Caravan FAQs

Why do my caravan electrics keep tripping

Why Do My Caravan Electrics Keep Tripping? And, How Do You Fix It?

Why Do My Caravan Electrics Keep Tripping? If the electrical appliances in your caravan keep tripping, you are not alone. It is a common problem that many caravan travellers experience at one point or the other. Multiple reasons can lead to electric tripping, and mostly there is a fixable issue behind it. However, if it is something that concerns you, we are here to help.

In this section, we have highlighted potential reasons due to which your caravan electrics might trip. We also offer a few helpful solutions to resolve this issue easily.

Why do the caravan electrics keep tripping?

Why do the caravan electrics keep tripping

The primary reason that is usually the cause of tripping electrics is overload. Regardless of where you are, you must be aware of how much power you can use to run appliances. You must also know how much of a power draw every appliance in your caravan requires.

Usually, appliances that produce significant heat are the ones that draw the most power and can hence cause tripping. So, if you are drawing more power than the supply capacity, tripping is bound to happen.

Another issue that can cause the tripping is an earth fault. It is usually caused due to a faulty cable or appliance. Earth fault trips usually take out an entire section or pole at the circuit site, whereas if the tripping is due to an overload, it may affect one connection only. If you are parked at a site, you may even end up tripping your neighbour’s power supply, and we are sure it is something you would like to avoid at all costs.

Why Do My Caravan Electrics Keep Tripping? And What to do if the power supply is limited?

For modern caravans, the power supply is usually graded at 80 or 100 amps. However, on most campsites, the best supply you can get is only 16 amps, while some older sites may have even lower amps.

Hence if the power supply is limited, you must carefully assess which appliance to switch on. It is important that you know how much power the particular appliance requires so you can decide accordingly.

As suggested earlier, remember the rule that items that produce heat utilise more power than appliances that don’t.

Take the microwave oven, for instance. You might not know the actual power it draws, as the rated power only specifies what goes in the heated food. Another such example is the seemingly harmless travelling electric kettle.

Surprisingly it requires around 30% more power than a regular one. Similarly, if you are fond of using the hairdryer, we suggest you stay away from it for the length of the trip. Did you know it uses 70 times more power than a regular 18” LED TV?

How to fix caravan electrics tripping?

How to fix caravan electrics tripping

As promised, we are here to help so you can prevent any harmful consequences of electrics tripping. Here are a few tips.

Regulating overload

  • The first thing you need to look into is controlling overloads. One easy fix is to install circuit breakers as an alternative for fuses. The small circuit breakers can tolerate a little overload for some time and trip when there is a significant overload. Depending on the amount of overload, it may take a while for the tripping to happen. So meanwhile, you can turn off the devices and prevent power outages.
  • Get a load monitoring device to check the current at the power supply point. This reading is forwarded to a display panel for you to see and take action accordingly.
  • You can also use load-controlling devices. Such a device usually comprises a sensing coil threading across the live wire that feeds the caravan. It will read the current and transmit the reading data to a control panel for you to see. Then you can set the supply level to the desired range. If supply exceeds the level, the boiler is driven down in multiple steps so that tripping does not occur.

Fixing faulty cables and sockets

The next recommendation refers to what to do if you have faulty aerial cables. Your good old TV is the most common appliance that can have a faulty aerial cable. To prevent this from happening, make sure you have a good quality coaxial cable that is adequately thick so that you can watch your TV without any hitches.

The added benefit of having the right coaxial cable is that you can enjoy good-quality images on the TV screen. However, if you suspect a problem with the cable, get a multi-metre to check for shorts on the cable. Similarly, if there is a problem in a socket in your caravan due to water getting in or some other issue, you may need to replace it.

Preventive measures

You can also install a safety switch in the caravan so it can indicate a problematic appliance. You can switch off the device that triggers the switch. One supply socket should be connected to only one power supply, and you must ensure to use only the 15amp approved power leads to link the caravan to an external power source.

Also, it serves well to get help from professionals if you are considering a renovation of the caravan to avoid any future inconveniences. It is also a good idea to have your electric brakes reviewed and serviced regularly by professionals.

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