Burned out Motorhomes (1 Viewer)

[Forestboy]

Serious question from someone with not one jot of electrical knowledge.

In the UK we are constantly warned about the dangers of overheating electric cables and the potential fires should we leave them coiled. As someone who's experienced fire first hand (6 weeks in hospital) I always uncoil as fire terrifies me.

My question is no one in Europe or the USA bothers to uncoil. In fact most have huge reel extension leads and a lot of top end vans have the cable fitted on a reel in a locker so you just pull out what you need.

On a busy site in Croatia right now and all the Germans and Dutch seem to have reels. Big Concorde just pulled up and did just pull from a reel in the locker.

Got nothing better to do as we've cleaned the van changed the bedding and waiting for the roast spuds to finish for Sunday lunch. So thought I'd ask as you don't see hundreds of burnt out vans littered around.

Still intend to uncoil myself as I never want to experience another fire especially in a van.

 

[Puddleduck]

We always uncoil...... hubby was an electrical engineer and I am also terrified of fire. The risk is probably very small but why chance even a small risk you don't have to take?

We have a couple of EHU leads so can use the most suitable length to avoid miles of trip hazard.

 

[chaser]

I have very limited experience of electrics but have seen two coils melt, not on fire as the trips went off, but hot enough to weld the cable in to a solid lump.

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[Billy23]

Not while motorhoming but years ago I had a reel catch fire while using a vacuum cleaner on the car. Never again, I always un coil all of the wire .

 

[Derbyshire wanderer]

The problem is made worse by 3 factors and simplified they are
The higher the current draw = more heat
The more coiled cable = more transformer effect ( also more heat)
The smaller cable diameter = less current capacity ( more heat again)
A coiled cable running a TV is unlikely to warm up to any noticeable effect
The same running the heating system is very likely to be very noticeable.
Uncoiling is the only safe thing to do.
Also worth a thought is some old hook up cables suffer from oxidation of the plug and socket pins which also can cause heat build up and possibly a fire. Never use one if the pins look very dirty as it cannot conduct the power properly.

 

[f6c]

Un Coil always

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[GJH]

The risk is probably very small but why chance even a small risk you don't have to take?

So true in so many areas of life

 

[Fireman Sam]

As an old retired water squirter I can tell you, from personal experience, that these fires are not such rare events as you may imagine. I’ve personally attended many such fires including two ‘fatals’.

 

[Forestboy]

Ok so like me most Brits uncoil no surprises there in our risk averse society.
Doesn't explain why there aren't more burnt out vans when most foreign travellers don't uncoil. Also if its so unsafe how come top make vans have the cables on reels?
It seems there are more questions then answers.

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[OldAgeTravellers]

I once lent a friend my cable reel for a garden party which I didn't attend found out after he had been running two beer coolers from it. The whole cable was just one solid lump total bin job.
Also in most cases in a Moho the current is low rarely more than 6 amps at the fuse and for shortish spells so probably not enough to cause a problem. I don't use a cable reel just free coiled and I usually just lay the last few coils out a bit under the van so they have air all round. Cable reel is easier but potentially more problems. Also cable reels are usually 1.5mm sq whereas mine is 2.5 mm sq which is better for reducing voltage drop and heating effect. Probably too thick for a cable reel too. In Morocco I had a major problem as the voltage was very low and did my onboard charger in, about 250 euro to replace. But luckily it had a fail safe mode which closed it down until battery was disconnected and re connected which the manufacturers failed to tell me about. Thin cable means more voltage drop.
Steve
Edit: It is unlikely unless you draw the full 13amps for a long period that you will get a fire but you will probably get a melted cable. The vans with built in cable reels are usually top makes and are probably fused properly with a thermal cut-out as well. Just uncoil and park as far as possible from a French van with a thin cable on a reel who is daisy-chaining five other vans so as to divide the one euro between them all. You will be fine then.

 

[scotjimland]

if its so unsafe how come top make vans have the cables on reels?

they have them nitrogen cooled ? far fetched and just a joke.. but it is an interesting question ..

have also had an extension cable melt when using a small angle grinder... too lazy to roll it all out.. and I should know better...

 

[GJH]

they have them nitrogen cooled ? far fetched and just a joke.. but it is an interesting question ..

have also had an extension cable melt when using a small angle grinder... too lazy to roll it all out.. and I should know better...

