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Subject Topic: 7 pin grey plug Post Reply Post New Topic
Personclimo
25/5/2019 at 1:12pm
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Just buying a caravan with the usual 2x7 pin plugs.
At present my car only has a black socket. Is this wired to power all the lights that I need to be on the road?


Personmoppetsdad
25/5/2019 at 1:31pm
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Yes, the other plug, the grey one powers things like the fridge and charges the van battery, so you're good to go.

-------------
David

    

I've stood on Lego and didn't even cry!!


Personclimo
25/5/2019 at 2:35pm
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Thanks David.


PersonGrampian91
25/5/2019 at 6:20pm
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My battery was always fully charged before we set off and i didnt like using the fridge on the move so never bothered with the grey plug.


Personnavver
25/5/2019 at 8:02pm
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Yes if the fridge is pre cooled at home it will stay cool for 4 hours or so, often longer. Just switch it on the day before either on EHU at home or gas.


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PersonColin21
25/5/2019 at 10:50pm
 Location: East Herts
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That is what I do. Plug caravan in overnight to mains at home, put some frozen stuff and/or an ice pack in the fridge before I leave home, then plug back in when I get on site. Never had a problem doing that, and the battery is always fully charged when arriving on site too. My caravan has two 7 pin plugs but my car only has the black one. Never considered it worth the outlay to have the grey socket put on the car.

-------------
Best Regards,
Colin


PersonDr Zhivago
26/5/2019 at 11:10pm
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The black plug powers all the caravan lights legally required, but does not power its reversing lights, which are suprisingly not a legal requirement. Personally I would have the grey socket if only for the reversing lights as a safety warning to anyone behind, given that it is hard for the driver to see back.

Two years ago I had topped up my tyre pressures at a M-way services and realised I would first need to reverse 10-12 ft before I drove away because of an awkward post. I checked on foot that there was no-one behind but by the time I got in, looked in my mirrors, and started to reverse a small car had zoomed up to queue behind me, perfectly hidden behind my van. I only realised he was there when I saw him rapidly reversing away whan he saw my reversing lights come on.

Without them I might have hit him and it would have been ruled as my fault, and I'd have been much more out-of-pocket than the cost of a grey socket.


PersonDaveS1
via mobile 27/5/2019 at 9:49am
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I can never understand why people buy caravans with all the gismos and then don't use them.
To my mind reversing lights are essential so is using the fridge, so is charging the battery.
Well worth getting a socket fitted.
DaveS1


PersonColin21
27/5/2019 at 2:09pm
 Location: East Herts
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Not much point in fitting a grey socket to my car to power the reversing lights as my caravan doesn't have any. Generally I would only reverse if I had someone standing and looking out behind me anyway.

As for the fridge, at some time in its life someone has changed the fridge in my caravan for a very nice domestic one, which means it is mains only. As we only normally use sites with EHU, it's not worth the trouble and expense of replacing a fridge that works perfectly. From what I have heard, 3 way fridges cost about half what I paid for the caravan.

I don't need to keep my battery topped up on the move either, as it's always fully charged before I leave home, and if it lost any of that charge on the way to a site, it wouldn't be much use to me anyway. It would obviously be knackered! Years ago things were very different. The caravans I had back then didn't have any electrics at all apart from the running lights. I fitted a 12 volt system in them and rigged up my own split charging system to charge the battery off the car while on the move. This was necessary because most sites back then didn't have EHU. In my opinion only people who wish to camp off-grid need charging from the car and a fridge supply from the car. Reversing lights are a good idea if the caravan is actually fitted with them.

-------------
Best Regards,
Colin



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