the bank might go bust. Best under the mattress.
Pah! That's nothing compared with the 144 here on 'How to Use the Toilet'
And if you really want to push the boat out you can have their 4 course lunch with a different wine with each course and followed by a tour of the winery. We did that before Covid and the cost was €23. Now it has doubled almost.And don’t forget to sample a bottle (or more!) of one of their reds. Even the less expensive ones, although still costing circa €19!, were worth buying as a treat.
They have a point, I agree. However, they could be parked up in their vehicle, obviously MHers of experience, but using no heavy draw appliances. Then another van could arrive, pitch up near them, think 'oh, that van has only unrolled the amount of cable it needs to get to the post' and do the same. Because they're new and inexperienced. And they then turn on all the appliances they usually use at home and which they've bought in their new, new-to-them, or rental van...
I've occasionally done my good safety deed for the day when returning late from the pub and noticed that those whom I assume to be newcomers have turned in for the night without unplugging their mains cable from the bollard.
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