EHU cable advice

[MajorClanger]

Morning all! Should be picking up the new (to us) bus on Monday or Tuesday, but have been told by the dealer that it doesn't come with an Electric Hook Up cable, so we'll need to buy one. I've looked on Amazon and eBay, and the choice is bewildering! So

• What length will we likely need? 25M or something shorter?
• How many Amps? 16A or something smaller?
• What thickness cable? 1.5mm or 2.5mm?
• What colour? Blue or orange?

Will also need a UK adaptor as we'll be mainly touring in mainland Britain, but I'd guess it should be a match for whatever is chosen above.

Also any suggestions on where best to buy one or any other advice for a novice would be grateful received.

 

[mikebeaches]

I'm finding here in Spain that the majority of sites have just two pins and only the new installations have the universal 3 pin socket.

Yes, I agree - we found quite a few sites in Spain still use 2-pin connections. And a number in France too - especially the more 'rustic' campsites.

 

[Two on Tour]

If you need >15m & only take a 10 & 15m how are you linking them?
I’m thinking of the waterproofing, not the ez male to female join

We use one of these.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=321451254479

 

[pappajohn]

The profit a dealer makes from a van and the wholesale cost of a lead to the dealer bear no resemblance. The dealer is just being a tight arse.

 

[Boris7]

The profit a dealer makes from a van and the wholesale cost of a lead to the dealer bear no resemblance. The dealer is just being a tight arse.

What he said,

When we bought ours the dealer went through the deal and we agreed the price, BUT I then gave him a list of stuff I’d need.

Vesa TV bracket, 25m 16 amp and UK adaptor, levelling ramps, whale express connector, External whale pump, 2 x gas bottles, additional usb charging points, new double dim stereo with sat nav and Apple car play, full service by a Mercedes dealer (inc invoice to show it had been done)

His reply was that we would get 10% discount in their shop, mine was when it’s 100% and all the other stuff call me.

Got in the car and left, took him 10 mins to call.

They asked for payment before collection, and were told no. Debit card on collection once I’m happy.

He said they couldn’t do that, I said call me when you can, he changed his mind.

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[autorouter]

How many Amps? 16A or something smaller?

The round blue plugs and sockets are rated at 16A. There is a slightly larger version that is 32A, but the only reason you need to know that is so you don't buy the wrong one.

How many amps you use depends on the hookup supply limit, and your lifestyle. Some only use hookup to keep the battery topped up, charge phones, a bit of TV, and are happy with a 6 amp supply. Others have aircon, fan heater, kettle, toaster and microwave, and will trip even a16A supply.

If you're a heavy user, a 1.5mm2 cable will have too much voltage drop at high wattages, so a 2.5mm2 cable is required.

 

[bigwood]

We were on a site in Germany and had to use both our hook up leads joined together. The site manager lady asked if we had a joiner box. I hadn’t even given it a thought. She said “We will fix it” and disappeared to the office. She came back with a pastiche bag and some gaffer tape. She wrapped the bag round the cables and then plugged into the hook up. This was in a box that she locked. I was told all is good now. Not very German engineering but she was a large lady not to be arguing with.

 

[autorouter]

BTW 1.5mm blue arctic cable will handle 16amps. Given that the cable is always in "free air" to get sufficient cooling, IMO this is fine for hook up cable and a lot more convenient. Yes there will be a little more voltage drop but that has little or no effect.

In my experience, most of the continental motorhomers use 1.5mm2, and it seems to work for them. I have a 25m length of both 1.5mm2 and 2.5mm2, but that's just me being OTT.

 

[Gromett]

If you're a heavy user, a 1.5mm2 cable will have too much voltage drop at high wattages, so a 2.5mm2 cable is required.

This is important...

Quite a lot of CL's and remote campsites are at the end of a long run of the transmission system so the nominal 240V can drop as low as 190V (I have seen this). You then add a 25M 1.5mm² cable you are going to see the voltage drop even further.
As the voltage drops the current has to increase to give the same amount of power which increases the losses in the cable further.

This is why I always use 2.5mm² cable. I don't see the weight saving as that critical tbh.

