M'aidez, M'aidez! (1 Viewer)

[ericonabike]

Well ok, I'm not exactly drowning, but some help would be appreciated! Typing this in the bar at a campsite in Picardy on first foreign excursion with new van. The 'reverse polarity' light came on the mains unit when I hooked up. I know something about this, and had figured it wouldn't affect me as it simply meant that electrical kit would still be 'live' when switched off. As I don't tend to open them up, that seemed ok. BUT... neither the Eberspacher diesel heater not the fridge are working on the French juice.

The heating and HW I can work around as the battery is being charged and I can run it off diesel. But the fridge - we switched it to gas and we're supposed to be here for three days. As we're paying for the lecky I'd sooner use it!

Is there a quick fix that doesn't involve rewiring anything?

 

[slobadoberbob]

shutting the gate after the cow has bolted

We had VanBitz fit an automatic polarity switch over... they do a manual as well.. never have to worry about this problem as the RV just switches to take in to account of the issue.

I would have thought you could rewire your EHU wire so the cables were reversed?


Bob:Blush:

 

[TheBig1]

buy a matching plug and socket and wire as a crossover, then plug inline from the supply. You will find a fair few sites are wired back to front, so its a useful adition to your kit

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[ericonabike]

Auto switch over - a useful plan when I get back to UK. Must admit thast up til now it seemed a lot of fuss over nothing - how wrong can you be!

 

[hilldweller]

The 'reverse polarity' light came on the mains unit when I hooked up.
Is there a quick fix that doesn't involve rewiring anything?

You must leave the van immediately. Contact Les Pompiers. Not until they have certified it safe must you go within 10m of the van or 30m if wet when the current can track further. If any vans are parked within this exclusion zone insist they move immediately.

To be on the safe side, get them to find a local priest and confess, just in case.

Once you are safe, find a no win no fee solicitor and sue the &&&^&(*&^&^ for endangering your life.

 

[Chris]

You must leave the van immediately. Contact Les Pompiers. Not until they have certified it safe must you go within 10m of the van or 30m if wet when the current can track further. If any vans are parked within this exclusion zone insist they move immediately.

To be on the safe side, get them to find a local priest and confess, just in case.

Once you are safe, find a no win no fee solicitor and sue the &&&^&(*&^&^ for endangering your life.

My formatting on my iPad is playing up for some reason and I read this post without knowing the identity of the poster.

It hit me about 3 lines in though

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[Heyupluv]

buy a matching plug and socket and wire as a crossover, then plug inline from the supply. You will find a fair few sites are wired back to front, so its a useful adition to your kit

Big1 one is correct....that is all I have simple set up.....and yes he is correct nearly as many as 50% are wired wrong polarity in France...
All you need is a blue 16amp plug and a blue 16 European socket short lead in between them both and wire one side wrongly...meaning wire blue/neg to the positive side of the plug (or socket which ever you prefer)...then wire the Brown/positive to the neg side ( in the same socket or plug )....then just put a bit of gaffer tape and write on it cable for crossed / wrong polarity....simple done.

You can get the plugs and sockets and cable from Camping shops / Bricolarge shops:thumb:

Mel:thumb:

as below with about a foot of cable in between