Electrical Adapters (1 Viewer)

rootbeer

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Feb 5, 2011
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Hi from Canada we have decided to bring our 23ft rv accross the pond arriving in Southampton in March,we have a generator onboard but will at times be needing shoreline power could someone tell me what kind of adapters we would need? does this differ when travelling through europe? would we need a propane adapter?where would be the best place to buy thanks in advance Alan/:Smile:
 

Snowbird

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Hi, The short term solution would be to buy a step down transformer to step down from 110 to 230 volts. This is of course presuming you will be shipping the RV back after your tour. You will have to take care on how much power you use through the stepper and not use airco or similar high drain appliances. This should not really be a problem in most of Europe, as few use airco. The LPG screw on adapters are widely available in the UK for most of Europe as long as you have a fixed LPG tank there should be no problem filling. Hope you enjoy your stay.
 

cmcardle75

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Hi from Canada we have decided to bring our 23ft rv accross the pond arriving in Southampton in March,we have a generator onboard but will at times be needing shoreline power could someone tell me what kind of adapters we would need? does this differ when travelling through europe? would we need a propane adapter?where would be the best place to buy thanks in advance Alan/:Smile:

Power will be via a 16A IEC socket. The plug looks like:
Broken Link Removed

To convert to 110V, you'll need a transformer. For a quick trip, you should get something like a 3300VA model. Note you'll need a 32A outlet instead of the more common 2x16A outlets. You'll also need a lead with a 32A IEC 110V plug and whatever socket your RV needs.

This won't be enough to do your air con comfortably. However, you might get away with it if your aircon is 2kW or less, is placed outside in a well ventilated area, and you start off slowly (i.e. set the thermostat very high and gradually reduce, making sure the air con gets a bit of a rest). This is not recommended, however.

If you are doing a permanent conversion, you need something rated for 3kW continuous. This will be a lot more expensive. Or you could buy one and sell it when finished. They hold value well if you've got time to sell on eBay.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/portable-transformer-with-3-output-sockets-5kva/21482
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Apr 22, 2013
911
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rootbeer,
Besides the excellent advice above, you should also note that the while the blue 230V plug and socket can deliver 16A a lot of camp site limit the current that can be taken to 10A or even 6A, so you will need to adjust your loading accordingly.

The yellow 110V plug and sockets are generally used on building sites where only low voltage is allowed. Therefore the 110V output is centre tapped to earth and is therefore actual two 55V systems, giving 110V across the two phases. I doubt this will cause you any problems but it will depend on how your RV is wired.

Good luck with your trip.
Can you give us some details of how you ship the RV over, did you sail with it or fly?

Gordon
 
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rootbeer

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Feb 5, 2011
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Canada
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class A
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10yrs
Thank you!

Hi, The short term solution would be to buy a step down transformer to step down from 110 to 230 volts. This is of course presuming you will be shipping the RV back after your tour. You will have to take care on how much power you use through the stepper and not use airco or similar high drain appliances. This should not really be a problem in most of Europe, as few use airco. The LPG screw on adapters are widely available in the UK for most of Europe as long as you have a fixed LPG tank there should be no problem filling. Hope you enjoy your stay.
As mentioned it would seem that most campsites electrical hookups are governed ie 15amp 20amp? our microwave pulls just over 9amp as for aircon that would depend on the campsite our aircon draws 16amp on start up runs at 13 amp, we would like to dry camp mostly our onboard 3000kw generator can handle all appliances & also charge batteries, is running generator scorned on in most places?we will pick up the propane adapters when we arrive, the 3000w step down transformers seem to reasonably priced on ebay from this end, we dont intend to bring the rv back hoping to sell & leave on our return, we are shipping from Halifax Nova Scotia to Southampton via sea.Thanks to all for the info keep it coming as we are all ears.:thumb:
 

