Plugging into a campsite's mains supply seems completely harmless, but it isn't always: some campsites' installations (especially modest or older ones) can have faults (voltage surges, low voltage, poor earthing, reversed polarity) capable of damaging your equipment. Protecting yourself is simple and cheap, and it saves you expensive headaches. Here's the rundown.
What can go wrong with a campsite's mains supply
- Surges or spikes: sudden voltage jumps that can damage the charger, the inverter or electronic devices.
- Voltage too low: common when the campsite is full and everyone is drawing power; it can make your equipment work poorly or overload it.
- Poor or missing earthing and reversed polarity: safety issues (see earthing).
How to protect yourself
- Surge protector: a device fitted between the campsite socket and your camper that disconnects or protects against spikes and abnormal voltages. Simple and well worth having.
- Socket tester (polarity/earth): a small device that, once plugged in, tells you if the socket is sound (correct earth, correct polarity) before you connect the camper.
- A good-quality charger/combi charger-inverter usually copes better with mains fluctuations (see charger-inverter).
Good practice when plugging in
- Use a suitable cable (correct gauge and condition) and CEE connectors in good condition (see connecting to campsite mains).
- Check the socket before connecting everything.
- Fully unwind the cable (a coiled cable under load heats up).
- If a socket is causing problems, it's better not to plug in and rely on your battery instead.
The advantage of autonomy
The more autonomy you have (a good lithium battery and solar), the less you depend on the campsite mains and its possible faults. Your independent system is, in itself, protection against dubious supplies (see the calculator).
In summary
A campsite's mains supply can have surges, low voltage or badly wired sockets that damage your equipment; a surge protector and a socket tester protect you for very little money. The step you can take today: get yourself a surge protector and a polarity/earth tester, and check it before connecting the camper to any socket; it's cheap insurance for your electrical system. Combine this with connecting to campsite mains.