European Hook Up Adaptor Advice

[datadezign]

This may sound silly. But can anyone please advise which type of hook up Adaptor will I need for travelling around Europe. After having searched online it seems that it is a female UK 3 round pin socket attached to a 2 round pin plug on a short length cable. The reason I question this is I haven’t seen a European hook up bollard yet and wondering how a 2 pin type mains plug will connect to a bollard and still be waterproof. Our UK hook up plugs are by their design waterproof, hence why I am questioning if the Adaptors I have seen online are the correct ones. If this is correct will this type of Adaptor connect to most European countries hook up facilities, and if not what other type of adaptors do I need to buy, so I have a comprehensive Adaptor set for virtually any country?

 

[Richard n Ann]

You just want one of these. You only need it half the time..

<Broken link removed>

It's not waterproof so they are usually in cabinets.

 

[Phill D]

You just want one of these. You only need it half the time..

<Broken link removed>

It's not waterproof so they are usually in cabinets.

i have 2 a 90' one as in the link and a straight one. simply because i had the misfortune to come across some cabinets that would not take the 90' one while others would not take the straight...

 

[datadezign]

Thank you, but do not quite understand the 90’? and others would not take the straight?? Can you please elaborate and specific size needed with some of these cabinets. Any photos of these cabinets. Thank you

 

[Landy Andy]

Thank you, but do not quite understand the 90’? and others would not take the straight?? Can you please elaborate and specific size needed with some of these cabinets. Any photos of these cabinets. Thank you

I think this shows ”straight” and “90”

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[glenn2926]

We’ve been touring the EU for six years now and only ever needed the adapter when plugging into the mains at my sons house. Never needed it on Aires or campsites. Worth having but don’t worry if you don’t have one. You’re going to need it very rarely.

 

[Lenny HB]

Thank you, but do not quite understand the 90’? and others would not take the straight?? Can you please elaborate and specific size needed with some of these cabinets. Any photos of these cabinets. Thank you

Most countries use a socket that makes use of a scraping earth contact and the plugs can be inserted either way. The French use an earth pin so the Plug can only be inserted one way. If the socket is mounted upside down relative to your plug there may not be enough clearance in the box for the 2 pin & earth plug & socket.

 

[datadezign]

As thought thank you. I was also interested to see some image examples of the type of cabinets to expect. Assume something like this?

 

[Lenny HB]

We’ve been touring the EU for six years now and only ever needed the adapter when plugging into the mains at my sons house. Never needed it on Aires or campsites. Worth having but don’t worry if you don’t have one. You’re going to need it very rarely.

Not in my experance, most Aires use the 2 pin & earth connector but 75% of sites use the Contental connector.

 

[datadezign]

Thank you all best to be prepared with all the various options, rather than having to find a store whilst there where one can be purchased. I can clearly see now thank you the difference between what’s referred to as a 90’ angle plug and the straight one. That makes sense as 90’ angle plugs often can be restrictive.

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[glenn2926]

Not in my experance, most Aires use the 2 pin & earth connector but 75% of sites use the Contental connector.

I guess we use different Aires then.

 

[Lenny HB]

I guess we use different Aires then.

Read my post again.

 

[datadezign]

Which countries use 2 pin? Also which countries use alternative connectors and what type of adaptors are needed for these?

 

[glenn2926]

Read my post again.

Ditto.

 

[Lenny HB]

Ditto.

It's you, I said most Aires use the 2 pin & earth connector which is the blue connectors we use in the UK.

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[March Hare]

Something we hadn't realised when we first crossed the Channel, was that when you arrive on a site or Aire, you need to check the Ampage available. This photo is at the Honfleur Aire, where just 5 Amps are available, so enough for lights and possibly fridge, but not enough for heating which you'd use your gas for.

 

[glenn2926]

It's you, I said most Aires use the 2 pin & earth connector which is the blue connectors we use in the UK.

Sorry, too early. I need another coffee to wake me up. I was reading it as most Aires use the French style connector.
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[Lenny HB]

Something we hadn't realised when we first crossed the Channel, was that when you arrive on a site or Aire, you need to check the Ampage available. This photo is at the Honfleur Aire, where just 5 Amps are available, so enough for lights and possibly fridge, but not enough for heating which you'd use your gas for.

View attachment 596943

3 amps is not unusual in Italy.

