A caravan electric hook-up connects your caravan or motorhome to a campsite’s mains electricity supply. It lets you use suitable 230V appliances, power the sockets inside your leisure vehicle and support systems such as the battery charger, fridge, water heater or space heating.
However, a campsite connection does not give you unlimited electricity. Every pitch carries an amp rating, and the combined power of everything switched on has to stay within that limit.
If you are still getting to grips with the basics, our new to caravanning guide covers the wider essentials alongside this.
How Does a Caravan Electric Hook-Up Work?
An electric hook-up pitch has a supply bollard sitting near the caravan or motorhome. A specialist hook-up cable runs from that bollard to the mains inlet on your leisure vehicle.
Electricity then passes through the caravan’s electrical protection system before reaching its sockets and compatible appliances. Campsite supplies should include a miniature circuit breaker, or MCB, to protect against overloading, plus a residual current device, or RCD, which disconnects the supply when certain electrical faults occur. Your caravan or motorhome should carry its own protective devices too.
Electric hook-up normally provides a nominal 230V supply. It also allows the caravan’s onboard charger to maintain the leisure battery, which in turn supports the separate 12V system running equipment such as internal lighting and water pumps. The exact arrangement varies between leisure vehicles, so check your handbook.
Which Plug Does a Caravan Hook-Up Use?
UK campsites normally use a round, blue, three-pin connector designed for outdoor electric hook-ups. This connection complies with BS EN 60309-2 and differs from an ordinary three-pin household plug.
A proper hook-up lead has:
- A blue plug for the campsite bollard
- A blue connector for the caravan inlet
- A heavy-duty outdoor cable
- An earth connection
The Camping and Caravanning Club recommends a 25-metre, three-core cable with 2.5mm² conductors, which supports a typical 16A connection. Unwind the cable completely during use, because a tightly coiled lead builds up heat. Never substitute household extension leads, taped joints or ordinary domestic plugs.
A 25-metre lead reaches the bollard on most UK pitches. Occasionally it will not, and the Camping and Caravanning Club suggests carrying a second cable and joining the two with a proper waterproof connector rather than improvising. Note that some sites and clubs do not permit joined leads at all, so check on arrival before running one.
Inspect the cable before every trip, and do not use it if the insulation, plug or connector looks cracked, cut, discoloured or otherwise damaged. Our accessories store stocks replacement hook-up leads, adapters and polarity testers at both branches.
What Do Campsite Amp Ratings Mean?
The amp rating tells you how much electrical current the pitch can supply. UK pitches commonly offer 10A or 16A, although you will also find lower-rated connections. Check the rating when you arrive rather than assuming every campsite works the same way.
At a nominal 230V supply, the approximate maximum power is:
- 6A: 1,380 watts
- 10A: 2,300 watts
- 16A: 3,680 watts
You can estimate your total load using a simple sum:
Watts ÷ 230 = amps
For example, a 1,000W appliance draws approximately 4.3A. Add together the wattage of everything running at the same time, including built-in systems that are easy to forget.
What Can You Safely Run?
Low-powered equipment such as televisions, phone chargers, lighting and caravan fridges uses relatively little electricity. Heating appliances, kettles, microwaves, hairdryers, toasters and air fryers consume far more.
Typical power requirements include:
- Caravan kettle: approximately 750W
- Television: approximately 50W
- Caravan fridge: approximately 125W
- Battery charger: approximately 100W
- Microwave: around 1,000W to 1,200W input
- Electric heater: between 500W and 2,000W
Treat these as examples only. Check the rating label or manual for your own appliance, because microwave input power runs higher than its advertised cooking output.
On a 6A connection you might manage the fridge, charger, television and a low-wattage kettle, although adding an electric heater would push you over the limit. A 16A supply gives far more flexibility, but even then a 3,000W domestic kettle and a 1,000W heater running together would exceed the pitch capacity.
Switch high-powered appliances off before using another, rather than relying on the circuit breaker to trip. In hot weather, remember that fans and cooling equipment add to the total as well — our guide to keeping a caravan cool in a heatwave covers the low-power options first.
If you tour on sites without hook-up, or want to reduce your reliance on it, our guide to off-grid and solar power explains the alternatives.
How Do You Connect Safely?
Switch off the caravan’s electrical appliances before connecting. Inspect and fully unwind the cable, connect it to the caravan first, then follow the campsite’s instructions for connecting to the bollard.
Once power is available, test the caravan’s RCD using its test button. Keep the cable away from roads, sharp edges and anywhere it could create a trip hazard.
When you leave, switch off your appliances and internal electrical supply before disconnecting from the bollard and then the caravan. Never investigate electrical faults while the supply remains connected. Damaged cables and unexplained repeated tripping need checking by an appropriately qualified professional, and our workshop teams at Louth and Worksop can help.
What Is Reversed Polarity?
Reversed polarity means the live and neutral connections at the bollard are swapped. It matters more than most people realise, partly because nothing obvious happens when it occurs.
Appliances still work and nothing trips, so you may never notice. However, switches then isolate the neutral rather than the live conductor, which means parts of an appliance can remain live even when switched off. That becomes a genuine risk if anyone works on a socket or appliance.
Reversed polarity turns up regularly on continental sites and occasionally in the UK. The fix is straightforward:
- Carry a polarity tester and check the supply as soon as you connect
- If polarity is reversed, ask the site team before doing anything else
- On European trips, carry the correct country adapters rather than improvising with a domestic lead
Never attempt to rewire a plug or lead yourself to correct polarity on site.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I run on a 10 amp hook-up?
A 10A pitch provides roughly 2,300W. That comfortably covers a caravan fridge, battery charger, television, lighting and a low-wattage caravan kettle. Adding a 2,000W electric heater at the same time would take you over the limit, so run high-powered appliances one at a time.
Will electric hook-up charge my caravan battery?
In most modern caravans and motorhomes, connecting to mains electricity allows the onboard charger to maintain the leisure battery. Check your vehicle handbook for how your particular system operates.
Why does my electric hook-up keep tripping?
That depends on which device is tripping, because the two protect against different things.
A miniature circuit breaker, or MCB, trips when the appliances running together draw more current than the pitch or circuit allows. Switch everything off, reduce what you are running at once, then reset it. If the supply then holds, you were simply overloading it.
A residual current device, or RCD, trips when current escapes to earth, which usually points to damp, water ingress or a failing appliance rather than overloading. Reconnect appliances one at a time to identify the culprit, and stop using anything that trips the supply.
Never keep resetting an RCD that trips repeatedly. It is doing its job, and the fault behind it can present a shock risk. Have the caravan and the appliance checked by an appropriately qualified professional, and speak to the site team if the bollard itself will not reset.
What is reversed polarity on a campsite?
Reversed polarity means the live and neutral connections are swapped at the supply. Appliances still work, but switches isolate the neutral instead of the live, so parts can stay live when switched off. Use a polarity tester on arrival and report any problem to the site team.
Can I use normal household appliances in a caravan?
Some household appliances work fine, although their power demand is often too high for the campsite supply or the caravan’s internal circuits. Check the appliance wattage, the pitch amp rating and your caravan handbook before use.
Get Set Up at Couplands
The right lead, adapters and a working knowledge of your amp rating take most of the guesswork out of campsite power.
Our teams at Louth and Worksop stock hook-up leads, adapters and testers in our accessories range, and our workshops can check your caravan’s electrical system and RCD as part of a habitation service.
Call Louth on 01507 603496 or Worksop on 01909 475220, or get in touch online.
