Did I dream this ... (1 Viewer)

Aug 19, 2013
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... or did I actually see a ehu multi fit adapter that had a simple slide switch device for reverse polarity connectors on continental camp sites. I presently carry a 2 pin continental adapter, another 2-pin with a reverse polarity, and a third one for the normal connector in reverse polarity. I cannot seem to second guess which connector it is going to need, but I do seem good at guessing it wrong.
 
OP
OP
Dorwyn
Aug 19, 2013
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Well I did wonder. But I wouldn't like to electricute the missus before she makes the tea

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Jaws

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It is pretty much impossible to toast your self ( !! ) with a reverse polarity set up..
I have never ever bothered about it..
 

bigtwin

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Amongst believers (that reverse polarity adopters are a waste of good money)!

Yay!

Ian
 

Teuchter

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I have been caravanning for 32 years but in 2014 I have"gone over to the dark side"
No doubt this has been said before but as far as I know reverse polarity on foreign vans and modern British ones is not a big deal.

On older british caravans (and I think some older British motorhomes) the RCD /ELCB (the safety breaker) was a single pole device ie it only interrupted the single "live" supply therefore if the polarity were reversed ( live becomes neutral & vice versa) then it would be the "neutral" supply that was cut off when the RCD was tripped leaving the whole installation live and obviously dangerous!.

On foreign and newer British vans the RCD is a double pole device ie both live and neutral wires are open circuit when tripped thus ensuring that no ac electricity enters the van beyond the RCD, rendering the whole installation safe.

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Minxy

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Since 1996, had Elddis/Swift/Rapido/Rimor/Chausson MHs. Autocruise/Globecar PVCs/Compactline i-138
So, based on the above, if you have an older van then use a reverse polarity 'corrector' adapter, otherwise on modern vans you don't need to ... 'cause that's what they said! :rolleyes:
 

Minxy

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... or did I actually see a ehu multi fit adapter that had a simple slide switch device for reverse polarity connectors on continental camp sites. I presently carry a 2 pin continental adapter, another 2-pin with a reverse polarity, and a third one for the normal connector in reverse polarity. I cannot seem to second guess which connector it is going to need, but I do seem good at guessing it wrong.
If you still want to 'correct' reverse polarity you don't need the 2-pin reverse one - what you need to do is just take the normal 2-pin adapter and the UK reverse polarity connector, then if you find a site with the 2-pin adapter that is 'wrong' put the 2-pin in first, then the UK adapter then the lead ... 1 less bit of kit to carry around.
 

Jaws

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If folk wanna worry about it, good luck to them
If folk wanna chuck hard earned at converters and detectors .. good luck to them

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weebill

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Oct 1, 2014
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So, just to be clear, reverse polarity has no effect on electrics in a newish (5 yrs old in my case) Motorhome?

Cheers
Bill
 

scotjimland

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Jul 25, 2007
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Just for the record..

you cannot buy a reverse polarity adapter lead in the UK.. UNLESS it has been made up by someone privately and sold on eBay .. you won't find in a camp shop or caravan dealers .. it is illegal to make and sell commercially ... you can of course make one yourself..

You cannot buy one abroad as there is no demand .. no need

I have never seen the adapter the OP is asking about..

You will rarely .. if ever, find a UK site EHU with reverse polarity.
Electrical standards of installation, inspection and testing in the UK is probably the highest in the world. UK sites by law have to be electrically tested annually.

I am not aware of any mains equipment that is polarity sensitive.

The (perceived) problem with electricity is not the 'polarity', either reverse or correct - it's doing stupid things like sticking a knife into a toaster while it is still plugged in.. yes.. even to retrieve a bit of stuck bread.. UNPLUG

Don't touch the inner workings of anything electrical with anything, until it is unplugged.

In the case of any piece of equipment in your van which is fixed into the van, rather than connected via an electric socket, unplug from the hook-up

Unplug from the socket before poking inside anything!

It's impossible to legislate to stop people being stupid with electricity.. people die every year by being stupid.. but not from reverse polarity
 

bigtwin

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So, just to be clear, reverse polarity has no effect on electrics in a newish (5 yrs old in my case) Motorhome?

Cheers
Bill

Correct.

And to be clear, it has no effect on any vehicle regardless of age UNLESS you are minded to go poking about behind covers without isolating beforehand.

Ian

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Lenny HB

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Oct 18, 2007
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On the prison camp camp site we stayed on in Portugal the guy opening the electric cabinet said can you check to make sure polarity is OK, must be used to weird Brits, I said it's fine didn't bother to check.

One point older foreign vans often don't have an RCD fitted, our last Hymer didn't, 2008 vintage I fitted one myself, neither did the Hobby caravan we had before.
 

scotjimland

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Jul 25, 2007
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One point older foreign vans often don't have an RCD fitted,

If an RCD is not fitted it should be fitted as soon as possible to bring it into line with current IEE regulations

7.9.2 - Caravan installations.

4. - Protection by automatic disconnection (as for all other installations) but using double pole MCBs to disconnect all live conductors, together with a double pole RCD complying with BS 4293, BS EN 61008-1 or BS EN 61009-1 with an operating current of 30 mA and means of isolating the complete caravan installation must be used.
 
