Do Folding Campers Have Electricity?

While I’ve always enjoyed camping, I’ve always missed the luxuries of a caravan or home. That’s why I began looking for something in between, something offering the luxuries of the caravan but the pure joy of camping under a canvas at the same time. For me, my main question was, do folding campers have electricity?

Do folding campers have electricity? Folding campers do have electricity. Most folding campers come with an electric hookup lead and a leisure battery, meaning you’ll always have an electric supply no matter where you’re camping.

Depending on where you’re camping, your folding camper can use mains electricity. However, using electricity onsite can be dangerous if you’re not careful. In this article, I will talk about how an EHU works and how you can safely use electricity when camping.

Site Electric Hook Ups (EHU): What You Need To Know

Kampa Mains Connection Lead. Image from: campingworld.co.uk

While it’s great that you can use electricity on-site, you have to take the necessary precautions to use it safely. I think it goes without saying that there’s a likelihood that things will go wrong here if you don’t take care to maintain your equipment and make sure you know what you’re doing.

Electric hook-ups on-site will provide a 230v supply. Although I’m no expert, after a bit of research, I found that this is enough to power the vast majority of the appliances that you’ll use at home. This doesn’t mean you should try and power all your electrics at once or use appliances such as an electric kettle where there may be a better alternative. Why? Because campsites usually have restricted supplies.

Most campsite supplies are rated at 16A or 10A in the UK. If you travel abroad, it’s important to know that sites may be rated differently. Abroad, campsites are sometimes rated as low as 5A. With that in mind, it’s important to be careful, so you don’t trip the electric supply. If you try using too many appliances at once, you may trip the site supply. It might make you unpopular with other campers, too, if you accidentally trip their supply simultaneously!

What equipment do I need for site electric hook up?

To set up an electric hook-up in your folding camper, there are numerous different pieces of equipment you will need. Here are some of the most important things you’ll need that will not only ensure you have a working EHU but also allow you to keep your hookup organised to avoid overheating and becoming tangled.

Mains connection lead

This is the first thing you will need when connecting to the electric hook-up at the campsite. I would recommend getting one that includes plug sockets as this will save you from having to buy an adapter. I use the Crusader 3 Way Mobile Mains Unit. This one is perfect as it brings 230v power to your low-wattage appliances, making it suitable for all tents. It is also very versatile as it can be hung up or clipped to a tent pole. The Crusader 3 Way Mobile Mains Unit is available on Camping world.

Adaptor

Adaptors are needed to allow you to hook up your mains connection lead. The most popular type of adapter is the 3-way design, as they allow two leads to run off one mains box, making hooking up a lot easier. The Kampa 3-Way Distribution Adaptor is a great one to purchase for your folding camper. I personally like this one as it is suitable for outdoor events and marquee wiring as well as camping.

Cord wheel

Although is it not vital to ensure you have an EHU that works well, it is a great addition to ensure you keep all your cables and cords nicely tucked away to avoid any injuries and to avoid the cables from getting overheated and becoming a fire hazard. I have the Kampa Cord Wheel from Camping World. I really like this cord heel for multiple reasons, firstly because it is very affordable, and secondly because it takes up to 25 metres of 3G2.5 cable and has holes that are large enough to feed a plug or coupler through.

What Appliances Can I Use When Camping?

Kampa Deco Electric Toaster. Image from: campingworld.co.uk

So, what appliances can you actually use on a campsite to avoid tripping the electrics? As you may know, different appliances draw different amounts of current. If you try to use too many appliances at the same time, you’re certain to trip the electrics. To work out how many appliances you can use at the same time, you need to know:

  • Whether your camp supply is 16 Amp, 10 Amp, or 5 Amp
  • The watts your appliances use

Finding out the supply available on your campsite is as simple as asking the owner or team managing the site. You may also be able to find the information online or in information packs that might be available at reception.

The watts used by your appliances should also be easy to find out. On any appliance, you should find a sticker containing a power rating and information on how much electricity is needed for the appliance to work. This is usually given in watts, which is what we’re looking for, or kilowatts (1 kilowatt is 1000 watts). Here are some examples of typical device power consumption to give you a rough idea of how many appliances you can use simultaneously.

ApplianceRecommendationPower
ToasterKampa Deco Electric Toaster900
Household KettleQuest Low Wattage Light Up Glass Kettle2000
MicrowaveSharp R220SLM 20 Litre Microwave800
Fan HeaterQuest Bahama Dual Purpose Oscillating Fan Heater2000
Phone Charger PMS 1m Micro USB Charge N Sync5

Please remember that the consumption I’ve given above are estimates, and your appliances may use more or less. For example, you may have a portable camping kettle only needing 1000 watts.

