Electric

Just read this article from motorhome fulltime http://www.motorhomefulltime.c…-winnebago
A nearly new MH destroyed cause could have been the EHU lead.
This made me think about some of the issues we have had on the campsite. Firstly my electric points were installed and tested by a qualified electrician and are tested annually and I also self test them on a regular basis. We had one motorhome here that had problems with the electric in his van not only did the problem trip the rcd on my EHU it broke the ehu unit to the extent it needed to be completely replaced. We have a number of others that have tripped the rcd and as we provide 16amp which is more than most campsites and should be plenty for most MH my first question now after asking what they had running on electric is how old is their ehu lead and have they checked it recently. We have spares leads and when I swap mine for theirs the electric does not trip.
So in short it makes sense to keep your ehu lead in a safe, dry place and either check the connections yourself on a regular basis or get a competent person to check it for you.

I have no formal electric training but from work at farming for ten years and then as a welder/fitter in machine engineering for the last 15 years, I had gain knowledge in the area. The following comes with a health warning.
To use 16 amps of power the size of each individual wires in the cable must be 2.5 mm2, eg , the proper orange conection lead.
However most household type extention leads are only 1.5 mm2 which is about 10amp rating. These leads are not rated for outdoor use because the plastic covering is not thick enough to insulate from water.
Power usage, a domestic kettle uses 2 500 watts ( divide watts by the voltage equals amps, 2500÷220=11.4 amps) or needs 12 amps of power to work. Throw in a toaster and 16 amps is used quite quickly.
This year we are needing to france and earlier this spring, I aquired a euh adapter for 10 euro, cheap as chips I thought but it has only a 10 amp rating at 220 volts.
I think the issues that your electrical gird is experiencing are a mixture of the above. Homemade leads using indoor cable with household electrical gear pulling to much power on one point.
It like trying to manage flood water, it will move quickly in a straight line but when it has to change direction or pass under a bridge it slows down. The flow off electricity is the same.
This is the reason why camping shops and MH dealers have shelves of low amp electrical gear.
I hope this explains your problem, but I feel there will be a post afterwards that will be more detailed.

I would agree with all 4 posts .
I would add a couple of extra points . 2.5 Artic cable leads blue and yellow up to 25 mtr should be sufficient , anything longer you should think about heaver cable. the longer the lead the more power drop toy get,to compensate for this drop you use a heaver lead.like to use a 32amp lead and down to 16 amp closer to the van.you will see some EHU posts with 32amp amp and16 amp outlets. Then there is the plugs, 3pin is 13 amp flat faced, like on everything at home are for internal use , outdoor is 16 amp blue round with round pins. continental are usually 2 round pin with side earth x 16 amp.

But and its a BIG BUT no mater what lead you use it MUST always be rolled out full. ALL leads should be rolled or uncoiled fully, so its always a good idea to have leads of various lengths . Example, uncoiled 16 amp x 25Mtr = 16amp. Coiled up the same lead give you about 6 to 7 amps and if you continue to try take more then this, it will overheat and melt the insulation .

Stands to reason if the site owner is offering posts with 2 x16amp , 4x 16 amp or 2x32amp and 2x16 amp he needs to have cable in the ground feeding them big enough to take the total load at one time. This is where you may have had the problem with the fridge , a long line feeding the EHU with the incorrect cable.
All extension cables used in industry now have to be PAT tested and certified . I think everyone should get their leads PAT tested. Any Hire shop or power tool repair shop could do this.

Electric Kettles have also been known to blow generators apart, ask anyone who hires small portables , after many bills for generators from hire shops my mate would take a sledge hammer to electric kettles if he found anyone using one on his generators .

Agree with all the above.
Amps can add up very quickly, should be no problem if the site is wired correctly like Jamie say’s as the Breakers should do their job and trip the circuit/circuits.

Kettle ============= 2500 ÷220 = 11.36 Amps
Fan Heater ========= 1800 ÷220 = 8.19 Amps
Hair Dryer =========== 300 ÷220 = 1.37 Amps
Toaster ============= 870 ÷220 = 3.95 Amps
Tv ======== == ====== 30 ÷220 = 0.13 Amps
George forman grill == 1800 ÷220 = 8.19 Amps
======
Total Amps = 33.19

A campsite owner that I know well told me one day,that you wouldn’t believe what van owners use is unreal.

A very good guide Here http://electrical.theiet.org/w…/index.cfm

It is only on older and smaller sites in france that polarity is an issue . If you do have a problem swap the blue and brown wires in your lead plug.

For Tom,
A site that I know very well from my caravan days in Leinster ( different from the one I mentioned before) operates ehu at 8 amps but advertises no domestic electrical gear can be used. We have been there on numberous occasions and customers are giving out to the owner why their kettles won't work. His answer is buy a caravan kettle which pulls 5 amps. It takes about 3 times longer to boil. Like the old saying " a watched kettle never boils".

Seen it all, 2kw blow heaters in caravan awnings and no one in them!

We put ours down to 6amp trips and told everyone it was for charging, lights and their fridge. We have been using the same caravan kettle for over 20 years, good things come to those who wait

Have to agree with previous posts. Inspect your lead regularly for visible damage and ensure its a minimum of 2.5mm. Always uncoil it fully and plug in polarity tester to check earth connection etc. I would also suggest an annual check on your electrical system, just as you should with your gas system and appliances, by a competent person.