French Aire water connection (1 Viewer)

Doneromin

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We have recently returned from three weeks touring France, on two Aires, (Sassenge and Annot) the drinking water connection on the service post,was not the normal BSP threaded tap. Neither had a tap to turn on/off, only what I suspect was a fitting similar to that for which a male "Hoselock" adaptor would push into. There is a"pin" in the centre of the fitting,which perhaps is a part of how it operates to allow water to flow. The water was free, so there was NO payments involved.
I asked two French M/Homers, neither had any idea what fitting could be used.
Has anyone come across these connections,
Aire Water Connection.jpg
if so, what connector fits them please ?
 
Jul 31, 2014
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Someone posted about this during the summer and I think that MMM mentioned it in one of their features.
You need a double male connector.
The feature/post said they'd bought it from a French hardware store but I googled it and got the same make from a UK garden centre. I bought different sizes just in case.
Hozelock also do them.
 

Badknee

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Wow, just looked, there's loads of different sizes. Is that correct do you think?
image.jpg
image.jpg

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icantremember

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These are becoming more popular and as said above will accept the male end of a Hozelock 1/2" fitting.
The only problem is that the water floes immediately and if you are not prepared can give you a good soaking.
 

magicsurfbus

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Reminds me of one I used at the Le Croisic aire that had water pressure like a fire hose - pure slapstick.
 

Flamenca

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The connectors mentioned in a previous thread and in MMM were as follows:

Gardena 931-26 and Gardena 916-26.

However, the latter is suitable for 19mm hose pipe and should be substituted with the equivalent 13mm Gardena connector for 1/2" hose pipe.

I bought these in a French Brico store but never had to use them on the aires I visited.
 
9

9526

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probably an attempt to stop people washing their thetfords under the potable tap.

If you have to connect your own hose, then you wash your cassette at your own risk.

haven't come across one yet though, but will get the connectors just in case.
 
D

Deleted member 29692

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Reminds me of one I used at the Le Croisic aire that had water pressure like a fire hose - pure slapstick.

Chamonix is the same. My old flat hose pipe didn't survive the water pressure there. It was split in about three places after filling the van once.

Also the Stellplatz at Freiburg is just as bad.

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Allanm

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Chamonix is the same. My old flat hose pipe didn't survive the water pressure there. It was split in about three places after filling the van once.

Also the Stellplatz at Freiburg is just as bad.
I am sure you can buy pressure reducers, Gardenia do one, so does Hoselock, although I don't know what fittings they use. I have a flat hose, I'll be checking out reducers before we go away again, just in case, although, I haven't seen one of these connectors at an aire yet.
 

MikeandCarolyn

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In Nantes at municipal campsite I bought a tap that plugs into that fitting-I had seen one before at Caro on Cotes Bleu aire.

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Apr 22, 2013
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This type of connection seems to becoming more popular, I've found them in a number of places. Chateaudun and Saint Benoit-du-Sault on our recent trip to the Dordogne. I like them a lot as they are very effective at stopping the drinking water connection being used to flush the toilet cassette. The connector I have was bought for about 50p from Lidls back in the spring when they had their gardening equipment week. The only difficulty I have is releasing the connector, you need a tight grip as a hard push is required on the knurled ring.

You can see the connector on the second photo here https://www.aire-service-camping-car-panoramique.fr/eure-et-loir/28-chateaudun

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OP
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Doneromin

Doneromin

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Thanks for everyone's comments, I did have a "Hozelock" fitting, but as it was plastic, I was concerned that if it broke, how do you turn the water OFF ? so I will make up one with a metal type, to go with my GPL /gas filler adapter, my double plug to change electric polarity adapter, headlight beam adapters, and now a water connection adapter. All I need now is a language adapter,
 

Roverslass

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SomeoneElse re the water fill on the photo in Oct 2015, can you tell me more about your connector please? I'm trying to buy one before setting off on this year's trip.
Any chance of a photo?
 

icantremember

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SomeoneElse re the water fill on the photo in Oct 2015, can you tell me more about your connector please? I'm trying to buy one before setting off on this year's trip.
Any chance of a photo?
:hiya2: @Roverslass :welcomesign:

