ELECTRIC HOOK-UP

Hook-up is a campsite essential for many motorhomers. John Sootheran examines the tech and the technique behind the ubiquitous electric post

- John Sootheran

For those of us who aren’t experts in off-gridding, the motorhome hook-up is a power lifeline, an umbilical cord to civilisation.

Plug in to the campsite’s electricity supply and you have a pitch power source that can run your lights and TV, your fridge and microwave... but perhaps not all at the same time.

You see, there’s a fair amount of know-how needed to use campsite electrics effectively and avoid the all too common cut-off.

WHAT IS HOOK-UP?

Electric hook-up (EHU) points are outdoor power sockets, usually rated to supply 16A (approximately 3.5kW) of electricity in the UK, although some campsites will provide 10A or even 6A, especially in Europe.

This is a simple system, designed to deliver 230V AC electricity via underground cables throughout the site to the supply post on each pitch. Sometimes these posts will have two outlets or more, so they can connect to neighbouring pitches. These sockets are housed in robust waterproof posts, which might be lockable.

The posts are designed to deliver power to guests staying on that pitch, by connecting the site’s distribution board to your ’van. For safety, EHU posts are protected by circuit breakers and earth-leakage devices.

The EHU allows you to power up the appliances and systems you need to run in your motorhome using the higher-voltage campsite electricity, instead of having to deplete your 12V leisure battery (which could in turn flatten your vehicle battery) or requiring an inverter.

This includes heaters, chargers, lights and fridges. It also enables you to charge your leisure battery and operate 12V appliances via the onboard transformer.

CONNECTING TO EHU

You'll need a specific cable, which is commonly known as a mains hook-up lead, to connect your motorhome to the EHU post. These cables are usually orange for clear visibility and have three-round-pin connectors on each end, one male and one female.