# Euro plug?



## philmccann (Jun 14, 2005)

Hi there

Have just been reading over a few site details for the hols. These are in France BTW.

Have noticed some that say electricity available to 20A and Euro plug required.

What is a Euro plug?? Is it our standard blue connector or is there something wlse I need to get?


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Phil

It means a SCHUKO Plug like this (the 2 pin, earths a scraper pad)


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## philmccann (Jun 14, 2005)

George, thx for that.

Do you think they mean that if you use any on-site electrical points then you need a Euro plug? Obviously the MH points are standard 13A sockets.

Are the electrical hook ups our standard blue fitment?

Sorry for the dumbo questions, but next month will be the first foray abroad in the MH.


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## 88905 (May 10, 2005)

you may need to make up an adapter from europlug to blue socket. short lenth of cable will do.

nobby


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

you can buy them from any decent caravan / motorhome accessory shops


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Phil

here is exactly what it looks like










£4.99 unfortunately they dont apear to accept orders below £25

But all good caravan shops stock em at roughly the same price

From Camperlands Manchester


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## LeeUK (Sep 16, 2005)

Surely you can use an adaptor that you would use on your package holiday.
If so, make sure it has hole for earth, some don't.

Lee


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

LeeUK said:


> Surely you can use an adaptor that you would use on your package holiday.
> If so, make sure it has hole for earth, some don't.
> 
> Lee


Perhaps I'm missing something here Lee does your caravan hook up end in a normal 13A 3 pin plug because otherwise I'm at a loss to imagine the adaptor you refer to.

Regards frank


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## LeeUK (Sep 16, 2005)

Yeah mine is a UK plug but you could use a euro adaptor. Only about a quid each.
In fact, I would go for a straight plug lead rather than the L shaped one in the pic above, incase of any problems with accessability.
A euro plug is like the one GeorgeTelford has posted but you can buy adaptors for UK-euro plugs, we have 2 kinds, one that doesn't have earth and one that does.
Unless you mean something else.


Lee


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Lee

That would be ok for appliances, but this is for hook up lead. not 3 pin UK to Schuko (2 pin and scraper euro type plug)

In UK (and increasingly abroad) we use the standard blue 16 Amp site plugs and sockets, but its still worth carrying the adaptor above.

I keep meaning to do a euro mains write up with piccies, as this subject comes up over and over (thats no complaint at newbie questions, questions are good)

Things that have not been touched on yet are the fact that occasionally the polarity is reversed over there, how to test for it and what to do when you find it? Maplins do a socket tester that is so simple anyone can use it for 4 pounds










OK we have found that the polarity is reversed, what to do now? if you are using a Schuko plug in many cases you can simply turn the plug over and insert upside down.

However if using a 16 Amp blue connector you need a reverse polarity adaptor to reverse the polarity back, this you have to make yourself (unless anyone as seen a premade unit?), it means having a short lead with one male and one female 16 Amp plug and socket and deliberartely wiring one end with the polarity reversed, This lead should be clearly marked up with bright tape or some reminder that its a reverse polarity lead


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## philmccann (Jun 14, 2005)

Good point there, George

My MH is an import, and was fitted with what I now know are known as Euro sockets. These I changed for CBE 13A sockets. But before I did, I tested the circuit with one of your suggested testers, and found the original wiring in the MH was crossed. Obviusly this was rectified on installation of the 13A sockets.
One of these testers is a good tool for everyone to have in their box, because not only can external wiring be wrong, as in my case internals can be wrong as well.


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## drcotts (Feb 23, 2006)

*euro plugs*

Hello.
If you send me your address i will send you a plug with a 10m cable attached FOC

my email address is [email protected]

that goes for anyone else who want one... we trip over them here!!

Phill
dcotts


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## wendick (Dec 16, 2005)

Hello. We have been following this as it is something that we have been wondering about, it is now clear. However, the one thing that we are still confused about is reverse polaritylease can someone help with this. We have both the three pin plug-in and the adaptor for this to make a two pin connection. What else do we need if we come across a supply that has reverse polarity please? Also, how often are we likely to come across those with reverse polarity? 
Wendy & Dick :wink:


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## philmccann (Jun 14, 2005)

Hi W & D

In this country, your normal household plug has 1 fuse and it should be on the live side of the plug. Again, in this country, we tend to only switch the live wire, therefore this is what breaks the current to the device.
In the continent it is different. Both live and neutral are fused, therefore it does not really matter which way the wires are connected because both sides are protected by the fuse.
Transferring the continental system to the British system, which is what you do as soon as you connect to the site supply, if it is reverse connected, you risk having the unfused live going to the MHs neutral and should an earth fault occur, then there is no fuse to blow on over-current.
This can have fatal consequences.
What you need are a mains tester as George has indicated above (Maplins, eBay etc), to test the system as soon as you hook up. If it is wrong, the tester will tell you quite plainly.
You then need your other bit of kit, which is a short (only a couple of feet)piece of cable, with one of the blue plugs at one and and a blue socket at the other. Where the difference lies is that when you make it up, you reverse the wires at one end, putting the brown wire to the Neutral connection and the blue wire to the Live connection AT ONE END ONLY!!
This effectively reverses live and neutral before it enters the van and makes the interior supply correct.

