# Beware, the bright orange camping snake!



## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Now i've got your attention,

On the few occasions that i use electricity (on CC sites to get my moneys worth and in very cold weather) i do what most other people do, get the orange snake out, uncoil it and plug in. Then when leaving, spend ages coiling it up neatly around my old black & decker cable holder (found in skip).
A few questions spring to mind.....

Why does the cable have to be orange? It would look less conspicuous in the camping environment if it was black.

Why does it have to be so thick? Would a thinner cable be sufficinet to carry the power safely? I rarely use alot of power like caravanners seem to and it would make it easier to coil up.

On the continent, everyone seems to use thinner black cable which is easily managed using a retractable drum. You pull out as much as you need then wind it back in when finished, simple.
Why aren't these used in this country? I'm thinking of getting one when we go over in June.

I am aware of the reported dangers about coiled electrical cable overheating etc, but is this really corect when a low current is used? I haven't seen any continentals burst into flames yet, perhaps us brits are a bit over obsessed with safety.
Surely thousands of continental campers can't be wrong, especially those practical Germans, or are they?

Whaddyathink?

pete.

ps, was going to submit this to MMM for possible publication but you get a much quicker and more interesting reply here!


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## Maxonian (May 13, 2005)

> Why does the cable have to be orange? It would look less conspicuous in the camping environment if it was black


Exactly - wouldn't fancy cutting the grass with a lot of inconspicuous black cables snaking all over the place.



> Why does it have to be so thick?


Thick cable = heavy conductors = less voltage drop at 16A (and hence overheating) on 25m+ cables



> On the continent, everyone seems to use thinner black cable


Because most foreign sites do not offer 16A supplies. Lower current = less voltage drop = thinner cable.


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## 89425 (May 23, 2005)

peejay said:


> Why does the cable have to be orange? It would look less conspicuous in the camping environment if it was black.


You can have it black, white yellow or orange, and for a price purple!
Basically if your going to paint industrial electrical equipment it has to be orange. Black is generally used in mucky conditions, where as white in domestic conditions, Yellow for 110 volt systems on building sites and purple is generally for extreme cold conditions


peejay said:


> Why does it have to be so thick? Would a thinner cable be sufficient to carry the power safely? I rarely use alot of power like caravanners seem to and it would make it easier to coil up.


 The smaller the cable, the less current the cable can carry, or it will get warm or even hot to the point of melting under extreme overload conditions. Another factor of undersized cables is voltage drop. The electrical installations on some sites are generally installed to a cost rather than meeting a specification. So if they to have used undersized cable, you and others are all drawing current, the end result can be a voltage of 200volts or less. So to minimise the voltage drop its essential to have a decent/correctly sized supply cable.


peejay said:


> On the continent, everyone seems to use thinner black cable which is easily managed using a retractable drum. You pull out as much as you need then wind it back in when finished, simple.
> Why aren't these used in this country? I'm thinking of getting one when we go over in June.


 You can use a retractable drum, or any drum for that matter, however leaving it coiled up whilst in use will generate heat very easily and cause damage and even a fire, so its advisable to unwind the whole drum.


peejay said:


> I am aware of the reported dangers about coiled electrical cable overheating etc, but is this really correct when a low current is used? I haven't seen any continentals burst into flames yet, perhaps us brits are a bit over obsessed with safety.
> Surely thousands of continental campers can't be wrong, especially those practical Germans, or are they?


 Everyone's perception is different. I had a visitor the other week who I told to reverse down my drive (due to extensive excavations etc). When he finally got to me, he thought I meant about ten yards (as most peoples drives) so was rather shocked to have to reverse quarter of a mile.
So a little current flow, with many turns on a drum which multiplies the emf within the drum causes heat, so are we talking 100watts or 2,000 watts? Either way play safe and unwind.
____________________________________________________
*Steve 
aka A very wild....wild camper*
.
Click here for my van website!
.









_I do like a bit of feed back to my posts please_
____________________________________________________


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Thanks for the prompt replies guys. Perhaps these euro set ups are not such a good idea after all.

What about the continental sites that do have higher amps? Are we talking a serious electrical fire here just waiting to happen? Also, these sites, i think, in the main have the higher rating for winter camping, would the cold conditions cancel the risk out?

What happens when europeans come over here and plug into our higher 'amped' supplies, i wonder if wardens are aware of the potential hazards, and advise accordingly?

pete


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## 90473 (May 1, 2005)

Hi Pete,

Without too much of a long winded story, I've seen the result of a coiled extension cable 8O. My brother has a car valet machine and normally just uncoiled enough cable from the drum to stretch to cars he was cleaning.

