Due to various things we now need to run the orange 240V power cable for our caravan across the block paving where visitors walk to get to and from the front door.
I recall black rubber cable trunking across industrial areas doing this kind of thing.
I've quickly found
Any gotchas, or better alternatives?
Cheers
Dave R
Check the diameter of your cable. The above type 1 has a max cable dia of 8 mm, the type 2 10 mm. But other than that, that sort of thing is pretty good for one or two small cables. Long term I'd check that the cable isn't getting chaffed by the cover and/or block paving and/or grit.
some are slittable and fit over an existing flex, others require the flex to be poked through and the plug fitted afterwards.
You can also get ones with high-vis stripes in, if there isn't much contrast with your block paving
or cable ramps for heavier duty / vehicles driving over
Owain
Bury a cable under the block paving?
Or if that's too much work, hang a cable across well above head height.
I had a cable protector like that in my office. It was way better than just having unprotected cables, but it was always a bit of a trip hazard. If I could avoid having one in my driveway, I would.
Ribbed rubber matting. From the likes of Woolies. Fine for something the size of a mains flex. And easy to store when not in use.
We take the power cable with us when we go caravanning. We have a blue 3 pin connector (just like on caravan sites) to provide power at home.
To run the cable above head height requires an external modification to the caravan to secure the cable, or some kind of pole in/on the drive.
A cover along the ground seems a much more KISS solution.
Cheers
Dave R
A better solution would be a permanent outdoor socket - fed by SWA cable buried underground - near to where power is required for the caravan.
Woolies? try ebay
Woolies are a car trim materials supplier. But Ebay might be a good place to find it too.
I do know the Woolies stuff works well, though. Nice and flexible even when cold. Last thing you want it a mat with the edges curled up - a trip hazard.
Then again, all sorts of complicated issues.
The caravan is a long one so is diagonally across the block paving. The electrical connector on the caravan is somewhere near the middle of the block paved drive. So I would have to have something which was sunk into the ground (so it didn't get in the way when getting on and off the drive) but which didn't have any risk of trapping water.
We only have this issue because at 8 metres long the caravan will not fit at right angles between the house and the road nor will it fit side to side across the front (even if it did we wouldn't be able to get in and out). The electrical wire has to cross the main thoroughfare to get from the house to the caravan.
Still feeling that the rubber trunking is the KISS solution.
Cheers
Dave R
Agreed. Trouble is the wind can get under matting and flip the edge or end up. That doesn't happen with the cable protector stuff, but that can get kicked onto it's edge particulary if the length is short (
In that case, can't you bring it out from a different point in the house so that it *doesn't* meed to cross the main thoroughfare? What about a waterproof socket on an external wall at the nearest point to the back or front of the caravan (depending on which way round it is)? The cable could then run *under* the caravan.
If that's no good, can you post a photo or diagram showing the position of the caravan relative to the house?
There isn't a "long way round".
The caravan is across the front of the house at a shallow angle.
The foot way runs from RHS (facing forward) across the front to the LHS and then round the back of the caravan and out into the street.
So there isn't a route from the house to the caravan which doesn't cross the foot way.
The electrical socket on the caravan faces the house so there isn't any "under the caravan" either.
I could install a new socket to the RHS of the doorway in the porch but not in the short term.
So expedient covering of the cable seems the easiest route.
Cheers
Dave R
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