If you're new to Caravans or Motorhomes, you should read this.

Caravans and Motorhomes have two power circuits - 12volt for most lights and some 12v appliances, and 240v circuits for your power points like those at home.

But the 240v is not the same as at home because it is not permanently hardwired. In your house every circuit starts from your fuse box. Each circuit has a limited capacity because the wires running through your walls have a limited capacity.

With your RV, the limit starts from where your power cord is connected to the power source. eg. at a caravan park . All RV's accept incoming power through a 15amp extension cord. One cord provides power for one circuit within your RV. In many cases 15amp's will not be enough, so a second and sometimes even a third circuit is required.

Above: The 15amp extension cord allows 1.5 times the current that a standard household 10amp cord can handle. Heavy duty 10amp cords are not the same and cannot be used to bring power to your RV. 15amp sockets and plugs have a larger earth. The larger pin is not there to provide a greater earth, but it is there to prevent you connecting a 10amp extension lead to a 15amp plug.

Rather than having one really long extension lead that will suit every location, why not get two shorter ones. I have a 10m one that gets used about 80% of the time. I have a 15m one that gets used maybe 15% of the time and then there are times when I need to add both together (outdoor joins should have a waterproof protector) to give me 25m. This method saves time when moving onto the next site.

Connecting to a 10amp household power point.
There will be times when a 15amp power point is not available to connect to, like when parking at friends houses or even at home. This has in the past caused dangerous practices and modifications that are no longer necessary.

The Amp-Fibian is a practical and safety device that will connect to a normal 10amp power point. It then allows you to connect a 15amp extension cord to it. It is fitted with a circuit breaker to prevent more than 10amps being carried through from the supply power point. There are two versions available depending on what safety devices are already included in RV.

Replacing or adding power points or switches.
The 240volt switches and power points used in Recreational Vehicles differs from households in one very important way. All switches and power points must be double pole. This is by law, and for your safety.

This means that the switch breaks the circuit of the Active and the Neutral wires when the switch is set to OFF. In normal household switches and power points, only the Active wire (Red or Brown) is disconnected. This is the reason you cannot use single pole switches or power points.