Electric hook ups

[Canardly]

Before I burn myself to death with t candle lantern what form does electric hook up/supply take? (showing my ignorance again) is this 110v or 240v or 12v or what have you when camping?

[Kim]

Bog standard 240V single-phase mains, usually on a 16A ceeform connector.  Often fed through a relatively weedily-rated MCB (5A or so) so the caravan brigade don't take the piss with heating loads.

[rogerzilla]

I know people with tents who use EHU for running a heater of some description; presumably a fan heater is the only thing that would spread a bit of heat around, since an oil-filled radiator would just convect all its heat straight out of the roof above it.

I don't like them on principle, although I suppose it avoids having to dive into bed at dusk because it's too cold to sit around doing anything else.

[Kim]

Halogen radiant heater would be the best bet for that.  Heats the humans without having to bother about heating the air.

[clarion]

Hook up?

*puts everyone in this thread on Ignore*

[Kim]

Not guilty!

I don't think anyone would question my dedication to off-grid gadget use.  I just happen to know a bit about the enemy.  As it were


(More seriously: I don't actually believe in caravan-bashing, or even everything-and-the-kitchen-sink-camping bashing.  It's just a bit further up the cheating scale than using a bike: it's all good.  Though I accept that my experience of caravan users is biased towards the elderly and disabled.)

[Polar Bear]

Hook up?

*puts everyone in this thread on Ignore*

Does that include yourself?

[clarion]

You make a very good point just before I put you on Ignore, too.

[Polar Bear]

I wonder what happens if you ignore yourself...

[1gear]

240V.
If your going to be in a tent and want to hook up to electric make sure you spend on a proper EHU with waterproof covers on the sockets and fuses. It makes it alot safer. You can buy adapters to adapt from the site plugs to a normal 3 pin plug but you lack fuses and they aren't really made for damp areas.
UK campsites normally have around 10A i think, not 5. Its usually foreign campsites in warm areas that will be around 5A with them thinking you wont need to have heaters on. Over here you can have a caravan plugged in, charging the leisure battery, have the heater on full wack, a TV on and boil a kettle at once and there be no problems. Lighting on caravans is normally all 12V with the odd 240v lights so that is never a problem in a caravan.

Im thinking about getting an EHU for my tent if me and the GF get into tenting. It will be nice to have a heater on if its cold at night and a little lamp on.

[SteveC]

We have a hookup (MrsC likes her camping 'comfortable' and, as I get older, I find I agree more and more!).
Used it for the first time in France last year.  We were running a small kettle off it, as well as using it to recharge the iPod, the phones, the cameras, the laptop...
We intend to get a fridge (again a very small one) next, but as we're currently not planning a major camping holiday this year that may well have to wait. 

Recommended if you're in the 'luxurious' end of the camping spectrum

S

[Tim Hall]

Im thinking about getting an EHU for my tent if me and the GF get into tenting. It will be nice to have a heater on if its cold at night and a little lamp on.

But you're a young man. If it gets cold, you snuggle down in your sleeping bags and share body heat.

[andygates]

If I stuff a ceeform-to-4-way extension in my bikepacking luggage, you all have a license to point and laugh at that epic solar thread.   

[clarion]

*points*

*laughs*

[jogler]

  Though I accept that my experience of caravan users is biased towards the elderly and disabled.)

myself & mrs. jogler a la Mildenhall made an impression then