Tripping campsite electrics

[Gavandi]

newbie here so sorry if basic question.
Just returned from Spain/France. On a couple of campsites we managed to trip the electric hookup and weren't able to use the site electrics.
Only running a fridge/LED lights/water pump/sockets so nothing major.
Difficult to work out why our T6 tripped mains when other bigger outfits seemed ok?
Any body else had issues or any advice for novices?
Cheers

 

[Veema]

Might just have been a dodgy pillar...

 

[Gavandi]

Hi
Yes that's what I thought but 3 others were hooked up and ok.
We came along and plugged in and knocked them all out!
Didn't help the Brexit negotiations!!

 

[ausyray]

Could have been reversed polarity. Sometimes European campsites are wired back to front (for want of a better phrase). When you turn up with your correctly wired to BS7671 camper conversion you basically introduce a short circuit to the pillar. Most camping shops sell a short adapter that crosses the wires at your hookup which should sort your problem next time it occurs.

 

[Gavandi]

Ta. I borrowed a tester off a "veteran" and it wasn't that either. At that point we had no juice apart from leisure battery.
Later in trip someone said it may be that the site EHU may have been low i.e. 8 amps.
And we needed something more than 10??
But....it still doesn't explain why the big units were all ok?

 

[Loz]

Did you try just connecting yourself in with the others disconnected?
Could have been your extra current on top of theirs?

 

[Veema]

We've been on sites with 6amps before and I've run the hairdryer with no problem...did trip with the kettle on at the same time!

 

[Gavandi]

I think that happened at one site.
But on another we took out the other 3 and still ours tripped it.
Silly question but we had been travelling so our leisure battery was full.....would this cause a surge on hookup? And trip the EHU?

 

[Loz]

I think that happened at one site.
But on another we took out the other 3 and still ours tripped it.
Silly question but we had been travelling so our leisure battery was full.....would this cause a surge on hookup? And trip the EHU?

Battery being full would have improved the situation as the battery charger would be drawing less.
I wonder if your ehu cable has a problem, has it got wet?

 

[Gavandi]

We had two cables and they both misbehaved.
Once we got onto an affiliated CAMC site it seemed ok.
Cheers

 

[Loz]

So was it an instant trip as soon as you turned on the breaker or a random time afterwards?
Also, is this a California or other conversion?

 

[Gavandi]

Hi Loz
Appreciate all your help.
It was an immediate trip as soon as we plugged into the EHU.

Cheers

 

[Pauly]

Depending on what protective device the campsite was using you may have an earth fault on your vehicle, that would an rcd to trip instantly but not an mcb

 

[former member]

I remember reading all about reverse polarity horrors and similar when we got our Cali.

But in four years of campering (admittedly we rarely use hookup) we've never had a problem.

 

[Veema]

I remember reading all about reverse polarity horrors and similar when we got our Cali.

But in four years of campering (admittedly we rarely use hookup) we've never had a problem.

There are those on the camping forums that reckon it isn't a problem anyway...

I have a tester and an adapter...I'd rather be safe than sorry.

 

[andys]

I remember reading all about reverse polarity horrors and similar when we got our Cali.

But in four years of campering (admittedly we rarely use hookup) we've never had a problem.

I've been on sites in Hungary and Romania and seen things that would make you shudder

 

[travelvolts]

Are you in a Cali or an aftermarket conversion?

 

[mmi]

I think that happened at one site.
But on another we took out the other 3 and still ours tripped it.
Silly question but we had been travelling so our leisure battery was full.....would this cause a surge on hookup? And trip the EHU?

Most likely you tripped campsite’s residual-current circuit breaker (RCD, RCCB). Within EU all outdoor electric installations must have (=>should have) one. Actually that’s the case only for installations of last 15+ years, earlier ones might lack the protection. The function of a RCD is to monitor that all the current is consumed only by the appliance (the van), and absolutely no current (usually set to trigger at 0.040A) leaks to the earth, either through wet feet or faulty insulation or faulty connection.

The immediate tripping hints there being a connection between neutral (or live!! ) and PE (protective earth, the chassis of van) in your van as you mentioned you being the only one hooked, and no significant loads to trip overload protection. Should be easy to verify.

Just a note: residual-current circuit breakers are not sensitive to load or surge, only thing that matters is the leak current from live/neutral to earth.

- - -
Reverse polarity thing refers pretty much to the times of vacuum tube radios and tv’s. Those things had a chassis inside which was connected normally to neutral, and so being safe even to touch. But if for some reason (for example faulty extension cord!) live and neutral were reversed… You still could find similar setup in old beautiful lamps with metallic structures. They rely on neutral being connected neutral.

Because in many countries in continental Europe you can plug your 230VAC appliances either way (German type of wall socket, which can be used also outdoors), both live and neutral must be/have been electrically isolated from chassis/earth in all appliances sold in EU – so the problem has been solved decades ago. If reversing the polarity would have made any difference; I would be really concerned…

 

[Gavandi]

ooooh!
It works perfectly well at all CAMC sites and never an issue in UK.
Its an aftermarket conversion and I have tried to speak to techs who did conversion.
Thanks to all for comments and advice.