- Jul 28, 2008
- 949
- 981
- Funster No
- 3,483
- MH
- Ducato Sportivo
- Exp
- Since 2005! 2000+ nights so far...
I built our van, and 240v electrics are good and up to standard 
Dual pole MCB/RCD and double pole switches. So I don't tend to worry about hookup polarity. Also think we've only used hookup a couple of times as never need it.
Anyway, on hookup in Spain, and for 2 days everything fine.
(hookup cable into 16A socket into UK plug into Euro 2 pin adapter as the hookup was provided as EU socket)
Half way through day 3 mains stopped working... Odd.
Socket tester (vvv low current but powered by the socket being tested) in the van showed 220v (fine) but anything of load did not work (even when in same socket as the tester) - even neon lights on fused spur for heater would not light up (which it was doing for the first few days). And when I put load on, the socket tester flipped from "correct" to "live/ground reverse" and back to "correct" once load disconnected. Odd!!! And our CU was indicating reversed polarity....
Anyway, got reception out (cable "locked" in their box), and the socket worked with their bulb tester (as expected) but not with my EU hookup plug, but then simply reversing our EU plug in their socket, everything in the van started working again (albeit socket tester now shows "live/neutral reverse")
I'm not convinced I saw an earth pin in their socket...!
But anyway, logically I can't explain what the issue was/is and (a) how it worked for 2d before stopping; and how (b) simply rotating the plug 180' and getting LN reverse fixed the problem?! (especially as van internals dont care about polarity)
Not sure if the suspect earth is in play in the hookup EU plug/socket and perhaps was touching connection but not making a good connection (pinless) - but enough not to show a "missing earth" fault.
Sadly no time to play/test as reception locked the box as soon as I said it now works!
Dual pole MCB/RCD and double pole switches. So I don't tend to worry about hookup polarity. Also think we've only used hookup a couple of times as never need it.Anyway, on hookup in Spain, and for 2 days everything fine.
(hookup cable into 16A socket into UK plug into Euro 2 pin adapter as the hookup was provided as EU socket)
Half way through day 3 mains stopped working... Odd.
Socket tester (vvv low current but powered by the socket being tested) in the van showed 220v (fine) but anything of load did not work (even when in same socket as the tester) - even neon lights on fused spur for heater would not light up (which it was doing for the first few days). And when I put load on, the socket tester flipped from "correct" to "live/ground reverse" and back to "correct" once load disconnected. Odd!!! And our CU was indicating reversed polarity....
Anyway, got reception out (cable "locked" in their box), and the socket worked with their bulb tester (as expected) but not with my EU hookup plug, but then simply reversing our EU plug in their socket, everything in the van started working again (albeit socket tester now shows "live/neutral reverse")
I'm not convinced I saw an earth pin in their socket...!
But anyway, logically I can't explain what the issue was/is and (a) how it worked for 2d before stopping; and how (b) simply rotating the plug 180' and getting LN reverse fixed the problem?! (especially as van internals dont care about polarity)
Not sure if the suspect earth is in play in the hookup EU plug/socket and perhaps was touching connection but not making a good connection (pinless) - but enough not to show a "missing earth" fault.
Sadly no time to play/test as reception locked the box as soon as I said it now works!