# 16A Cable Reels - Anyone Interested?



## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

I have been struggling to find anything that meets my requirements in form of a cable reel for use on camp sites and at aires.

In France/Germany we saw many people running normal 4 socket 13A extension leads with home made connectors as obviously manually winding up cable can be a bit of a bind and there isn't much out there in the UK in terms of 16A cable reels (lots of 110v stuff for building sites, but not much 240v)

I have looked into having some made:

40m of Blue Arctic Cable (stays soft in upto -20 conditions)
Metal Framed Wind up Drum
16A Socket Mounted on the Reel 
Fly lead with 1 or 2m of cable to connect the reel to the van.

Obviously if you are running more than 1KW load you will need to fully unravel the cable but the fact it is arctic cable and on a solid reel should make wind up easy.

Something like the above would probably be £50-£60 given that the cable is quite expensive.

Is this something others would be interested in? The only thing that I would benefit from would be getting my cable reel a little bit cheaper through a bulk buy - but just wondered if anyone else was interested in the concept or knew of something else that already existed.

EDIT: PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY CABLE REEL SHOULD BE FULLY UNWOUND BEFORE USE!!


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Hi Addie;

I've got a similar set up, I bought the reel from a French supermarket and the fly lead from a dealer in Germany.

I think you might struggle to get anyone interested. I personally find them very convenient and can't really understand why they haven't caught on in UK....










Pete


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## aultymer (Jun 20, 2006)

> I personally find them very convenient and can't really understand why they haven't caught on in UK....


Thank goodness they haven't caught on if they are used as per illustration!!!


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Addie
have look at www.tooledup.com about £39

Whats the difference between blue and yellow plugs

I use an old hosepipe reel

Cheers Dave P


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## some-where-in-oxford (Apr 18, 2006)

At work I have a yellow transformer, 240v to 120v, this came with yellow sockets and yellow plugs. Used on building sites, for portable power tools.

I believe yellow is for 120 volt, and blue for 240 volt.


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

They advertise this unit as 240v butin more info 110 v
explains yellow plugs


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## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

I would like to remind people that any extension reel should be fully unwound before use. If not the reel will get hot and under heavy load will eventually melt and cause a fire


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

Hi Peejay,

I saw your pic on another thread - I didn't find anything like that in any of the supermarkets I looked it - its a good idea because unlike UK plug sockets they have caps over the unused sockets - although I'm not sure if the sockets used would be truly weather proof - hence I want something with proper 16A weatherproof sockets throughout.

(amazes me how many people troll these forums with critical comments!)


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## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

Addie said:


> Hi Peejay,
> 
> I saw your pic on another thread - I didn't find anything like that in any of the supermarkets I looked it - its a good idea because unlike UK plug sockets they have caps over the unused sockets - although I'm not sure if the sockets used would be truly weather proof - hence I want something with proper 16A weatherproof sockets throughout.
> 
> (amazes me how many people troll these forums with critical comments!)


If you are talking about my fire warning, yes it is critical if you run one of these extension reels at 16A and dont fully unroll it. Try it and see for your self.


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## aultymer (Jun 20, 2006)

> (amazes me how many people troll these forums with critical comments!)


Dear Muppet, 
I am amazed how many people will accept comments on here uncritically! 
Trolls or otherwise. 
If someone shows a photograph of a patently unsafe layout there should be more comment otherwise the uncritical and uneducated may be led into dangerous practices.


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## HarleyDave (Jul 1, 2007)

Addie said:


> I have been ...
> 
> Obviously if you are running more than 1KW load you will need to fully unravel the cable but the fact it is arctic cable and on a solid reel should make wind up easy...


The OP made the disclaimer already

Cheers

Dave


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

Jezport said:


> If you are talking about my fire warning, yes it is critical if you run one of these extension reels at 16A and dont fully unroll it. Try it and see for your self.


No, it was directed at aultymer - but to be fair I did state in my opening post that it should be fully unwound. 'The reel should be unwound' topic was covered in a massive 4 pages of depth on another thread!

I was hoping for replies on topic - is anyone interested in the reel or can they recommend an alternative etc.

Maybe it's a generation thing - I'm in my 20's and I find this forum much 'bitchier' then some of the more 'jobbish' forums I frequent.

edit: Thanks HarleyDave - I thought I was going mad for a minute.

Please can we keep the thread on topic?

