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greetings ken

i have allways used a one socket rcb in my tent with a 3 gang extension and have never encountered any probs with it. as long as common sense prevails and you keep all sockets in a dry area and out of the way of condensation then there should be no probs. (never buy the e-bay junk)

hope this helps.

We've just got the camperlands triple socket EHU

http://www.camperlands.co.uk/store/x30281.html

at £39.99 it's cheaper than a lot of single socket EHUs.

It's got clips on the back to attach it to a pole and a loop to hang it from so it's easier to keep off the floor than a domestic 3-way adaptor.  It's also go splash covers on the sockets to help keep water out when their not being used.

That is really cheap.  ALDI have them in for £50 at the moment, which is itself  cheap.   Problem with what was originally proposed is the lack of overload protection.  An RCD will protect from cut wires & things like earth leakage, but the purpose made ones also have double pole circuit breakers fitted too.  These protect from overloads & are rated at 10Amp - not 16Amp as is the misconception.  I know if you have a plug in extension you have a fuse in the live on the plug, but these have been proven fatally flawed where there is revewrsed polarity - pretty common abroad, not such a problem in this country, still according to the IET all new installations must have 2 pole circuit breakers instead of fuses.  The sites circuit breakers are often locked inside the supply bollard, & often supply a number of pitches.  You'll be immensely popular if you knock one of those off in the night & have to get the site manager away from his telly.  The purpose made EHUs are also designed to withstand a "moist" environment unlike domestic equipment.  If you've read the main thread on this you'll know how much fuss some site owners are making over home made hook up cables, to the point where some people on here report sites insisting on checking the installation in peoples units before unlocking the supply box.  Splash out & get the real thing.

Steve.

Quote: Originally posted by Dan Mac on 10/6/2009

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The 4 socket reel has ELCB but the 3 socket lead has RCD and I have seen elsewhere items with MCB protection.

Can anyone clear this up for me?

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ELCB and RCD are the same thing, they used to be called Earth Leakage Circuit Breakers but the name was changed to Residual Current Device about 25 years ago.
As the name implies, they trip if there is a short to earth, thus preventing you from getting an electric shock.

The MCB acts in the same way as a fuse, although more precisely, preventing overloading of the circuit.