Ah yes. The practices of a qualified electrician As my mate said to me - don't you ever let me catch you doing it this way.

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[scotjimland]

Ah yes. The practices of a qualified electrician As my mate said to me - don't you ever let me catch you doing it this way.

like the shoemakers kids.. always ill shod

we are the worst for breaking the rules..

 

[Gizmouk]

like the shoemakers kids.. always ill shod

we are the worst for breaking the rules..

Do as I say, not as I do

 

[Scattycat]

Never have coiled our cable . . . . . . Unless we plug the fire in or use the electric hot plate
IMO, that if I'm only charging batteries or using low current draw appliences then the amount of power is not going to over heat the cable and so far it never has.
Having said that it is not on a reel but laid loosely on the ground in a coil
There have been a number of threads, I think on here and a number of other MH forums on the same subject and on reading them I've always rushed out to check our cable and the only time I've found it on the warm side is in Morocco in 40 degree sun.

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[funflair]

I don't know any brands that include a cable reel, you might find it is aftermarket fit.

Martin

Or am I still looking at vans that are too cheap.

 

[scotjimland]

Having said that it is not on a reel but laid loosely on the ground in a coil

that is ok.. loose coils won't heat up

it's when it's tightly wound on a drum that the problem arises ..

 

[DuxDeluxe]

I don't know any brands that include a cable reel, you might find it is aftermarket fit.

Martin

Or am I still looking at vans that are too cheap.

Knaus?

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[Teuchter]

I got a cable on a reel with my Knaus but not a built in one - I thought it was just a "gismo" from the dealership, I don't use the reel cos many years ago I had a Hymer and it came with a cable on a reel and I found the reel a real pain in the arse to use!

As a retired electrical engineer I fully agree with @ScotJimland - when the cable is tightly wound round a reel then the induction between the coils creates an effect akin to resistance and this will of course cause heat - the tighter it is wound and the more turns round the reel then the more heat and less chance of the heat dissipating.

Any small inductance between a few loose coils will cause little or no heat build up as the coils are all exposed to air allowing any heat to dissipate

 

[MikeD]

We always uncoil the cable

I have at home melted a coiled cable into a Solid lump

It was very very hot when I touched it

 

[Popeye]

I don't know any brands that include a cable reel, you might find it is aftermarket fit.

Martin

Or am I still looking at vans that are too cheap.

The entire Frankia range have all the services in a service locker on reels...

Broken Link Removed

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[funflair]

The entire Frankia range have all the services in a service locker on reels...

Broken Link Removed

Is the reel wired to the van or is it plug one end and socket the other.

Martin

 

[Southampton]

I have also had a cable reel fuse together. We had visitors park their MH on our drive overnight and I connected theirs and mine from the same tightly wound reel, both of us had heating lights etc. turned on, result was a nicely bonded together cable. I carry three lengths of cable, 10m, 15m and a 25m and always lay them out snaked under the van.

 

[Popeye]

Is the reel wired to the van or is it plug one end and socket the other.

Martin

Straight into the Van, as is the fresh-water hose, feeds straight into the storage tank.

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[Wildbill]

when I was young and very naïve I plugged in the caravan we were on a site had the heater on boiling the ketal lights on
the lights went out thinking the fuse had gone went out side to see the coiled of wire merrily burning away.
never used a drum for caravan or motorhome till this day very close call
bill

 

[GJH]

The entire Frankia range have all the services in a service locker on reels...

Broken Link Removed

Hmmm, a hinged cable reel. Do you have to be unhinged to use it?

 

[DuxDeluxe]

We were on the Chertsey C&CC site on Wednesday and the people on the next pitch (elderly couple) had their 25m cable coiled tightly on a drum with the EHU point right by the pitch marker. Mentioned the dangers to them but got told to mind my own business. Just trying to be helpful. They were not funsters but tuggers

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[DuxDeluxe]

Hmmm, a hinged cable reel. Do you have to be unhinged to use it?

It belongs to @Popeye - draw your own conclusions.........

 

[Popeye]

Hmmm, a hinged cable reel. Do you have to be unhinged to use it?

Of course NOT, if you did then you'd already have one, after all you are one of the original "nutters".

It belongs to @Popeye - draw your own conclusions.........

Exactly Dave me ole Ducks, anyone who's met me woul'd say the same, except of course that Norwich Woman Dawn Nora Battie

 

[2bob]

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burn outs like this reg 2004

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