Thanks!

Addie


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## UncleNorm (May 1, 2005)

Dear Addie,

Many _*inexperienced *_motorhomers 'troll' this site looking for advice. It is important that the advice is CORRECT.

So I'm with Aultymer and Jezport and YOU, Addie, in that I hope that electric reels are always fully unwound before use.

"Better safe than sorry!"

"Prevention is better than cure!"

Yours sincerely,
etc...


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

UncleNorm said:


> Dear Addie,
> 
> Many _*inexperienced *_motorhomers 'troll' this site looking for advice. It is important that the advice is CORRECT.


UncleNorm - Thanks for your post! 

In terms of a 'troll' what I meant was:

An troll is someone who posts controversial, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll )

As you rightly say I had mentioned the fact that it needs to be unwound in my opening post - hoping this tread wouldn't turn into all the others harping on about unwinding a reel!



aultymer said:


> Dear Muppet,
> I am amazed how many people will accept comments on here uncritically!
> Trolls or otherwise.
> If someone shows a photograph of a patently unsafe layout there should be more comment otherwise the uncritical and uneducated may be led into dangerous practices.


Your post was hardly constructive (the photo posted by peejay had already be commented on at length on another thread!) - if you had said that it was potential unsafe if used wound then I wouldn't have called you a troll but you replied with a flippant remark which did not serve to educate the uneducated about the dangers of using a coiled cable reel.

 Please keep this thread on topic

Can anyone recommend a suitable cable before I have one made up as above?

Cheers


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## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

Addie said:


> Jezport said:
> 
> 
> > If you are talking about my fire warning, yes it is critical if you run one of these extension reels at 16A and dont fully unroll it. Try it and see for your self.
> ...


As there is a large photo on this thread showing a reel connected to a van fully wound up and in use I felt I should put a warning up as I did nit want anyone to have an accident. The fact that it is discussed on another thread wont help anyone reading this one.

I feel that my comments are on topic, if moderators disagree they can remove my posts.


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

WE bought ours in Germany and use it at home as well....

Carol

Price was €79


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## aultymer (Jun 20, 2006)

Jezport, I'm with you on this. 
Don't know why some people get so het up about obvious mistakes being pointed out! 
I also do not see how the description of an internet Troll could apply to anything that has been posted here. 
It was NOT the OP I was commenting on but the illustration of an unwound reel in use. 

Addie, have you ever considered anger management counselling?


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

aultymer said:


> Jezport, I'm with you on this.
> Don't know why some people get so het up about obvious mistakes being pointed out!
> I also do not see how the description of an internet Troll could apply to anything that has been posted here.
> It was NOT the OP I was commenting on but the illustration of an unwound reel in use.
> ...


You are quite literally the definition of an internet troll - proved by the comments you have just posted. Your posts in this tread are neither constructive, on topic or necessary.

I am not at all angry - just genuinely disappointed that this thread has been dragged off course. I have already contacted Jezport direct via PM to explain I wasn't at all criticising him - his comments were constructive not flippant like your initial troll post and this subsequent one.

I shall ask moderators to delete this tread and thank you for Carol, peejay, DTPCHEMICALS, some-where-in-oxford and Jezport for your contributions.

Feel free to contact me via PM should you take exception to my comments but if this thread remains please keep to the original discussion 

Thanks


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

Addie said:


> An troll is someone who posts controversial, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.


I don't see anything in this thread that is either controversial, irrelevant or off-topic. To draw attention to potentially hazardous practices is absolutely relevant.

I do not however see the need to use derogatory terms such as "Dear Muppett" or to suggest that another member requires anger counseling, please desist from this sort of unnecessary personal abuse or risk being excluded from the discussion.


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## aultymer (Jun 20, 2006)

As always Gaspode, you are absolutely correct. 
Being called a Troll for pointing out a hazard is just a bit personal however.


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## Jean-Luc (Jul 21, 2005)

To wind or unwind, that is the question!! In front of me I have a JoJo 10M cable reel BS5733 with the following instructions - 
WARNING - 'Max current fully wound 3 amp Max current fully unwound 10 amp Unwind fully before use'. now that appears to me to mean that it is OK to leave the coil unwound if the amperage is low, say if on a continental site with a 3 amp trip, which is probably why we see a lot of unwound reels in use on continental sites.