So here’s how you can work out how many appliances you can use at the same time. If you are on a campsite with a 10 Amp supply, you will have around 2300 watts available. So, if you’re using a 2000W kettle, you’re using virtually all of the supply available to you with one appliance! With this in mind, it’s so important that you know the consumption of your appliances to avoid tripping the electrics.

If you have appliances designed for camping, such as a 750W travel kettle, you can safely run several appliances at the same time without tripping the electrics. But that’s why it’s so careful to keep an eye on the number of appliances you’re using at once!

If you’re on a European campsite, there may only be a 5 Amp supply. In this case, you will only have around 1150W available. So before plugging in all your appliances, find out whether the campsite has a 5, 10 or 16 Amp supply. And if you do trip the electrics, don’t worry – you might be unpopular with fellow campers, but we’ve all done it. Most other campers will understand this and not become too angry!

How To Safely Use An Electric Hook Up When Camping

Kampa 3 Way Distribution Adaptor. Image from: campingworld.co.uk

It’s important to take plenty of precautions when using an electric hook-up when camping. I’ve put together this part of the blog post based on my research and own experiences using electric hook-ups, you can make sure you’re safe when camping.

Check Your Hook-Up Lead Before Every Use

While the site you’re stopping at is responsible for maintaining the safety of the electrical supply equipment up to the socket outlet on the hook-up bollard, you are fully responsible for the good care of your hook-up lead and camper’s electrics.

Before using your hook-up lead, perform a few quick checks to ensure that it is in good condition. If you notice any signs that your hook-up lead might not be up to scratch, simply don’t risk it. If you use a lead that malfunctions and you notice a potential fault before using it, the blame will land on your shoulders.

As well as keeping an eye on your hook-up lead and camper’s electrics yourself, you should also ensure you have a technician check over your electronics every so often. Any faults you haven’t noticed will be found by a technician, so you can ensure that no problem goes unnoticed and unfixed.

Use A Purpose-Built Lead

To ensure that you’re safely connecting your camper to the electric supply, you must always use a purpose-built lead. A purpose-built lead may be supplied with your folding camper, but if it isn’t, you must buy a lead that meets the following criteria:

  • Has special weather-proof plugs (IP44 rated)
  • Is 25 meters in length
  • In-built residual current device (RCD)

Although this is obvious, you need a lead with weather-proof, IP44-rated plugs. A product with an IP44 rating is protected against water splashing from any angle. On a campsite, this is particularly important as the plugs may have to weather the elements.

Why should you use a cable 25 meters long? This is advised by the Camping and Caravanning Club because the layout of pitches means you can sometimes be pitched far from the hook-up bollard. This is really useful to know because there’s surely nothing worse than having a hook-up cable that’s too short! It’s important to note that the cable should be fully uncoiled, even if you’re close to the bollard. This avoids dangerous overheating while you’re using the cable.

A residual current device (RCD) is a safety device that automatically switches off the electricity if there’s a fault. The RCD is designed to protect against the risks of electrocution and electrical fire. It’s very important that your hook-up lead has an in-built RCD to protect you and other campers should something go wrong!

I would recommend the Kampa Mains Connection Lead as it adheres to all the guidelines I’ve set out above. It is strong, durable, robust, and suitable for use in the UK. You can find out more and purchase the Kampa Mains Connection Lead here.

Connect The Lead To Your Unit, Plug it Into Hook-Up Point, and Then Test RCD

Once you’ve checked your lead for any external damage, you’re ready to connect your camper’s electrical system and the hook-up point. First and foremost, connect the lead to your folding camper. Once that’s done, plug the lead into the hook-up point.

It’s crucial you connect the lead to your unit before connecting it to the hook-up point. This is because if you plug it into the hook-up point first, you have to carry a live lead to your camper and plug it in. It goes without saying that it would be unsafe to carry a live lead across the possibly damp ground to your camper.

Now you’re all connected up; there’s only one last thing to do before turning on your appliances. Check the RCD device built into your unit is working correctly by switching it on and pressing the test button. If it doesn’t work correctly, you should get your system checked out by a qualified technician as soon as possible.

Cable Safety Management

The final part of safely using an electric hook-up is to ensure that your cables are kept in a tidy manner. If your cables are trailing around on the floor, it can be very hazardous. When the cables heat up while being intertwined with each other, it can cause them to overheat, which is a fire hazard.

In addition to this, they can also be a trip hazard, especially if you have children around, and their feet can get tangled in the cables and cause them to fall over, leading to an injury.

To avoid this, ensure you have organised the cables, so they do not get tangled u with each other. This may require you to use cable ties to keep the cables and wires clear of each other. I personally use the Niteize Gear Tie Reusable Rubber Twist Tie. These ties come in a pack of two and are bendable wire ties that can secure, hang, or neaten even objects with a quick wrap-and-twist motion. I bought mine from Go Outdoors; you can find them here.

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