Member Since: 09 Jul 2008
Location: Northamptonshire
Posts: 2776
Hook-Up tripping problems advice please
We have put our new My14 caravan on a seasonal pitch this year, just by way of a change. But having been caravanning for years I'm always mindful not to overload the system and turn heaters off especially before using a electric kettle, also not being an electrician I'm confused at the problems we are getting this weekend.
The site we are on - all Hook-Up's are 16amp, or so they claim. at the weekend being much colder we had one 2Kw fan heater only on in the awning which kept tripping the power, but not in the van circuit breakers, but at the hook-up point itself. I tried a couple of spare heaters just in case the first one was sensitive or faulty but others were the same result.
I sat there and watched this trip with no additional load being applied in the van, I.E no one had turned on a kettle or the microwave and as the van is new with all LED lighting and the only thing on in the van was the fridge/freezer, the colour running off 12 volt and the Alde CH running off the gas . The response from the acting site manager was - ah well it will be your heater then - which I doubt
On the other hand, some friends of ours just also moved onto a different part of the site this weekend and walking into their caravan/awning was like going into your local branch of Curry's/PC world they had so much running off the one 16am outlet with no problems I couldn't believe it, and they said the only time theirs tripped out was when they turned on the kettle and forgot everything else was on.
In fact we've been on our pitch since about June without any problems ourselves and the only thing I can point the finger at which has changed is that a brand new Winnebago 5th wheeler as big as the QE2 and looks like it would need its own sub-station has moved onto the pitch next to ours and is using the same hook-up stand as us, but obviously a different outlet. So could this in any way be part of the problem as I did a couple of weeks back run 2 x fan heaters on 1Kw setting overnight without tripping before this monster moved in ? and why is it not first tripping out our van circuit box which I thought was supposed to always happen in the first place, or could the electrical system in our new van be at fault ?
I do plan next weekend to experiment and plug our van into a different hook-up outlet, but because we are quite away from the nearest one ill have to join 2 power cables together to reach before I can test this theory.
Any thoughts appreciated On a mission to find the perfect Pork Pie. Just Found it (I think)..(Yes I have)
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17th Nov 2014 3:48 pm
Russell
Member Since: 24 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
When your van plug in point trips does it take out the whole pole or just you. Depending on how it is set up it is possible that the RV is actually taking the whole pole out and not you. Remember when you run off the next pole and use two cables there potentially will be a voltage drop due to the distance covered. What about taking your heater to your friends awning and try it there. Can the RV be connected to another post easier than you moving to another post?MY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
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17th Nov 2014 4:02 pm
highbayrack
Member Since: 09 Jul 2008
Location: Northamptonshire
Posts: 2776
Russell, no when it trips its not taking out the whole pole only us. This RV has everything electrically that you can imagine and they are not having any problems, I'm not saying they run it all at once but it seems odd their not especially with huge domestic sized fridge/freezer dishwashers/washing machines, 40" TV ect ect and their boiler sounds like it would run a small village when it fires up, OK it runs on gas but it must have a pump.
And no it would be no easier for them to plug into another pole as we are both quite isolated from all the others. I did think about taking my heater to our friends van, but could see no point as it does it with any of the 3 heaters we happen to have and two of them are brand new.
I still cant get my head around why its tripping first at the pole and not first in our van maybe our circuit breaker is the problem and ill need to get in contact with the manufacturer On a mission to find the perfect Pork Pie. Just Found it (I think)..(Yes I have)
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17th Nov 2014 4:21 pm
kevin-t
Member Since: 12 Nov 2007
Location: sheffield
Posts: 680
I'me no expert, however had a situation like this myself a while back.
Bought a 2kw (fan)heater for the van, kept tripping, turned the heater setting down on start up then up, gradualy to find it blow around 4/5ths full power.
Got rid and have a oil filled 1.5kw on perminant now, when we at the van.
Maybe the heater is under rated!
Just my two-penneth
17th Nov 2014 4:51 pm
Gazellio
Member Since: 09 Jan 2011
Location: Chilterns
Posts: 4130
Although its stated as a 16amp connection that may not be the case. It all depends on the total being used by that part of the circuit (Not post). We have had the same many times.
17th Nov 2014 4:55 pm
Russell
Member Since: 24 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
Couple more thoughts, the pole normally has more than two outlets can you plug into one of the others? Can you be a bit sneaky and when the RV owners are not there swap outlets with them just to try to see if it still keeps tripping. Have you got h Alde heating on in the can as well, just a thought as the heater ill be pulling about 8 amps and if you have the alde heating on that will be pulling similar, two together would probably trip pole and neither on there on would trip van alone as they are on different circuitsMY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
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17th Nov 2014 4:59 pm
nigel207
Member Since: 26 Mar 2009
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 1345
As Russell has suggested, try another hook-up point. Some of the circuit-breakers can get weak over a period of time and will trip at the slightest draw. A couple of years ago, I was in France where there was only 6A hook up. One chap plugged in, and each time he switched something on in the caravan, it tripped out. The site owner tried a different hook-up point, and all was well.
