Ok can any one explain how electrics work

[periana]

Picked up our 2004 fiat dacuto only drove it 45k where a garage are fitting 130watt solar and a battery etc also having a
Roof fan fitted and service but my problem is having only really driven it a short time not had time look into cables leeds
Etc we get it back Wednesday then have just 4 days before we drive 2000k from south of Spain to Cherbourg to catch ferry to Ireland. Can any body advise me what to look for and what I will need to have on board to make trip smoother all I see was a
Short cable with a 2 pin at one end and a blue round type plug the other end about 2 metres long no hosepipe the fiat dacuto came from Sweden and has had plates changed to Spanish so we got booklets for every thing but it’s all in. Swedish and the garage doing the work speak very little English,
Any advice would be most grateful

 

[Camping Gaza]

The 2 pin with the blue 3 pin (socket) is your hook up lead that plugs your van into any external power outlet, as you will find on campsites etc.

WARNING: If the blue thing is a PLUG and not a socket you will see 3 brass pins that you can touch with your fingers IF SO this is WRONG and DANGEROUS. it should be a SOCKET with 3 holes in the end that plugs into the PLUG on your campervan

(sorry if this sounds like first grade at school but some people get this the wrong way round)

SOCKET:

PLUG:

2 meters is a bit short, and there was probably a cable reel with somewhere in the region of 20 meters or so of cable. the ones you find in the diy stores. you will need one of these so go get one rated at least 3000 watts UNWOUND, look at the label on the reel when buying or ask the nice Spanish shop assistant

you plug the blue cable with the 2 pin plug into the camper van. The blue end to the vans blue power in socket, normally located under a flap outside or in the battery compartment for the leisure batter. The 2 pin plug goes into the cable reel and once reeled out the plug on the end of the cable reel goes into the mains outlet.

keep all this away from water and make sure you unreel the cable fully or they can get hot and well, you know the rest.

a good long hosepipe is good, and is a short one. use a collapsible one, not one to water the garden, too heavy, also a watering can is good for when you just need a top up.

don't forget a good handful of tap fittings, and adaptors for the hose.

When you are on electric hook up it will also charge your leisure batteries automatically, but NOT (in all probability) your starter battery so be advised on that. It will run your fridge too but you may have to switch that manually.

 

[138go]

Couple of these will help with filling up. Saves carrying hoses and lots of different connectors. Also means you don't have to get near a tap.

 

[periana]

thank you very helpful indeed i did think that was what it was for so will go out and get the extension lead and hose would a light weight material type of hose to get that expands.don’t know about watering can do they not take up a fiat bit of space. Will see when I finally get the van home which I have just had a call and Monday looks good?

 

[DBK]

thank you very helpful indeed i did think that was what it was for so will go out and get the extension lead and hose would a light weight material type of hose to get that expands.don’t know about watering can do they not take up a fiat bit of space. Will see when I finally get the van home which I have just had a call and Monday looks good?

There are two main types of plug to connect to the supply on a campsite. The most common now are the ones with three round pins, as shown above:

But you will also find two pin sockets in places. For these you need an adaptor like the one shown in this link: www.amazon.co.uk/European-Adaptor-Coupler-Caravan-Camping/dp/B00EHI8WR4

Amazon product ASIN B00EHI8WR4
You can also do it the other way round and have an extension lead with a two pin plug and use a suitable adaptor to connect to a three pin socket. If you buy the extension in Spain the supplier will be able to explain what you need.

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[periana]

When I get the van back I will check the lead and see what I have the of to the ferrita to get extension lead and a adapter thanks

 

[namwaldog]

Welcome periana

A couple of points perhaps worth thinking about...

Could you put details on here of the actual make and model of your MH rather than Fiat Ducato which is the base vehicle. Someone else may have the same model and the English manuals for it. May be able to pick up manuals online.

Notice you are based in Periana ( N. Of Lake Vinuela ?) Lovely area, perhaps there are motorhome dealers near you with onsite accessories shop? There is a showroom full of accessories at Isla Plana, nr Mazarron but that is a long way from you.

Anyone else know of similar shops near Nerja, Torre del Mar, Malaga area?
Barry

 

[periana]

You know the area well I take it you been around here before. Thanks I will update my model and see if I get any one that has the same model but from what understand it’s made for the Scandinavian market. And the only dealer near us is in Mijas they are doing solar panel and fan but lack a lot of spares. They order parts in

 

[pappajohn]

Most items on motorhome no matter where its made, like the electric hook up lead, are universal throughout Europe. the only thing sometimes being different is the plug end of the lead on the campsites electric post but even that is becoming standard
So even though your van is for the Scandinavian market most things will be interchangeable.

 

[The Wino]

Just be aware different people find different things usefull for instance I have never seen the need to carry a watering can (we only stay in one place a night or at the most 2 so then drive to the tap) others swear by them!

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[St Ivian]

We use a Collapz watering can on site. As the name suggests it collapses making it easy to store. Takes up hardly any room. Available from Amazon for £34.99.

 

[namwaldog]

You know the area well I take it you been around here before

Don't know it that well, we have over wintered on the coast at Almayate and had a few trips up around Vinuela. Stayed a short while at
https://campinglavinuela.es/
when the Almond trees were in blossom in the area a couple of years ago.

I just remembered a post I put on a while back but it is probably the same place that you are getting your van sorted...

E H Hartley's motorhomes - branch in Spain.

Just browsing through last months MMM magazine and noticed this advert. Might be handy for anyone needing anything in the area. Coordinates from Google maps given as.. 36.541073,-4.652525 On the A7053 from Fuengirola to Mijas Golf No idea how long they have been open or what they are...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Safe travels

Barry

 

[autorouter]

As others have said, you will need a hookup cable with a blue plug on one end, and a blue socket on the other end. This type of plug is common throughout Europe, including the UK and Ireland. Most campsites will have a hookup post with a blue socket, for you to plug this cable into.

However some campsites, and some places where you can stay that are not proper campsites, will have an electric supply from the standard domestic socket found in local houses. You will need an adapter from the local domestic-type socket to the blue socket. That's what the short cable with 2-pin plug and blue socket is.

You might need an adapter for any of the different domestic sockets of any countries that you are staying in. The UK and Ireland use domestic sockets with 3 square pins arranged in a triangle.

You can buy an adapter in local camping shops and big DIY stores.

You might think it's a good idea just to get a one-piece adapter to fit onto a plug, but that doesn't always work. Often the connection is in a box with a door, and there's just no room for a plug with an adapter on it.