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I bought a 25 metre hook up cable for my VW camper from Barrons last year. It works fine but is so heavy duty I could probably run my whole house off it. I'd like something lighter and more compact   All I need is power for a 65 watt fridge and a lap top.

I have  a wind up household extension lead which would handle this fine if fitted with  the correct end couplings.

Are there any rules for what gauge of cable is needed. Is the thickness of insulation important for outdoor camping use?

Many thanks folks. My other lighter cable is bright red so I don't think it will go unnoticed.

It is not as thick as the original 2.5 mm cable, so the bit about being run over by vehicles is one concern I have.

The thing is that when I got this 2.5 mm cable it was neatly wound up in a bag.  Once opened it gets twisted and kinked and is quite stiff so it won't go back in the bag, and my camper is a bit short on space. I got a plastic reel to wind it on to and it's still very kinked and not worth the trouble. Regular household extension lead is more flexible and rolls up a lot easier and neater.

The coil acts as a thermal insulator to the already warm cable running at 12.5 amps.

Use 2.5mm twin and earth, capable of 16 amps minimum, (to BS6500 table 16)housed in a visible outer sheaf (blue, orange, yellow) - the thicker the better. Just that 'white' doesn't look too visible on concrete (for caravanners)

The other end should be an integral housing (via a transparent window) of a 10amp MCB and 25amp RCD with a single or three 240 sockets (BS4343) rated to IP44 (waterproof). i.e. not your basic powertool extension from the shed!  Better to have two RCD's (there's and yours) waiting to cut-out, in milliseconds, at a 30ma drop. Just in case the site one is not working properly.

With long cable runs voltage drop can become an issue,  although it is not such a problem with higher voltage compared to say 12 volt supplies.

The cable is normally your only means of earth protection.  It is theirfore important that it can do its job effectively by (being large enough) even though you may only be using a few amps.  It is also good idea to us a plug in tester when setting up camp to ensure you have an effective earth apart from testing for other polarity issues.

 Regards Bob

2.5 mm cable actually has a maximum rating of 20 amps.  But this would be reduced over a length of 25 metres to a figure in the region of 16 amps, due to voltage drop caused by resistance in the cable itself.  Even if you do not habitually use all the electrical appliances in the van, are you absolutely certain that you will not, at some time, use them and possibly portable appliances in addition.

Whatever your habits in the use of electricity, it is advisable to stick to using the appropriate regular cable.  In the event of an electrical fault in your van, resulting in fire damage, the use of a low rating cable could invalidate your insurance; be it your fault or no.  And such a cable would probably contravene regulations concerning trailing external cables.

Bertie.

The thing is that when I got this 2.5 mm cable it was neatly wound up in a bag.  Once opened it gets twisted and kinked and is quite stiff so it won't go back in the bag, and my camper is a bit short on space. I got a plastic reel to wind it on to and it's still very kinked and not worth the trouble. Regular household extension lead is more flexible and rolls up a lot easier and neater.

We had a cable with our campervan and it was fine never kinked or twisted.  When we got the caravan the cable that came with that was awful for twisting and kinking and almost impossible to wind up.  Fortunately we had kept the campervan one and have changed over to using that one and it is still fine.  There must be some cables out there that are of inferior quality but I am not sure how to tell - they do feel slightly different - the first one we had is certainly more flexible.  I am sure I read on this site that it is better to pay more for a better quality cable.

To avoid the cable twisting when you coil it up, first lay it out straight on the ground. Then, stand still as you coil it and the cable should fall into loops without kinking.  I always do this and it coils up satisfactorily every time.

Bertie.