 

[datadezign]

Does anyone know any other websites that supply this straight Adaptor rather than Thomann UK as even if I order two (one as a back up of lost) Thomann want £8 on top of £12 for delivery!!! That’s £30 for two little cables and adaptors. Must be other UK companies that offer these, perhaps even eBay. The problem as we all know is what description to put into the search engine to find them. I’ve tried several and so far only Thomann comes up. I assume one of you must have found another supplier?

 

[Phill D]

Try towsure or even amazon

Continental mains to caravan adapter...

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[autorouter]

t's you, I said most Aires use the 2 pin & earth connector which is the blue connectors we use in the UK.

You do know that ALL the connectors are '2 pin and earth', don't you? The German/Spanish '2-pin' plug has two earth contacts at the top and bottom, carefully designed so that the earth makes a connection before the recessed 2-pin live and neutral.

The French '2-pin' plug has a reversed earth pin. The British 13A plug is a '2 pin and earth' type. And the round blue '2-pin and earth' 16A plugs are a European standard, that are used in the UK because they are a weatherproof design.

 

[datadezign]

Lenny

You do know that ALL the connectors are '2 pin and earth', don't you? The German/Spanish '2-pin' plug has two earth contacts at the top and bottom, carefully designed so that the earth makes a connection before the recessed 2-pin live and neutral.

The French '2-pin' plug has a reversed earth pin. The British 13A plug is a '2 pin and earth' type. And the round blue '2-pin and earth' 16A plugs are a European standard, that are used in the UK because they are a weatherproof design.

Lenny I am even more confused now by your comments, can you or someone else please elaborate? It appeared by the first few replies and by searching online that the Euro adaptor I have ordered today would fit most European hook ups, if the sites don't use the normal BLUE connectors, we are use to using on UK sites (which I assume are the 2 pin and earth)? With what Lenny is stating, unless I have misunderstood, is that I need TWO different adaptors if the sites don't use the blue connectors, one that is compatible in Germany and Spain and the 2nd that is compatible in France. If this is the case, then the ones I have ordered are only for Germany and Spain ONLY or France ONLY confused!!

 

[datadezign]

Do you think this adaptor is for France use ONLY, or Germany and Spain?????

 

[Lenny HB]

Pic too fuzzy to see properly but looks like it will do all.

 

[datadezign]

Broken Link Removed

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[Ian Bosman]

You just want one of these. You only need it half the time..

<Broken link removed>

It's not waterproof so they are usually in cabinets.

The two pin sockets are slowly disappearing appearing in my experience but they are reversible so the if you have mains positive crossed over you just put the plug in upside down. I have an adapter self made to an inline 16 amp socket as well as a "switcher which is a 16 amp plug to the 16 amp socket in case the mains is crossed over. Clearly labelled for my benefit. Some campsites the sockets get into a very bad state but it is rare these days, thank the EC regs for that.

 

[autorouter]

I have misunderstood, is that I need TWO different adaptors if the sites don't use the blue connectors, one that is compatible in Germany and Spain and the 2nd that is compatible in France.

As you can imagine, the Europeans have been living with this problem for years, and have sorted it out. All appliances sold in Europe have a 'universal' plug that fits both sockets.
The French-only plug looks like this, with the hole for the reversed earth pin:


The German-only plug looks like this, with the sliding contacts top and bottom:




The universal plug looks like this: It has a hole for the French socket and the sliding contacts top and bottom for the German socket.

If you buy a separate plug from a DIY store the plugs are specific to the country you are in, but they also sell universal ones, and now you know what you are looking for. If you buy a ready-made '2-pin' to round blue adaptor, it will have a universal plug on it, I'd be very surprised if it didn't.

 

[mitzimad]

Does anyone know any other websites that supply this straight Adaptor rather than Thomann UK as even if I order two (one as a back up of lost) Thomann want £8 on top of £12 for delivery!!! That’s £30 for two little cables and adaptors. Must be other UK companies that offer these, perhaps even eBay. The problem as we all know is what description to put into the search engine to find them. I’ve tried several and so far only Thomann comes up. I assume one of you must have found another supplier?

ebay probably best or amazon

 

[Ian Bosman]

BTW, the plug needs to be a two pin with a one pin socket on it for those 2 pins and earth sockets as shown in the link at #26. Not all sockets are equipped with an earth pin but the earth in that caee connects through the metal latching prongs to the plug therefore if you do make one up connect the earth wire for your own safety.

 

[Lenny HB]

You do know that ALL the connectors are '2 pin and earth', don't you?

Yes but 2 pin & Earth is the general description given to plugs & sockets made to BS4343.