How to Hook Up at The Campsite - Mains Power & Motorhomes

Electricity Hook Up – Making Motorhome Camping More Convenient

One of the advantages of motorhome hire and motorhome travel is that each luxury motorhome is a self-contained unit, able to store enough water, gas and power to allow you to camp anywhere suitable without having to sacrifice any of the modern conveniences discerning travellers are accustomed to.

Depending on how frugal you are with your stored resources, you can spend days at a time without needing any more formal camping facilities, but eventually, even the most careful camper will need to make use of the conveniences of a motorhome stopover or campsite in order to top up what you’ve used and to empty what you’ve stored.

While you could well find petrol stations which will top up or swap your empty gas bottles, you’re likely to need a formal campsite in order to hook up your motorhome to the mains, so that you make use of all the electrical gadgets without worrying about a flat leisure battery.

Just like the battery under the bonnet, your motorhome’s leisure battery will receive a charge while the engine’s running, but how much charge is received will largely depend on how far you drive between stops and how full or empty it is. If you’ve drained the battery, or haven’t travelled far between stops, you may need to seek out a place to stopover where you can hook up to an external power supply.

 

Motorhome Hire – How to Hook Up Your Motorhome

Before taking command of your Priory Luxury Motorhome, we’ll have given you some guidance on how to use its systems, including the external charging point. One of the first things you’ll notice is that the hook-up power cable, plug and socket looks very different to domestic plugs, but despite these differences, they work in much the same way.

The main reason for the difference, as you’d expect, is that wires need to be sturdier when used outdoors and extra precautions need to be taken to keep moisture out. Rain and condensation don’t mix well with electricity.

Once you’ve arrived at the site with hook ups available, park as close to the external power points as you can and plug the cable into your motorhome first and make sure the cable is fully unwound before plugging into the on-site socket (coiled cables can generate heat) and for the most part, that’s all you need in order to enjoy the benefits of mains electricity in your motorhome.

Bear in mind that while running your electrical systems from a hook-up, you’re essentially plugging multiple devices from a single socket. Certain electrical items draw more power than others and if more power is drawn than that single socket can supply, there’s the chance that the socket’s safety device will trigger and cut off the supply.

 

A word on Leisure Batteries Vs Car Batteries

If you’re new to motorhomes, you might be worried that using too much electricity while away from a hook up might leave you unable to start your motorhome when it comes time to drive away. You needn’t worry, however, motorhomes have at least two batteries – the typical vehicle battery used to start the engine and the leisure battery used to power everything else while camping.

But what’s the difference between the two? While vehicle batteries and leisure batteries might look similar, it’s the way they deliver power that sets them apart from one another and also the reason why they aren’t interchangeable. Starting an engine requires quite a large amount of power to be delivered quickly, especially so for diesel vehicles, something that car batteries are designed to provide. Leisure batteries, on the other hand, deliver a steady stream of power over a sustained period.

 

You’ll be surprised, with careful use, just how far the power in a leisure battery will go, but if you’d like some more information on motorhome hook-ups then feel free to contact us to find out more.