As shown by the pictures in some of the posts above you will find that any fitting with a male Hozelock end will fit.

i.e.
image-jpg.81025
But BEWARE .... in most cases the water will flow as soon as you plug the fitting in .... I know that 'cos I got soaked the first time I used one!:rolleyes:

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FJmike

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:hiya2: @Roverslass :welcomesign:

As shown by the pictures in some of the posts above you will find that any fitting with a male Hozelock end will fit.

i.e.
image-jpg.81025

From experience the one in the photo may not fit due to the flange in the middle. Shopping around should find one without the flange. This type of connector is becoming more common on French Aires, I assume it's because they require less maintenance.
 
Nov 5, 2013
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image.jpg Hoselock do a metal version available on Amazon or without flange ebay
image.jpg
 
Dec 24, 2009
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French Aires that I know have then are the Grande Village on the Ille de Oleron and Ruggles the one at Ruggles had enough water pressure to blow the Hoselock connectors off on my flat hose I got wet through filling the tank LOL.

The French motorhomers seem to be the worst offenders for rinsing their cassettes under the drinking water taps in my experience, despite notices asking people not too, but to use the tap on the other side of the bourne.

That's probably why you see them buying so much bottled water, as they don't drink from their onboard tanks.
 
D

Deleted member 29692

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Froncles has one as well.

My adapter is one of the ones with a "lump" in the middle and it fit/worked perfectly well (y)

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DBK

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I came across another type of connector in the Maritime Alps recently. It looked like the one in the OP but my Hozelok male to male adaptor didn't fit. It went in only so far then hit a smaller diameter hole. It looked as if you needed an adaptor which had two different diameters, wide at the base, narrow at the end. It even defeated a French MH owner too, so I wasn't alone. :)

The other type which defeated me were taps which had a screw end but one much wider than the normal taps, which already come in two sizes, narrow and "normal". I will need to tow a trailer soon for all the different adaptors needed!
 
D

Deleted member 29692

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I came across another type of connector in the Maritime Alps recently. It looked like the one in the OP but my Hozelok male to male adaptor didn't fit. It went in only so far then hit a smaller diameter hole. It looked as if you needed an adaptor which had two different diameters, wide at the base, narrow at the end. It even defeated a French MH owner too, so I wasn't alone. :)

The other type which defeated me were taps which had a screw end but one much wider than the normal taps, which already come in two sizes, narrow and "normal". I will need to tow a trailer soon for all the different adaptors needed!

"Normal" taps come in three sizes not two (y) 1/2", 3/4" and 1" or whatever the metric equivalents are, 13, 19 & 25mm I suppose.

The most common is the 3/4" so I'd guess you came across a 1" one. Not seen one of those on a site or aire yet.
 

DBK

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"Normal" taps come in three sizes not two (y) 1/2", 3/4" and 1" or whatever the metric equivalents are, 13, 19 & 25mm I suppose.

The most common is the 3/4" so I'd guess you came across a 1" one. Not seen one of those on a site or aire yet.
We came across several with the 1" connection on our last trip (arrived back yesterday :cry:) in both France and Italy. But are they metric or Imperial? I suspect they are Imperial as my 1/2" and 3/4" adaptors work. I shall see what Plumb Centre have to offer but the curious male to male connection one is a mystery.

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Dec 24, 2009
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There was one of the 1" fitting ones on the Aire at Honfleur a couple of years ago never come accross one since I bought a bigger fitting LOL.
 
D

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We came across several with the 1" connection on our last trip (arrived back yesterday :cry:) in both France and Italy. But are they metric or Imperial? I suspect they are Imperial as my 1/2" and 3/4" adaptors work. I shall see what Plumb Centre have to offer but the curious male to male connection one is a mystery.

I think they are a standard size across the UK and Europe so they will probably be metric. What Plumb Center sell you as a 3/4" tap connector will actually be a 19mm one and so on.
 

Lenny HB

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I think they are a standard size across the UK and Europe so they will probably be metric. What Plumb Center sell you as a 3/4" tap connector will actually be a 19mm one and so on.
They are actually a BSP thread.

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