ELECTRIC HOOK UP POINT.

[mtbcol]

Hello all

Is there a recommended place for fitting a surface mounted 240V electric hook up point? (Mk7, mwb, mh) I didn't want to screw it to a panel as I think that may be too flexible?

Any ideas or pictures of where others have put theirs wold be useful.

Thank you.

Colin.

[Beaker]

The favoured location these days seems to be under the bonnet. Good secure location, and saves cutting holes in the side of your van. Stealthy too.

[mtbcol]

That sounds good. Could I still close the bonnet fully though? Don't want too much water in there when its raining hard!

Am I being too picky?

[ake]

That sounds good. Could I still close the bonnet fully though? Don't want too much water in there when its raining hard!

Am I being too picky?

Yes

And

Yes !

Another popular place is inside the van, accessed through the drivers door
Then you don't forget to unplug before you drive away!

[bigjohnthomas]

Those blue plugs are rubbish I've melted loads of them
Most rubust way I've found is a normal domestic plug under the passenger seat going up to over the cab fuse box
Never melted one yet well,,, I say never I melted one plug but the neutral wire came a bit loose
You need to check them every month when you valet as many arses as I do

[mtbcol]

That sounds good. Could I still close the bonnet fully though? Don't want too much water in there when its raining hard!

Am I being too picky?

Yes

And

Yes !

Another popular place is inside the van, accessed through the drivers door
Then you don't forget to unplug before you drive away!

Haha! It's my van ocd

I think through the drivers door is a good option for me, as otherwise I am quite likely to drive off with it still connected, with campsite electrics in tow

Thank's ake.

Those blue plugs are rubbish I've melted loads of them
Most rubust way I've found is a normal domestic plug under the passenger seat going up to over the cab fuse box
Never melted one yet well,,, I say never I melted one plug but the neutral wire came a bit loose
You need to check them every month when you valet as many arses as I do

Bugger! just spent a tenner on a blue plug Oh well, I'll go with the 13 amp plug top when iv'e melted the blue one!

Thank's BJT

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

Colin.

[ake]

That sounds good. Could I still close the bonnet fully though? Don't want too much water in there when its raining hard!

Am I being too picky?

Yes

And

Yes !

Another popular place is inside the van, accessed through the drivers door
Then you don't forget to unplug before you drive away!

Haha! It's my van ocd

I think through the drivers door is a good option for me, as otherwise I am quite likely to drive off with it still connected, with campsite electrics in tow

Thank's ake.

Those blue plugs are rubbish I've melted loads of them
Most rubust way I've found is a normal domestic plug under the passenger seat going up to over the cab fuse box
Never melted one yet well,,, I say never I melted one plug but the neutral wire came a bit loose
You need to check them every month when you valet as many arses as I do

Bugger! just spent a tenner on a blue plug Oh well, I'll go with the 13 amp plug top when iv'e melted the blue one!

Thank's BJT

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

Colin.

Good quality blue plug, with good tight connections, and you shouldn't have any problems

[mtbcol]

Thanks' ake.

Colin.

[bigjohnthomas]

Its the connections that cause the problems they get hot cool down loosen up a bit and if your not on the ball melt
but that's better than melting the socket in someones house that the other ends plugged into
Done that a few times over the years

I don't know why the most I can draw is about 9500watts with everything on

[robbie.cee]

About 36amps them

[bigjohnthomas]

Probably should be wired in to the grid really
But I don't switch them all on at once

[robbie.cee]

No wonder you melted a 16amp plug unless wire was too thin and overheated pins. Need shower cable for 9.5kw!!

[bigjohnthomas]

Haven't used a blue plug for about 10 years there was one on the arsewash 1000 it was bloody rubbish
Melted a few normal plugs since though
I think some of its to do with the quality of sockets that I have to plug in to, poundland
3x heaters 2 x dryers all 2000watts + the other stuff (pump 500w, lights 120w and 2 electric tables prob about 200w between them ) but I only ever have 1 heater or dryer on at once so never pull more than about 2500w much more than that and peoples fuses start tripping at switch on and they don't know where the fusebox is
Tighten screw's in the plug every week and a new plug every couple of months sorts my end out
But there nothing I can do about the other end

[hectors-tranny]

I put my hookup point just inside the rear door, and just shut the door on the cable. I didn't want to cut the side of the vehicle, and a run from under the bonnet was a bit of a pain. I found that running the cable through the bottom door seal with the door closed was not a problem and rainwater can't travel upward through the gap. Little pressure on mains cable. (This for a Mk 8 though.) I imagine that no-one would recommend this, but works fine for me!

On my previous van I fixed the socket underneath the van with the cable running up through the floor. That was a real pain to hook up though.

MDM_9738.jpg

[mtbcol]

Hi hectors-tranny.

Brilliant! Thanks' for the idea and the photo.

Ours is a Mk7, but I can adopt the same principle. I was wondering what I was going to do about the small daylight gap at the bottom of the two rear doors when they were shut......that is where my hookup cable will now go!

I was thinking of the cable exiting from the drivers door so I didnt drive off with it still attached, but I think your idea is better. I can always hang a sign "unplug!" on the steering wheel

Just need to wait for the blue hook up plug to arrive now.

Thank's again.

Colin.