A bit long winded, but I hope I have covered it. If not I'm sure another poster will correct me.


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## wendick (Dec 16, 2005)

Hello Phil,
Thanks very much for the help, we understood most of it but have just one more question: is it the end where the wires are switched that plugs into the supply post please? 
Wendy & Dick


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## philmccann (Jun 14, 2005)

Hi again

Doesn't matter which end of the short piece that you reverse. You can do it at the plug end or the socket end, no matter. You will only need the "reverser" when you have found a site supply that is reversed. Do NOT connect this in when the site supply is OK otherwise you will then cause a reverse. If the site supply is OK then just connect your mains cable as normal.

Hope this helps.


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## wendick (Dec 16, 2005)

Phil Many thanks for your patience.

W&D


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

My various connections/adapters etc just in case someone would like to see.










Top row: 1. reversed polarity connection ( I reversed wires at plug that goes into MH outlet) 2. Eletrical tester 3. useful adapter 4. 2 pin
Bottom row: 1. Swiss connection 2. French/Euro 2 pin connection than can be reversed. 3. another 2 pin but dues to design can not useually be reversed.

visit my photos and sub page 3 to see this photo enlarged.


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## rod_vw (May 10, 2005)

Maybe the wrong time to ask this question but whilst we are on the subject of plugs and sockets I will ask anyway.

Does anyone know if the Blue camper end socket on a hook-up lead is available with another socket on the back as seen on the continent?
This connection enables a 'daisy chain' link to another consumer. These seem to be quite common across the channel but I haven't seen one for sale here in the UK.


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Rod

buy 2 standard ones they daisy chain easily


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## rod_vw (May 10, 2005)

Sorry, you've missed the gist. The one I mean plugs into the camper connection as normal but gives an additional 220v output socket enabling another user to connect from the side of your vehicle. i.e camper with caravan or tent supply all from one campsite hookup point. Might not be ethical but handy sometimes.

Cheers,


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## drcotts (Feb 23, 2006)

wedick said:


> Hello Phil,
> Thanks very much for the help, we understood most of it but have just one more question: is it the end where the wires are switched that plugs into the supply post please?
> Wendy & Dick


Hi again Wendy and Dick.
It does get a little confusing when you use a UK system in a euro wiring configuration. When people talk about switches they refer to the socket in the morothome where you plug your kettle in. Usually this has a switch to turn the supply off. The switch in there only turns off the live side. This is ok in the uk as the live side will always be on the right side as you cant put the plug into the socket the wrong way round. In france however they can (as you will see from the plug) put it in any way up. So this means that in a french chaps house the socket where he plugs his kettle in will switch off both live and neutral. The problem arises when we go to france in our uk wired motorhomes. Because the french have a switch on both live and neutral they don't bother which way round they wire anything. What can happen is that you plug into the electric, the wriring is back to front but because your sockets in the van are uk, and oly swtched on the live wire, that if the wiring is the wrong way then the live can be going into the device in the socket even though its swithed off. If you have an earth fault in the van or the device this can mean that the fuse will not blow as the fuse is on the wrong side of the circuit. So what you have to do is get a tester and test each hook up. Ifits the euro plug used on the site then you can just reverse (remembering to put it back in the right way if you have to unlook it.) If you find that the hook up post is like the uk one then you have to have a made up short hook up lead with the wiring revered ie wired up wrong on purose. Label it up so you cant use it inadvertantly though. Then ts just a case of making sure the tester says ok and thats fine.
Hope this explains it. So you only need your standard hook up lead, the euro hook up lead and the UK reversed short hook up lead and you can then cover all eventualities.

Regards

Phill


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## wendick (Dec 16, 2005)

Drcotts/zulurita

Many thanks for the advice and pictures think that we now fully understand what is needed.

W&D


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

In answer to Rod's question 

That connection/plug is available on the continent but I have never seen in in the UK. I bought mine whilst at Bennicassim in Spain. There was a camping place on the outskirts of the town. I bought the plug and some wire and wired it myself.
It is useful when on site, you can then plug an electrical item directly into this when outside the MH. Or as often is the case on Aires with electric hook ups but not enough, you will often see the German Motorhomers piggy backing of each other.


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Hi Rita, Rodvw,

The angled plug you're both referring to with the schuko plug connection on the side should be available from the UK arm of Reimo. Part no 82030.
Its €8.95 from reimo in Germany but you'll have to check with reimouk for the sterling price.










http://www.reimo.co.uk/id23.htm

pete.


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