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## sersol (Aug 1, 2005)

Jean-Luc said:


> To wind or unwind, that is the question!! In front of me I have a JoJo 10M cable reel BS5733 with the following instructions -
> WARNING - 'Max current fully wound 3 amp Max current fully unwound 10 amp Unwind fully before use'. now that appears to me to mean that it is OK to leave the coil unwound if the amperage is low, say if on a continental site with a 3 amp trip, which is probably why we see a lot of unwound reels in use on continental sites.


But, in the main who knows what current they are drawing on site in this country,normally between 10 & 16a.I have found that most people only know they are "over drawing" when the trip pops.
On the rare occasion we have EHU I always unroll my reel completly or use the shorter 4 metre cable. After all if the cable is on a reel it only takes ashort time to roll up.
Gary


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Heat*

Even with cables fully unwound, they must be slighltly warm. I base my decision on the fact that the snow around my cable has melted before any other.

Russell


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## ingram (May 12, 2005)

Addie said:


> Something like the above would probably be £50-£60 given that the cable is quite expensive.
> 
> Is this something others would be interested in? The only thing that I would benefit from would be getting my cable reel a little bit cheaper through a bulk buy - but just wondered if anyone else was interested in the concept or knew of something else that already existed.


I would not be interested in this as shown.

To leave an expensive piece of equipment such as this, where it could be stolen, is not, in my opinion, wise.

I would like a winding reel, but one which will house my usual cable, which can then be fully unwound from it before connection, and the reel stored.

Harvey


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

I used to have a reel for my cables and for my hoses, however I now keep them in shopping bags, this saves space in my lockers and I find it easier to use this way.so not for me.

cabby


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Jezport said:


> I would like to remind people that any extension reel should be fully unwound before use. If not the reel will get hot and under heavy load will eventually melt and cause a fire


Unless you have one with a thermal cut out. In fact it would not be a bad idea to see if you can get one with a thermal cut out.

Dick


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

The camper van we hired in New Zealand had the cable captive, permanently connected, at the van end in a locker.

The other end had an inline RCD immediately adjacent to the blue plug that connects to the hook-up post.

The cable could really only be scramble wound in the locker but the tendency was to pull all of it out anyway.

"scramble wound" implies just stuffing the cable in any old way at random.

Thus there is much less heating effect compared with having it tightly rolled on a drum.

The danger of that is two-fold.
The cable turns are in tight and close proximity and there is a lack of ventilation to dissipate the heat.
The other factor is that the coils become an inductance which generates even more heat.

Simple electrical theory advises that any cable passing a current will cause the cable to heat up - which is why the snow melts around it.

The thicker the cable the lower the resistance and the lower the heating effect. Bound up in this is also voltage drop across the cable length which leads us back into the 12V hairdrier situation.

I rather liked the NZ system and wish there was a dedicated locker on my van.

Incidentally, the yellow 110V plug/socket system is actually 55V-0-55V with a zero volts centre tap.
55V is considered the maximum safe human shock voltage. Thus a shock betwen one wire and earth is unlikely to kill you.

Some of the above is simplified into laymans terms E&OE

Basically, despite the convenience, I would never use a cable drum.


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## gromett (May 9, 2005)

I have an input current limiter on My Victron that I can set to anything from.5A all the way up to 16Amps. Initially when on campsites I set this to 3Amps and didn't bother uncoiling my EHU lead.

However, I almost made a mistake. I had got so used to setting it to 3Amps and not uncoiling that I when I got home I upped the limiter to 16Amps and didn't uncoil. Caught myself before any damage was done.

I now uncoil and lay the cable out as a matter of routine.

I am guessing it must be even harder to judge when you don't have an input current limiter. I would suggest it is best practice to always fully uncoil.

I now carry 3 EHU leads with me. 1 Super long. 1 Long and one short.

One point on the arctic blue cable. It is not as tough in my experience as the Orange stuff that my EHU leads are made of. The Orange cables can take some hellish abuse. I would hesitate to use Arctic blue as an EHU lead to be honest.

Karl


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

I'm sure I've seen out somewhere a top of the range Frankia, with a cable on a drum that you pull off as required, but it winds in at the press of a button. I don't remember seeing that undone all the way, but maybe I dreamed it!

I can't understand why the water hoses can't be on a reel though, or can they?

Just had a think and answered my own question! 

It's because they're a lot shorter, idiot!