OP
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Dorwyn
Aug 19, 2013
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The state of some foreign ehus is just frightening. I'm not so sure that it is impossible to toast yourself with them, but at least I needn't worry about their polarity any more. Right or wrong, they're still dangerous.
 

scotjimland

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The state of some foreign ehus is just frightening. I'm not so sure that it is impossible to toast yourself with them, but at least I needn't worry about their polarity any more. Right or wrong, they're still dangerous.

yes, I've seen some really bad hook-ups abroad.. some so bad I wouldn't use..

the main thing to check for is do you have an earth connection.. you can test this easily by using a plug in polarity tester..

it will also tell you if you have reversed polarity .. :LOL:


plenty to choose from http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...+tester.TRS0&_nkw=plug+socket+tester&_sacat=0

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Last edited:

Lenny HB

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If an RCD is not fitted it should be fitted as soon as possible to bring it into line with current IEE regulations

7.9.2 - Caravan installations.

4. - Protection by automatic disconnection (as for all other installations) but using double pole MCBs to disconnect all live conductors, together with a double pole RCD complying with BS 4293, BS EN 61008-1 or BS EN 61009-1 with an operating current of 30 mA and means of isolating the complete caravan installation must be used.
That is from the UK regs, I did say foreign vans. If an official import the UK dealer/importer will have fitted an RCD both the Hymer & Hobby caravan I mention I imported myself.
 
Oct 13, 2016
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Been moho’ing for a time now
I am a retired electrician, and I agree with some of the posts and dis-agree with others.
REVERSE POLARITY is a problem, although hopefully you don't encounter it very often, the reason being, in the UK the switch on ANY appliance/wall socket/light switch etc is ALWAYS in the live line so that when you switch off there is NO power leaving the wall socket or indeed the appliance, the appliance is as dead as it can be.

We visited a camp site (Mont Olympe - Charleville-Mezieres - France) in September 2015 (albeit in a tent) with a mains hook cable that I had modified to tell me when the polarity was reversed, (by installing 2 extra neon lamps, one connected Live-Earth and the other connected Neutral-Earth, both being connected before the RCD, I will take a piccy later and post it). We camped there twice, once on the way to Oberbronn (France) and then on the way back from Oberbronn. The first time we pitched the polarity was wrong (lets say we were camped on the South side of the camp) on the return trip we were pitched on the North side of the camp, the polarity was correct. I do not speak French, so communication was a problem. This site had the correct 16 amp 3 pin outlets, so reversing the polarity was not an option.

We also visit Germany on a regular basis and their "general" outlets are only 2 pin, and reverse polarity could be quite common there, but all you do is remove the plug turn it 180 degrees and re-insert it.

But we have camped in a MH in Southern Germany and found that they still had the "normal" house sockets on site, again a "possible" polarity problem.

I now carry just about EVERY combination of cable connections/adaptors, albeit someone could say I'm being OVER CAUTIOUS, but you do tend to only live once (NOT like James Bond, "You only live twice"

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Nov 6, 2012
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Your Motorhome may be OK but my Thetford fridge shuts down if the polarity is reversed. Always carry home made mains adapter leads for all eventualities.
 

Lenny HB

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yes.. of course it's UK Regs .. they apply to all vans registered in the UK

not sure what your point was..
Nothing to do with registration regs only apply to the build. My point was imported vans never used to have them fitted (they do now). I imported a Hobby caravan in 2002 & a Hymer Motorhome in 2008 neither had a RCD.
 
Aug 6, 2013
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I am a retired electrician, and I agree with some of the posts and dis-agree with others.
REVERSE POLARITY is a problem, although hopefully you don't encounter it very often, the reason being, in the UK the switch on ANY appliance/wall socket/light switch etc is ALWAYS in the live line so that when you switch off there is NO power leaving the wall socket or indeed the appliance, the appliance is as dead as it can be.

We visited a camp site (Mont Olympe - Charleville-Mezieres - France) in September 2015 (albeit in a tent) with a mains hook cable that I had modified to tell me when the polarity was reversed, (by installing 2 extra neon lamps, one connected Live-Earth and the other connected Neutral-Earth, both being connected before the RCD, I will take a piccy later and post it). We camped there twice, once on the way to Oberbronn (France) and then on the way back from Oberbronn. The first time we pitched the polarity was wrong (lets say we were camped on the South side of the camp) on the return trip we were pitched on the North side of the camp, the polarity was correct. I do not speak French, so communication was a problem. This site had the correct 16 amp 3 pin outlets, so reversing the polarity was not an option.

We also visit Germany on a regular basis and their "general" outlets are only 2 pin, and reverse polarity could be quite common there, but all you do is remove the plug turn it 180 degrees and re-insert it.

But we have camped in a MH in Southern Germany and found that they still had the "normal" house sockets on site, again a "possible" polarity problem.

I now carry just about EVERY combination of cable connections/adaptors, albeit someone could say I'm being OVER CAUTIOUS, but you do tend to only live once (NOT like James Bond, "You only live twice"
Still worth re-stating though: If you don't tamper with any appliance whilst it is plugged in (and you shouldn't anyway) then polarity is irrelevant.

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Aug 6, 2013
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Your Motorhome may be OK but my Thetford fridge shuts down if the polarity is reversed. Always carry home made mains adapter leads for all eventualities.
Well worth having your fridge checked out - I don't know how it could notice reversed mains unless it's faulty.
 

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