HI All
The below post by permission of Krusty of C& H
forum:
""For those interested in “the next step” in electrical safety, there is about to be launched into the market a replacement for those Clipsal
orange box extension outlets; these are the ones specifically disallowed under the present regs for RV’s.
The little cheap white power boards (supercheap, reject
shop, bunnings etc) always have been suggested as poor substitutes for real wiring and they never have been suitable for the RV (especially camping) market. The Clipsal product is marketed as suitable for the construction industry (building sites) but it is not suitable in
camp sites (van/motor home/tent).
A multi-outlet power board has been legally required (multi buildings on a single site) for some time but accessing them has been a problem as they need to be individually made up.
There has also been a problem with plugging a 15 amps caravan into the normal 10 amps domestic gpo (we are all aware of the cheater plugs).
The new unit is to be marketed as a “power board” with combined
RCD & RVD functions, where the resistance to earth is less than 1 kilo Ohm the
RCD has been tested to function with the present 30milliamps limit. When the resistance to earth is over 2 kilo Ohms the RVD has been tested to function with a lower limit.
The human body has a nominal resistance @ 1.5 kilo Ohms and at this range (per reports) either the
RCD or RVD will function giving a double protection. I have not seen the circuit but the device is about to be certified.
I have suggested to the manufacturers that a version be made with a 10amps plug suitable for plugging into a domestic house with a 15 amps output that will accept a standard caravan lead. They are likely to also make the 10 to 10 version and the 15 to 15 version. The suggested price is around $200 (twice the price of a Clipsal but double the protection & legal); it is also less than the “amp fibian” 10 to 15 amps convertor.
The advantage with the device is that when at
home you will be ‘legally covered’ for plugging your van into your
home powerpoint. When ‘on the road’ by plugging the device into either your invertor or generator multiple ‘class one’ devices may be driven off of it concurrently.
Present advice is 1 ‘class one’ device per outlet and the caravan itself is a class one device and should therefore NOT supply any other ‘building’ within the same site. (As is done at caravan shows).)."""
For more info on these products contact via this link
http://www.protectelec.com.au/display/assets/download.php?id=15&window=1
I nor Krusty have no connection or finincial interest in the company but see these products as a great step forward in the safe use of portable gennys &
inverters
Peter