Hook up Cable

About 30 years ago I melted a coiled extension lead whilst using a heat gun to take off some vinyl lettering, luckily it was outside and not next to anything flammable.
What I have done with my ehu cable I got another male and female plug cut the cable in two giving me a 10 meter and 15 meter lengths and if I really need something longer I join them together giving me 25 meters but I find most of the time the 10 mtr is long enough
 
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I coil my cables rather than using a reel. It means that I can plug into the van and walk to the hook-up point letting it unfold behind me on the floor. When I recoil it up I keep it coiled using old, but shortened belts to stop it tangling. I find the cables are then much easier to store as they can be shoved into corners that a solid reel won't go. So, no electric fire bar effect and space saved. By the way, there are loads of examples on YouTube of how to coil a cable without tangling it.
 
helen262 said:
About 30 years ago I melted a coiled extension lead whilst using a heat gun to take off some vinyl lettering, luckily it was outside and not next to anything flammable.
What I have done with my ehu cable I got another male and female plug cut the cable in two giving me a 10 meter and 15 meter lengths and if I really need something longer I join them together giving me 25 meters but I find most of the time the 10 mtr is long enough
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This to me makes a lot of sense and is a good idea but I recall a number of folk in the past saying this is not permitted on campsites, supposedly due to the blue 16A plugs having an insufficient IP rating to be exposed to the elements? I have no idea if that (campsites not permitting) is the case or not, but just relaying recalled comments. (after all, if it is on the internet, it must be true :D )
 
cronkle said:
I coil my cables rather than using a reel. It means that I can plug into the van and walk to the hook-up point letting it unfold behind me on the floor. When I recoil it up I keep it coiled using old, but shortened belts to stop it tangling. I find the cables are then much easier to store as they can be shoved into corners that a solid reel won't go. So, no electric fire bar effect and space saved. By the way, there are loads of examples on YouTube of how to coil a cable without tangling it.
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I'm a coiler and not a reeler as well. Coil them up loosely and keep them, along with any adapters, tidy in a bag like this - https://amzn.to/2EvzN6Z
 
wildebus said:
This to me makes a lot of sense and is a good idea but I recall a number of folk in the past saying this is not permitted on campsites, supposedly due to the blue 16A plugs having an insufficient IP rating to be exposed to the elements? I have no idea if that (campsites not permitting) is the case or not, but just relaying recalled comments. (after all, if it is on the internet, it must be true :D )
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I think the C&MHC still have it in their rules.
 
It only takes a few seconds to walk up and down the pitch a couple of times laying out the EHU cable in order to avoid this problem.

I also understand that some people haven`t the time or just plain couldn`t be bothered to do it, the technical term is ................. lazy buggers.

So ......... if the cable happens to burn out, you have been warned, ( don`t come running to me if you break your leg ) as my Granny used to say o_O
 
It depends. If you are just charging the batteries, leaving it coiled is fine.
If you will (or even if you might) be using it for cooking, kettle, or any other larger load, uncoil it.
 
I carry a 25mtr cable mainly for sites with EHU but also have a 5mtr cable just for the genny so I don’t need to keep wrapping the big one up. Thick cable in the frost doesn’t wind nice lol

I just wind it loosely round my bike rack then have a couple of ties to keep it together then stuff in one of the lockers. I just trail it around to open it up when using

edit: just remembered, I also carry a 25mtr cable with RCB box on the end and three pin plug sockets like you use with a trailer tent/tent. That’s mainly for if anyone has a problem with their electrics (only been useful once at the frog) but it’s there if needed
 
As a retired electrician more or less ALL the above posts are true, but I try and set up precedences/habit irrespective what’s being used at the end of the lead I ALWAYS UNROLL the EHU cable and generally loose it under the moho.

If by chance you buy ANY connection box or otherwise be sure to check it’s IP rating, what you really need is at least IP 67 (belt and braces)
 
Nosmo king said:
As a retired electrician more or less ALL the above posts are true, but I try and set up precedences/habit irrespective what’s being used at the end of the lead I ALWAYS UNROLL the EHU cable and generally loose it under the moho.

If by chance you buy ANY connection box or otherwise be sure to check it’s IP rating, what you really need is at least IP 67
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Quite right.
The person making the connection might be plugging in to charge the battery and not bother unrolling but someone else may go and plug a kettle in....
 
The reason I unroll the lead and lose it under the moho is two fold, it gets rid of electrical problems and also to avoid the trip hazard
 
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I have a 30m hookup cable. I chopped off a third and connected a new blue 16amp plug/socket to the cut ends. This gives me a 10m length for short distances, if that is too short I get the 20m one and if it's still too short , I plug the 10 into the 20m and I'm back to 30m....easy peasy and always uncoiled.
I dont use a reel, just 'rope' it up and stow it in the locker, easy to tell which is the short and which is the long!!

Connect new plug/socket correctly to avoid reverse polarity. If you're not sure what that is, get a sparky to fit!!
 
Not only may you melt the cable but any electrical motors could burn out if not getting correct voltage ,esp on start up,fan heaters springs to mind.
I let a chap use my power washer which requires high amps to start and run,brought it back saying it only went for 1/2 hr,i ask him did he uncoil the ex lead drum,he replied why,i pointed at details on side of drum stating 2500w uncoiled and 750w coiled,my washer uses 2000w,ment nothing to him as he did not know a watt from a where. :unsure:
 
Thank you all for your very helpful answers, this is why I love this community (y)

Sending love from Spain.
 
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Wot they said,init
 
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