# Reverse Polarity Adaptor for France



## sandalwood (Feb 14, 2010)

Where oh where do I buy a reverse polarity adaptor for French campsites - going soon!!!

Shirley


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*Polarity adaptor*

The cheapest way is go an Electrical Suppliers Purchase a short length of cable a plug and socket and assemble it yourself. with either end wired in reverse polarity to the other.

Steve


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

outdoorbits do the W4 tester http://www.outdoorbits.com/w4-mains-tester-p-912.html , as do loads of outlets.

have a look at this thread

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-65794-0-days0-orderasc-reversed.html

I don't worry about it; as long as you're not going to twiddle about with the wires on your appliances, or you have exposed wires, you're unlikely to have any problems.


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## des32 (Feb 10, 2009)

I got one on E Bay, I have not used it yet going to France end of june


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## inkey-2008 (May 24, 2008)

Make sure you have both the blue type plug and the continental type plugs. There does not seem to be a standard fitting.

You may also need a long electric lead, we have been on pitches that are 100 feet from a mains point.

Andy


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## iconnor (Nov 27, 2007)

I just made my own. I bought a short adaptor for the French two pin sockets (there are still a lot around), opened the plug end and reversed the 2 wires then I put a bit of red insulating tape around the lead to remind me that this is the reversed one.
I have two hook up cables as there is often a long way between the pitch and the plug in.
Iain


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## JeanLuc (Jan 13, 2007)

sandalwood said:


> Where oh where do I buy a reverse polarity adaptor for French campsites - going soon!!!
> 
> Shirley


You don't; no retailer is going to sell something that is "incorrectly" wired. You can have a polarity changeover switch fitted inside the van on the incoming cable - some of them are automatic I believe.
Otherwise, you have to buy a male and female 16 amp socket and connect them with a short length of cable that is connected with live and neutral reversed in ONE of the sockets. Then mark it clearly so you know it is non-standard - yellow and black tape around the wire is a good bet.
This short link then goes between your normal EHU cable and the supply post (or it can go between long cable and the van's inlet socket).

Having said all that, I made one and used it once in Italy. Nowadays I don't bother, but then we hardly ever hook up anyway.

Philip


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

I forgot about the two pin adaptor - this may be more useful on sites that have the old 2 pin connector rather than the standard blue Euro connector (municipals / aires?)

http://www.outdoorbits.com/continental-hook-up-adaptor-p-911.html


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## grizzlyj (Oct 14, 2008)

Can I slightly hijack and ask to what items in a camper would it matter if it was left reversed?

I stayed at a friends house in France last summer and was shocked to discover his house socket feeding my hook up was wired backwards, so whipped out my reversing cable. We then discovered that apart from some UK type sockets he had wired, most of his house was reversed and he'd never noticed!


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## wobby (May 1, 2005)

In France both positive and negative are fused each breaker has a live and neutral connection, so it doesn't matter which is live and neutral. UK vans have a fusebox to UK standards whereby all the neutrals are connected to a single bar and only the live passes through a fuse. If your hookup is wrong, reversed, if a fuse blows there will still be live at the socket, fridge, ect.

Wobby


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## Bubblehead (Mar 5, 2007)

Apart from the dangers pointed out by Wobby above, most of the van fittings should be OK, however additional items such as TVs etc may suffer from reversed polarity

I just bought a male and femal connector, cut 12" of one of my main EHU cables and wired a new end on both. Like sated above mark the adaptor clearly. plug in with the right adaptor and use a socket tester, if required fit the reverse adaptor and test agin. If OK connect to van.

The stelplatz in Lubeck is wired in reverse!

Andy


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