17th Nov 2014 5:32 pm
al cope
Member Since: 08 Nov 2005
Location: Oldbury, WM
Posts: 10303
I have also done the sneaky swap of plugs on the post when facing this issue in France. Other happy camper was still OK (possibly drawing less current than us), so we were all happy.
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17th Nov 2014 6:19 pm
highbayrack
Member Since: 09 Jul 2008
Location: Northamptonshire
Posts: 2776
I think your right guys, and just don't believe we might be actually getting the full 16 amps at our particular outlet for what ever reason. I will do some covert plug swapping next weekend , I'll get the kids to cause a distraction We do have an oil filled radiator at the van also, only problem with them as Kevin-t points out is they need to be on permanently to be anywhere near as affective as a fan, so I might start with the fan to take the chill off then switch to the oil filled and just leave it on the whole time On a mission to find the perfect Pork Pie. Just Found it (I think)..(Yes I have)
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17th Nov 2014 7:49 pm
will247
Member Since: 05 Jan 2013
Location: York
Posts: 709
We recently put in some hook ups for a small festival... believe it or not over half of the 300 caravans opted for the 20quid for a three day 4amp hook up. We restricted them to 4amps as 200 x 4amps is a load of power... providing they were all using 4 amps at the same time!
Everyone was fine bar one lady in a pretty large motor home and her supply kept tripping with nothing plugged in or turned on... turned out her metronome was drawing 4 amps pretty much all the time. Didn't work out what on, I got grumpy when she started shrieking at me and I turned around and walked off to do the other 300billion things I had on my plate!
You'd also need to make up a 16Amp male to Female cable with a separate live as you can't put the clamp meter around L N and E as it won't work so you'd have to make the cable so you can clamp just the Live.
Seems like a lot of work but at least you'd know what the crack is!!
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17th Nov 2014 8:35 pm
peterburnett
Member Since: 05 Jun 2012
Location: Swadlincote
Posts: 387
We had a similar problem at a CC CL we were advised to run fridge off gas, no more problems.
17th Nov 2014 9:03 pm
highbayrack
Member Since: 09 Jul 2008
Location: Northamptonshire
Posts: 2776
will247 wrote:
We recently put in some hook ups for a small festival... believe it or not over half of the 300 caravans opted for the 20quid for a three day 4amp hook up. We restricted them to 4amps as 200 x 4amps is a load of power... providing they were all using 4 amps at the same time!
Everyone was fine bar one lady in a pretty large motor home and her supply kept tripping with nothing plugged in or turned on... turned out her metronome was drawing 4 amps pretty much all the time. Didn't work out what on, I got grumpy when she started shrieking at me and I turned around and walked off to do the other 300billion things I had on my plate!
You'd also need to make up a 16Amp male to Female cable with a separate live as you can't put the clamp meter around L N and E as it won't work so you'd have to make the cable so you can clamp just the Live.
Seems like a lot of work but at least you'd know what the crack is!!
Will
Cheers Will but with my luck and electrics, if I started messing with things like that, the new RV next to us and the old couple who live in it could find themselves being the next Rosetta comet proble On a mission to find the perfect Pork Pie. Just Found it (I think)..(Yes I have)
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17th Nov 2014 9:34 pm
highbayrack
Member Since: 09 Jul 2008
Location: Northamptonshire
Posts: 2776
Peterburnett, that sounds like a plan to reduce the draw As its a seasonal pitch we leave on electrics to the fridge/freezer as sometimes we may not go for a couple of weeks or more. However no reason we can't switch over to gas at the touch of a button when we are there. Definately give that a try On a mission to find the perfect Pork Pie. Just Found it (I think)..(Yes I have)
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17th Nov 2014 9:43 pm
RAW
Member Since: 14 Oct 2008
Location: Devon
Posts: 936
You just need to get a a local sparky to clamp your load and see what you are drawing, it's a quick simple job, also get him to check the set up where you are plugging in I know a lot of sites that have a 10amp breaker on 16amp hook upsMY18 RRS Autobiography Fuji White
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17th Nov 2014 10:45 pm
highbayrack
Member Since: 09 Jul 2008
Location: Northamptonshire
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Thanks RAW I'm sure I can find one. The other thing is, with 7 kids I should have had my load clamped years ago On a mission to find the perfect Pork Pie. Just Found it (I think)..(Yes I have)
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, I'll get the kids to cause a distraction 
We do have an oil filled radiator at the van also, only problem with them as Kevin-t points out is they need to be on permanently to be anywhere near as affective as a fan, so I might start with the fan to take the chill off then switch to the oil filled and just leave it on the whole time 
load of power... providing they were all using 4 amps at the same time!
