Kathryn Bird explains electrical hookups for UK vans at European campsites. Most sites use UK-type sockets, but some older ones need a 2-pin adapter. Modern vans have a Sargent safety box that detects and corrects reverse polarity, a rare issue that older vehicles can identify with a plug-tester.
I'm going to try and film this outside on a windy day in Germany. What could possibly go wrong? One of the things that bothers many people when they're going to Europe for the first time is over power and their electric cable, and there are all sorts of forums and Facebook groups filled with horror stories about reverse polarity and needing different connections, and it can get really confusing if you've never done it before. So I thought I would show you whilst we are on a site that has both a different connection and reverse polarity exactly what we carry with us And how it works. Hey, I'm Kat, and welcome to Wandering Bird, where we share tips and tricks for motorhomers and campervanners to help you make the most of your time on the road. And today we're talking all about electric, and more specifically, electric cables in Europe. So most of the time it's really, really simple. You will need the exact same electric cable that you use in the UK, and you plug it in exactly the same way that you do in the UK too, I would say. I mean, obviously we've not stayed at every single campsite all over Europe, But in our experience, I reckon 90% of campsites, maybe even slightly more than that, have the exact same electricity connections as what you do in the UK. Now there are a few dotted around, and they tend to be older campsites like the one we're on right now in Germany. It is— it's been here for God knows how long. It's run by some elderly Germans, and the electricity hasn't been updated for God knows how many years.
So there are a few campsites dotted around Europe where you will need an extra couple of First, you will need an extra plug adapter, technical term, and that is a little adapter that goes into the round bit which you would normally plug into the electrical socket on the campsite, and instead of plugging directly, they don't have a round socket connector, they tend to have a 2-pin plug, and you will plug in a little adapter that goes from the round socket and then becomes a 2-pin plug, so that then plugs into the campsite.
But that's something that you, I recommend you carry if you're going to be staying on campsites around Europe, because there are a few dotted around that still need that connection. Okay, let's talk about reverse polarity. Reverse polarity strikes fear into the heart of the UK motorhomer or caravaner, and forums and Facebook groups all over the place are full of dastardly tales. It can be a big deal. It depends an awful lot on your van, the age of your van, and if you're set up to cope with it. So reverse polarity is when the live and the neutral have been switched by the electrician— I'm throwing the ball for the dog as I'm filming this— And it basically means then that when you think that things are off, they could still be live, or vice versa. And most continental tourers, vans, everything else, are set up to cope with that. It doesn't make any difference to them whatsoever. And most modern UK vans, for example ours, have— we've got a Sargent box fitted that just deals with it. It has a little light that comes on, it tells us we've got reverse polarity, but it has done some magical thing in the background. Not an electrician, not even going to try and explain what the heck it's done, but basically it's made it all safe. If you have an older van, motorhome, campervan, caravan, you might not have that safety device put in place, in which case it's really important that you know if you are on a campsite that has got a reverse polarity issue, so that you can A, be much more careful, and B, there will be measures that you can take. Again, not an electrician, not going to offer any advice on what you can do. You need to speak to someone who's qualified about that, but the important thing is that you know. Now, if you don't have a box like our Sargent box that has a light that comes on saying we've got reverse polarity, there are little plug testers that you can buy that you can plug into a plug socket once the power's all plugged in, and it'll light up and it'll tell you that this is a reverse polarity campsite, and then you'll need to take whatever measures have been advised for you to take in that situation. It is not a big deal very much in Europe, in our opinion. In our experience, at least 90% of campsites have normal polarity, exactly the same as the UK, so UK motorhomes don't have to worry about it at all. For us, all we have done, we have plugged in using our little plug socket, And we've turned the power on, the little light came on on the Sargent unit, and that's it. We've done nothing. We have used all our devices absolutely fine, everything's worked absolutely fine, and it's really, really not a big deal. So it's only for those who have got a slightly older van, I would say, or perhaps don't have one of those proper Sargent units fitted. If you've got a different type, maybe check that out and just make sure that you've got the appropriate safety devices put in so you don't have to worry about it. But that's it, I promise you, it's not that big a deal. Don't forget, if you are traveling to Europe, you can grab a free copy of our Europe checklist to help you you remember everything that you need to take. Thank you for your time, and I'll see you on the next one. Bye! Bye!