There is one CL I was on where the CL itself is around 400-500 metres away from the main house. They have run an armoured cable down to the CL and split it across 4 posts. Due to the long run of armoured and being in the middle of nowhere the voltage had dropped to 210V when I checked it upon arrival. I was the only one there. By the weekend it had caravaners in all 4 of the other pitches running heaters and everything else. I saw the voltage bobble down as low as 180V... Trips on the EHU were tripping quite regularly and complaints to the site owner were made. Back then I was fortunately to have a Victron Multiplus which kicked in and boosted the voltage and also limited my current pull from the post. I was the only one not having tripping issues.

 

[thebriars]

If you're a heavy user, a 1.5mm2 cable will have too much voltage drop at high wattages, so a 2.5mm2 cable is required.

In 20+ years never had a problem. Maybe the kettle takes longer to heat up, or the heater is slightly less effective, but frankly I've never noticed, and is it any wonder? The voltage drop difference between the two cables is pretty insignificant:

With a 25m 1.5mm cable using the full 16amps the voltage drop is 11 volts.
With a 25m 2.5mm cable, the voltage drop is 7.2 volts

For the sake of an extra drop of 3.8v, I'll stick with my lighter, more manageable 1.5mm cable.

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[thebriars]

As the voltage drops the current has to increase to give the same amount of power which increases the losses in the cable further.

That's just it, you don't get the same amount of power.

With resistive loads such as the kettle and water heater, as the voltage drops so does the current.

 

[Gromett]

That's just it, you don't get the same amount of power.

With resistive loads such as the kettle and water heater, as the voltage drops so does the current.

Yup, but not all loads are purely resistive.

 

[thebriars]

Yup, but not all loads are purely resistive.

Most, if not all of the power hungry ones are. The only high current mains appliances in my motorhome are the heater/water heater, oven, grill and hob, and an electric kettle. The 12v charger doesn't use much current, and being switch mode is not at all fussy about the voltage.

 

[Gromett]

The 12v charger doesn't use much current, and being switch mode is not at all fussy about the voltage.

It is the switched mode chargers not being fussy that means it can push the current pull up.

An example. My victron charger was capable of charging at 120Amps into the battery which is 1440Watts excluding losses.
@240V this is 6 Amps
@190V this is 7.5 Amps

Add to this my computer which has a switch mode PSU, The battery charger for my ryobi tools, the electric bike charger and on an on.

As for heating running off mains. I never had electric heating option, nor oven, grill or hob. These have always been gas in my vans. The only heating of this nature was my briefly owned electric water heater belt on the Truma boiler. This pulled at max 1.3Kw and was always used in conjunction with the gas to speed up the heating. It took too long on it's own.

To be honest for most people none of this matters. Just carry whatever cable makes you happy. If you want to save a couple of 100g by using a 1.5mm² cable go for it .

 

[thebriars]

It is the switched mode chargers not being fussy that means it can push the current pull up.

An example. My victron charger was capable of charging at 120Amps into the battery which is 1440Watts excluding losses.
@240V this is 6 Amps
@190V this is 7.5 Amps

Add to this my computer which has a switch mode PSU, The battery charger for my ryobi tools, the electric bike charger and on an on.

Nothing like 16 amps there with your Victron charger, and most of us don't need that sort of charging capacity. lol.

Forgive me for recognising the obvious, but I am well aware of what devices use switch mode power supplies these days. After all I worked on the design and built the first commercially available switch mode power supplies in the UK some 50 years ago.

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[Gromett]

Nothing like 16 amps there with your Victron charger, and most of us don't need that sort of charging capacity. lol.

Forgive me for recognising the obvious, but I am well aware of what devices use switch mode power supplies these days. After all I worked on the design and built the first commercially available switch mode power supplies in the UK some 50 years ago.

We are going round in circles here. I wasn't trying to teach grandma to suck eggs. I was simply trying to refute your point that there are more restive loads in motorhomes. My point was that in my vans for the last 15 years have all had more switched mode devices than resistive loads. Not saying I am representative I honestly don't know.

Other than that I am now not sure what we are debating

 

[thebriars]

We are going round in circles here. I wasn't trying to teach grandma to suck eggs. I was simply trying to refute your point that there are more restive loads in motorhomes. My point was that in my vans for the last 15 years have all had more switched mode devices than resistive loads. Not saying I am representative I honestly don't know.

Other than that I am now not sure what we are debating

I never made the point that there are more resistive loads in motorhomes, but I did say that the appliances/devices with resistive loads are usually the more power hungry.

 

[Gromett]

I never made the point that there are more resistive loads in motorhomes, but I did say that the appliances/devices with resistive loads are usually the more power hungry.