I was doing some welding on my car trailer and used the extension cable to power an angle grinder, uncoiled it to the point where it stopped but still plenty of cable, gave it a tug and.....melted plastic, bare wires.....clean underwear required, at the thought of what could have happened :!:


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

peejay said:


> Why does it have to be so thick? pete.
> 
> Thinner is also cheaper, dunno what the comparitive insulation thickness is but thicker may also be more robust and less likely to become damaged and therefore safer.
> 
> peedee


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

Yes, theoretically speaking higher loads can be applied in very cold conditions but this is a very unwise route to follow, experiment have been going on for a long time using encapsulated cables at very subzero temperatures with some very surprising results, but that’s not for us. 

I carry two cables, one standard cable for normal use and another heavier one if an extension is needed, using the heavier one at the source when needed

I don’t uncoil my cable, when a short run is needed I spread it out like a deck of cards so the air can get through it and store under the M/H, this way I slide my hand through it and pick it up in one go, not the right thing to do but it works

Ken S.


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

Good question, PeeJay, and some really excellent, clear, informative replies. Thanks, folks, I've learned a lot.

I knew that a coiled lead creates heat, so I wondered just how much heat is generated on my set-up (powering battery charger only; no 240v appliances). I couldn't detect any heat at all. I then plugged a 3kw fan heater in and I was lucky to test for heat when I did - it was bloody hot!! Since then, I've applied good sense to the issue. I always uncoil completely, unless I'm just battery charging. In the light of what others have posted, I might just check again.

What an excellent site this is, isn't it? Thanks again.

Barry


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## 88838 (May 9, 2005)

peejay said:


> Now i've got your attention,
> 
> Whaddyathink?
> 
> ...


quite right - much quicker and far more entertaining!

as for winding up the cable - you don't have to have the 25 metre version, we have a 10 metre cable - and 9 times out of 10 have no problem at all - on the 10th don't plug in [and if it happened to be a CC site would probably insist they gave us a more convenient pitch.  or I'd cry all over their posh sweatshirts]

8)

ps alright it's probably more like 8 times out of 10


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

You might get away with a 10meter cable in the UK more often that not but on the continent this is less likely.

peedee


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

peedee said:


> You might get away with a 10meter cable in the UK more often that not but on the continent this is less likely.
> 
> peedee


Absolutely right, peedee.
Thinking of two examples.
You mentioned the aire in Charmes, France in an earlier post. There we needed both of the 2 X 25 metre lengths we carry.
As we did also on the large aire in Honfleur


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Gillian wrote;



> Thinking of two examples.
> You mentioned the aire in Charmes, France in an earlier post. There we needed both of the 2 X 25 metre lengths we carry.
> As we did also on the large aire in Honfleur


Thats one of the reasons I was thinking of buying the continental type on a drum. I would have thought that this type of set up would suit you Gillian being as you're abroad so much (you lucky lucky thing), it would be more convenient than two orange snakes!

Though going on previous advice it would probably be a right pain uncoiling totally when you only need a short length, there you go i,ve talked you out of it before i've even posted the entry!

pete.


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

peejay said:


> Though going on previous advice it would probably be a right pain uncoiling totally when you only need a short length, there you go i,ve talked you out of it before i've even posted the entry!
> 
> pete.


To be fair, it isn't that often we need the whole of_one_length. We have wondered whether it would be more sensible to cut one of the 25 metre lengths into say 8 and 17 to save having to get 25 metres out everytime.
Less to unwind and less to clean/dry after use.


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## 88838 (May 9, 2005)

Actually we have a 10 and 25 metre plus connector - but - to be honest if 10 won't do it we're far more likely to use the leisure battery - we don't actually run that much off it - compressor fridge. radio, subdued lighting  
only really becomes an issue if it's really hot or really cold - or we've been soaked to the skin and want to dry clothes.
pretty minimalist really, just as long as the wine is the right temperature :wink: 

8)


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## 89335 (May 20, 2005)

> We have wondered whether it would be more sensible to cut one of the 25 metre lengths into say 8 and 17 to save having to get 25 metres out everytime


mmm.... I think that's what I'll do with mine.

thanks 8)


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## Hymie (May 9, 2005)

*Mains Cables*

When we collected our new (heavily discounted!!) Hymer from Germany, the dealer gave me a really sideways look when i asked him for a hook up cable! 
He couldnt understand that here it is legal to just have a length of cable with plug and socket.
In Germany you can only use the "extension reel" type - with heavy black cable - and built in resettable fuse!. - so he said.....

Of course he could have been spinning me a line........needed to make some profit somewhere i suppose!


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