Campers guide to electrical hook up
We know how much nicer it can be to go camping with all the comforts of home; like a kettle, the hairdryer, stove, etc, but the amount of power these appliances draw is a lot more than you might think. Now, this isn't much of an issue when you supply your own power via a power pack however these are mainly designed for small items such as mobiles phones and lights.
Our Fair Use Policy
We operate under a "fair use policy" where we hope to educate our guests on using our electrical hook up correctly so that all can benefit from it with no upsets. What this means for you is to keep in mind some simple courtesy when using an electrical hookup point.
The following guidelines are recommended:
- Allow staff to ensure you are as close to a hookup as possible
- Ensure you use as short a cable as possible to hook up
- Try to schedule large power draw to out of hours usage
At our campsite we have these restrictions:
- We do not allow rolls of extension leads to be used
- We can loan out our cables rather than you using cables that are too long as this may cause issues based on the excess load being pulled down the circuit
Most campsites provide a 230V supply (likes our Hunstanton site does) however overloading this can cause the system to "trip" and shut it off for everybody, including all guests and those working at the venue! This can cause serious problems and has the potential to persist for hours until a warden or staff member can reset the switch, which is a likely outcome if it happened at an unsociable hour and staff were needed to be woken up!
Electrical Consumption
One quick look at this table you can see just how much power everyday appliances require to work. Now multiply any of the numbers by 10s or even 100s of campers all looking to dry their hair and make a cup of tea in the morning, it all adds up and has the potential to cause some serious issues!
Electricity at these loads can be dangerous especially in damp conditions of a tent or in the open air. Even a 12V battery can give you a nasty shock if used incorrectly.
However, if you follow our guide to use it in the right way, campers can benefit from mains electricity and, if they take the right precautions, they can do it safely.
Electrical Hookup Safety
Electricity at these loads can be dangerous especially in damp conditions of a tent or in the open air. Even a 12V battery can give you a nasty shock if used incorrectly.
However, if you follow our guide to use it in the right way, campers can benefit from mains electricity and, if they take the right precautions, they can do it safely.
Most processions, RVs and collapsing campers have electrical gear fitted by design. On the off chance that you are bringing power into a tent, you should purchase an exceptional connect lead with at least two soggy verification attachments, every one of which will take normal 13A fitting, as you would use at home.
1. Keep everything dry
Tents, and especially the floors of tents, can be damp and that doesn't mix well with electricity. The socket end should have a method of fixing it above the ground such as a clip to fix it to the tent frame poles. Anything that you plug in must be secured and safely kept away from the tent floor as any leaks or condensation build-up could interfere.
2. Sensible power use
You'll likewise have to consider the hardware you want to use when camping. At home, you'll most likely have a lot of sockets and it's uncommon to overload them, yet a campsite hook-up point can easily have its power cut. If you are using a kettle it MUST be a small one designed for camping, as well as any heaters you might bring, and DO NOT try to run the kettle and heater at the same time.