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Jean Luc's post sums it up from my point of view.

Theres nothing wrong with my set up as long as its used responsibly and you are aware of your power consumption.

I have my van plugged in on the driveway all the time with the partially unwound drum to keep the batteries topped up, this draws minimal amps and never gets hot as I've checked.

I also use it partially coiled abroad as do thousands of other continental users without problems. I am a low mains power user, on my van mains use is restricted to the battery charger, fridge and 2 x mains sockets. Normally I have no mains devices to plug into the sockets so they are not used.
All my heating and water is powered by gas and the tv is 12v. I therefore draw probably about 1 - 2 amps max for fridge and charger and I usually leave the fridge on gas so even less most of the time.

When we are on a CC site or CL with mains then we'll treat ourselves and take a mains kettle and a fan heater with us but then will always uncoil the cable fully.

I still live to tell the tale.

Pete


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## gromett (May 9, 2005)

Hey PeeJay, Sounds ok to me. I couldn't get away with that unfortunately as my Victron is also a 120A charger into 800AH+ battery bank 8O Going on 120A x 12V /240V comes to 6Amps and that will be on the low side as the charge voltage is higher than 12V.

3Amps at 240V is 750Watts / 12V = 62Amps. If I recall correctly the fastest you can charge a battery at is 20% of its capacity ie 20Amps for a 100AH battery. Therefore to keep under 3Amps your battery bank will need to be under 62 x 5 = 310AH.

Please bear in mind these figures are rough and ready. They do not take into account charge voltages or losses in the charger itself or many other variables.

I would guess therefore that it is safe to leave a partially rolled EHU cable connected at home to keep the battery bank topped up. But not if your battery bank is over 300AH and needs some Bulk Charging.

Still, to be on the safe side I will always uncoil mine fully, just to be safe  

Karl


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

That sounds impressive Karl, just trying to work out what it all means :lol: 

I think I'll be ok with my two little 85ah batteries though.

Addie, IMO your idea is a good one and I'm sorry my photo led to your post wandering off like it did. Doesn't look like theres much interest on here though .

Pete


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## 104477 (May 13, 2007)

peejay said:


> Jean Luc's post sums it up from my point of view.
> 
> Theres nothing wrong with my set up as long as its used responsibly and you are aware of your power consumption.
> I still live to tell the tale.
> Pete


Unfortunately the Health and Safety brigade work on.."What if an uneducated and lazy fool" try's this? In my work we bump heads with them all the time, but i still have all my fingers intact and have not been declared deseased or maimed, nor do I intend to, so I research or think through what I do.
Unfortunately Peejay we appear to be a minority in this country, hence the rise of H&S enthusiasts :wink:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

When my mum was alive she used to plug her 3kw washing machine into the nicely coiled extension lead of the electric lawnmower. 
She often wondered why her cat would then curl up within the coils. 

It was damn hot and i'm sure if she ever did a double wash she could have set the house alight.

Ray.


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

I have posted a thread about the leads available for sale in the classifieds section if anyone is interested.

Don't forget to fully uncoil them before use 

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-568176.html


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## NEV3 (Feb 7, 2007)

*16A Cable Reels - Anyone*

Have only just picked up on this thread and after reading through it the mention of the 110v yellow connectors raises the question for me........Are the blue-yellow connectors interconnectable? 
If they are; 
Doesn't this raise a safety issue regarding putting 240v onto 110v appliances/tools?
While the current carrying capability is safe, will the insulating properties of the cable, (bearing in mind the 50-00-50 comment on earlier post) be up to the 240v requirement?

Just wondered!!!

NEV3


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

*Re: 16A Cable Reels - Anyone*



NEV3 said:


> Have only just picked up on this thread and after reading through it the mention of the 110v yellow connectors raises the question for me........Are the blue-yellow connectors interconnectable?


Hi Nev,

No - the Yellow and Blue sockets aren't interchangeable. They are the same size but the orientation of the pins means they won't connect.

I don't know with regards to the cable, but I wouldn't want to chance it.


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## krull (Jul 22, 2006)

*Re: 16A Cable Reels - Anyone*



Addie said:


> I don't know with regards to the cable, but I wouldn't want to chance it.


The cable will be absolutely fine running at 230v, just swop the connectors over.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

You just need to pigeon-hole yourself into one of 3 categories and act in character accordingly:
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-365903.html#365903

Dave


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