I give up

 

[NorthernSoul]

In 20+ years never had a problem. Maybe the kettle takes longer to heat up, or the heater is slightly less effective, but frankly I've never noticed, and is it any wonder? The voltage drop difference between the two cables is pretty insignificant:

With a 25m 1.5mm cable using the full 16amps the voltage drop is 11 volts.
With a 25m 2.5mm cable, the voltage drop is 7.2 volts

For the sake of an extra drop of 3.8v, I'll stick with my lighter, more manageable 1.5mm cable.

Thanks for those figures. I have a 25m 2.5mm cable which came with our motorhome. I've been thinking of buying a shorter lead (15m) for use on most sites. Based on your figures a 15m 1.5mm cable will have a voltage drop of 6.6V, which is less voltage drop than my 25m cable where most of its length is normally stuffed under the van. So 1.5mm x 15m sounds like a good option.

 

[Pausim]

I carry both a 25m and a 15m cable (both 2.5mm2). If I had to leave one at home it would be the short one because more often than not only the long one reaches the bollard.

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[lunarman]

Also any suggestions on where best to buy one or any other advice for a novice would be grateful received.

I see you are in Bristol I have a brand new 25m hook up lead you can have for a tenner if you want to collect it.

 

[thebriars]

Thanks for those figures. I have a 25m 2.5mm cable which came with our motorhome. I've been thinking of buying a shorter lead (15m) for use on most sites. Based on your figures a 15m 1.5mm cable will have a voltage drop of 6.6V, which is less voltage drop than my 25m cable where most of its length is normally stuffed under the van. So 1.5mm x 15m sounds like a good option.

Those figures assume you are actually using 16amps, usually it will be far less. I now carry a 10m arctic cable and a 15m arctic cable with a water-resistant join cover. Most of the time the 10m suffices, and its pretty rare to need all 25m both here and abroad.

 

[thebriars]

I give up

Thank goodness.

 

[MajorClanger]

All,

After much deliberation, we’ve gone for a 25m blue arctic cable 2.5mm^2 off of Amazon for £38.60 as it had good reviews.
I'm not sure if we’ll need the low temperature performance of the arctic cable, but Mumma Clanger prefers the colour

Also, we were in Go Outdoors this morning and they had 16A flying sockets for £3.50 (which is cheaper than I’ve seen on Amazon). I have a box full of “kettle” leads with moulded 13A plugs on them so I’m going to make up my own UK adapter.

If, after a few uses, I find the 25M cable too long, I’ll split it around the ⅗ mark and a 16A plug/socket pair.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[BobandLoulou]

Hi all, I enjoyed this thread and found it very useful, I am currently in the same position and surprised that the dealer I am getting my second hand Motorhome from isn't throwing in a cable, but he is doing all the other additional work I asked for in the deal. thanks for all the contributions.

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[BobandLoulou]

By the way, I think I will get the orange 10m and 15m cables with joiner and adapters for UK and Spain etc. Phew.

 

[Lenny HB]

By the way, I think I will get the orange 10m and 15m cables with joiner and adapters for UK and Spain etc. Phew.

A bit short for Spain you often need 40 - 50m.
I very seldom use EHU but carry a 25m & 15m lead both 1.5mm sq cable we don't use much power the heating is gas only.

 

[peterc10]

We carry 2 x 25m cables and, on occasions, have needed them both. But we rarely use "proper" campsites. The one I always use if hooked up, including at home, is 2.5mm. The spare one is 1.5mm.

 

[Nirvanauk]

Thanks all. I'll push for the EHU as part of the deal, as they've already bumped our collection date twice!
(We've already managed to negotiate a full tank of diesel and both LPG cylinders filled for the inconvenience )

Just get a 25 metre cable. I’ve never needed anything more but got close to needing it on some CMC sites

 

[peterc10]

In my experience, most of the continental motorhomers use 1.5mm2, and it seems to work for them.

That is because few, if any, motorhomes sold on the continent have electric heating or cooking. All gas.

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[Nasher]

As, I sure many others have, I bought a 25m cable and cut it down to make a 15m and a 10m cable - I have rarely ever needed to use the 15m mainly use the 10m - but once had to join the 2

I also made a short cable (about 3m) for use on home hook-up - that way, when I make an early morning start (usually in the rain) I don't have to coil up a wet 10m lead and put it in the Motorhome - I just disconnect the little one & leave it in the (home) garage