Snowbird

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As mentioned it would seem that most campsites electrical hookups are governed ie 15amp 20amp? our microwave pulls just over 9amp as for aircon that would depend on the campsite our aircon draws 16amp on start up runs at 13 amp, we would like to dry camp mostly our onboard 3000kw generator can handle all appliances & also charge batteries, is running generator scorned on in most places?we will pick up the propane adapters when we arrive, the 3000w step down transformers seem to reasonably priced on ebay from this end, we dont intend to bring the rv back hoping to sell & leave on our return, we are shipping from Halifax Nova Scotia to Southampton via sea.Thanks to all for the info keep it coming as we are all ears.:thumb:

If you are thinking of selling then the best bet is have a proper electrical conversion done by a good UK RV converter. Dont bother with the dropper box as at sale time it will be easier to sell with a good conversion. I wouldn't worry to much about running airco as we do not get the weather here in Europe to justify it. If you are intending to dry camp, which by the way is not as easy as in the States, but still possible in parts of Europe then generators can be used but are frowned on in some places. You just have to be sensible. Dont forget if you intend selling the RV here on your return there will quite possibly be duty to pay on it which will quite possibly be more than the cost of return shipping. Just as a point of interest, what make and model of RV are you running, and is it gas or diesel.

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rootbeer

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Feb 5, 2011
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Thanks Snowbird we would probably leave the uk conversion to the new owners as with generator & 3 x12v bat/s with 3000w inverter we are pretty self sufficient, I agree we have the same problem here in that some people forget that there are people around them! when using genset. We have a 2008 alp adventurer with 5.4L gas ,fixed rear bed full shower,sleeps 6(4 comfortably)well made unit for good old canadian winters.Shipping cost is approx 2,230 pounds one way.:thumb:
 

Snowbird

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It would make more sense when the time came to sell if it had a proper electric conversion and of course this would be reflected in the sale price. The downside is that the RV has a gas or as we call it petrol engine. Petrol is far more expensive in Europe than in the States. Most RVs here that run on petrol have had a LPG conversion done, as this is much cheaper. It may be worth your while checking on a LPG engine conversion in the States before you ship, as not only will the RV be a more saleable item when you return, it will make your trip much cheaper.
 
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rootbeer

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conversion

What would an lpg conversion cost there? what would power conversion cost? lpg conversions here are approx $4500 canadian any reputable companies in mind? how much is propane per gal? how much is petrol per gal?thanks in advance Alan.:thumb:

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Snowbird

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Hi, Am not sure now re conversion prices, but I have used this guy for electric conversions in the past and he is very good. Daves RV Cannock. This is a fuel comparison site, giving petrol diesel and LPG prices throughout Europe. Remember these prices are for litres, NOT gallons..
 
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rootbeer

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lpg

Thanks for the fuel site it seams that lpg is around half the price which would make it more appealing, i think that crossing through the chunnel would be out if Im not mistaken? with a propane propulsion vehicle? although what they do here when converting is keep the gasoline option which gives you duel fuel, so technically we could switch to gasoline to enter the chunnel?will look into electrical conversion at later date :thumb:
 

cmcardle75

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Thanks for the fuel site it seams that lpg is around half the price which would make it more appealing, i think that crossing through the chunnel would be out if Im not mistaken? with a propane propulsion vehicle? although what they do here when converting is keep the gasoline option which gives you duel fuel, so technically we could switch to gasoline to enter the chunnel?will look into electrical conversion at later date :thumb:

Dual fuel is also banned, so it doesn't help. However, it isn't an issue. There are loads of ferries and they're cheaper than the tunnel. So unless you are scared of ships, don't worry about it.

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Snowbird

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Thanks for the fuel site it seams that lpg is around half the price which would make it more appealing, i think that crossing through the chunnel would be out if Im not mistaken? with a propane propulsion vehicle? although what they do here when converting is keep the gasoline option which gives you duel fuel, so technically we could switch to gasoline to enter the chunnel?will look into electrical conversion at later date :thumb:

Dont worry to much about the Chunnel. There are plenty of ferry options taking less than 2 hours to cross. DFDS is one of the cheapest at sub $100 for an RV. The gasoline option is usually kept here as well as LPG. The engine starts on gasoline and automatically switches over once warm.
 

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