French electrical polarity

[clivea]

Hi,

just came back from two weeks in France, but on our first two sites ( one municipal, one private) the site power supplies were provided through UK style CEE 17 connectors.Graet thought I, but I will just check the polarity, and both were reversed. Unfortunatley I had two 'tradidional' French convertor leads, one of which was wired up to deal with reversed polarity. What I did not have was a reversed polarity CEE17 lead. Fortunately both were only overnight stops so the battery and gas provided us. So be prepared to take three conversion leads plus your normal UK lead to guarantee electrical supplies in France. It would help if caravan manufacturers or accesory providers installed a cahnge over switch combined with the polarity/earth warning lights. It would obviate the need to carry all of the extra baggage.

 

[Lutz]

All that would be needed would be to fuse both incoming live and neutral leads and all polarity problems would be solved.

 

[Clive-Cardiff]

I have found the same problem. I now carry the usual continental two pin adaptor along with a CEE adaptor wired with reverse polarity. This covers all eventualities, but make sure you mark your CEE adaptor as reversed polarity.

 

[ThePlotter]

Maybe its me but why carry two reversed leads(english and French)I have been to France for years and take ordinary French two pin adaptor,ordinary 25metre mains lead and reversed adaptor lead with English plugs.I plug this into the van,the main lead into this which I plug into the electrical post or if continetal site plugs I then add the French adaptor.

 

[Le Chant]

Or you could just come to a site that has UK type plugs?

 

[WatsonJohnG]

The site we have just returned from in Brittany (Le Bohat) has both types of socket depending on which pitch you get.

Its easy to cut 2 ft off the hook up lead and fit a new plug to it with correct polarity.

The short bit then is fitted with a new blue socket with live and neutral reversed.

You then can using this clearly marked "REVERSE POLARITY" to get the right polarity on the blue Euro site boxes and with the two pin adaptor as well on the French/German type.

Adaptors sold in UK accessory shops have the French earth socket and the German type of side earth contacts.

 

[cris_408518]

Over the years we have found that quite often that the french plug will fit upside down and solve the problem, two minute or less with a scew driver and you can swap brown and blue wire over as well.

You do not need yet another bit to carry that way.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Chris the French plug will not fit upside down as there is an earth pin on the site box that goes into a socket on the plug.

The German type with side contacts can be reversed but NOT on a French site as the plug does not hane the earth socket and so the pin on the site box prevents insertion.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Chris the French plug will not fit upside down as there is an earth pin on the site box that goes into a socket on the plug.

The German type with side contacts can be reversed but NOT on a French site as the plug does not hane the earth socket and so the pin on the site box prevents insertion.

Its preferable to have the extra bit than have to get out a screwdriver if you arrive as we did recently in the dark!

 

[cris_408518]

My French tail is about twenty years old and was one of the few things to survive our old vans write off crash. It has two earth pin holes but in some boxs the sockets are to close together to turn the plug upside down, maybe this is no longer the case.

I do "minimal" so carrying the odd bits and bobs when a screwdriver does the job now and again is preferable to me.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

My French tail is about twenty years old and was one of the few things to survive our old vans write off crash. It has two earth pin holes but in some boxs the sockets are to close together to turn the plug upside down, maybe this is no longer the case.

I do "minimal" so carrying the odd bits and bobs when a screwdriver does the job now and again is preferable to me.

Interesting--I've never seen one with 2 holes --you live and learn.

I got the minimalist feeling from the tone of your reply

The ones available in Uk only have one hole so I hope you will forgive me for raising the point as most people will now have that adapter and would not be able to follow your advice.

Thanks for the information --enlightening

Regards

 

[cris_408518]

Off subject slightly John, years ago we had an old heavy Swift and three kids. The odd spare that you may or may not need got binned in favour of multi purpose alternatives. I have some boat multi took spnners and some neat light weight tools that cover most probs when caravanning. A neat adjustable wrence with nylon screw in hammer head doubles as a peg mallet, rather than have wrench and mallet.

Put all the little light weight add ons together and the weight soon escalates ;-0

Trading off rarely used kit in favour of what the kids needed for peace and harmony was well worthwhile. Even with a big Senator I still run it the same way. No Clutter!No,well it might come in handy gear that never gets used!

We watched people in Ire land last year that could have set up a mini B&Q depot and a home furnishings dept with the gear they had. They spent a day setting up and best part of day and morning packing for home.

Being able to be set up in under and hour and leave in the same is more my idea of stress free holiday caravanning. And yeah that does include the Awning