Taking the Trek to Europe and looking for input

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BKBinITO

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Jul 29, 2010
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Aloha,
I?m B K, David is the better half, and the baby is our stubby 24?, class A, 1999 Safari Trek. We are off to Europe for a minimum of 2 years. This will happen soon, soon, soon.  Starting to sound like a mantra or prayer, isn?t it? Well,  to be more specific, as soon as all this house remodeling is finished on the in Florida and it gets on the market. The delays have proved fruitful though, giving me more time to gather information.
I got to this site through Google, posing a question about converting 220 to 110 plus changing the 50 cycle to 60 cycles. I wanted to ask the poster more question but needed to register first. In the process, I have lost his post and cannot find my way back to it. Any help will be fully appreciated.
David is the one with the RV experience; I am the one who is learning. I did live in a 29? trailer for a little more than 2 years while building the house in Hawaii. It was so comfortable that I started wondering why I needed the house. I think, at heart, I am a minimalist.
I am so pleased to have stumbled on this site....Hello to all,  David and B K[/b]
 
Welcome to the forum.  I have traveled in Europe by car and on business sever times, so I might be able to answer some of your questions.  Are you planning on buying/renting an TV? or moving to one location and exploring from a home base?
 
Check out the blog site,,,,ourtravelswithrover.com

Not only informative but also a great read as well
 
BKBinITO said:
I got to this site through Google, posing a question about converting 220 to 110 plus changing the 50 cycle to 60 cycles.

If you're coming back then you can use a transformer to convert the voltage temporarily.

If you're not coming back you're probably better off rewiring everything for 240 volt, which isn't that hard.

The 50 to 60 cycle there's not much you can do but most stuff will work OK.  The A/C won't like it but if you upsize the capacitors and don't run into really hot weather it will be all right.
 
Most folks who have taken their RV to the UK permanently have used a transformer, so there's no reason a temporary move wouldn't do the same. However, be advised that many UK campgrounds have very limited electrical hookups - maybe 7 amps vs our 30 amps or 50 amps.

Trying to rewire a coach for the UK 240V 13A system makes no sense. Fishing all those new wires would be a nightmare, and changing to their completely different shaped receptacles wouldn't be easy either. Keeping the existing 110V appliances and using a transformer would be the logical thing to do.

Things like TVs won't work over there - they use the PAL TV system vs our NTSC TV system.

Driving on the wrong side of the road with an oversized vehicle might be an issue in the UK, especially since the steering wheel will also be on the wrong side. If you cross into mainland Europe, everything will be on the right/correct side again.
 
This article in our forum library has some useful links such as where to buy a transformer when you get to the UK.
 
Not sure if you are traveling Europe for two years of if business is requiring a transfer but if just traveling here some things to consider.

We have traveled Europe and you will find it much different than traveling in the US with an RV.  RV's are much smaller and as you travel some of the non "interstate"  roads you will understand why!  You should be fine w/your 24 ft but may find some "off" roads or city streets (especially the "old" cities) challenging if not impassable.  We were in Spain and Portugal  and RV parks were scattered and scarce.  The ones we visited, 50% had adequate facilities but they would not compare to say a KOA CG and, I felt they were pricey for the facilities provided.  Italy, Germany, France, and the Netherlands we found the facilities were similar but in some instances the prices were significantly higher. It seemed there were more tent campers than RV'ers but this is just my limited observation. Check the countries you want to visit as you may need an International Driver License.  Others on this site may help with the types of vehicle insurance required.  Also, check your medical insurance as many US insurers do not provide coverage while in Europe.  If you become seriously ill and want transported back to the US, that may require a totally different policy.

If you want an alternative to RV'ing, compare renting a place (apt, condo,etc) in a central location where you want to visit and take day and weekend trips. When you are done with that location you can move to another.  This is what we do. You will be surprised that the cost will be very similar if not cheaper than using an RV and the accommodations will be better, in my opinion.  We rent a car through a US car rental agency that provides liability in the base price and use a credit card that provides collision. We rented a BMW from Hertz and it cost less than $300 a month. Being there for 2yrs it may be cheaper to buy, not sure though when you consider the price of the car, maintenance and insurance. I did the comparison with living accommodations and it was actually cheaper to rent a place than RV.

Again, just an alternative if you are not being transferred to a permanent spot.
 
Tom said:
Most folks who have taken their RV to the UK permanently have used a transformer, so there's no reason a temporary move wouldn't do the same. However, be advised that many UK campgrounds have very limited electrical hookups - maybe 7 amps vs our 30 amps or 50 amps.

Trying to rewire a coach for the UK 240V 13A system makes no sense. Fishing all those new wires would be a nightmare
and changing to their completely different shaped receptacles wouldn't be easy either

It isn't really necessary to do either.  U.S. wires are rated for 600 volts and will work fine on 240.  No reason to change the plugs, just use adapters where necessary.  The breaker panel and (probably) the converter would have to change, new heating element for the fridge and water heater.  The microwave and the A/C are the only items that are hard to convert.
[/quote]
 
As most folks have discovered, a transformer is an easy solution. Some folks wire a single 240V/13A socket for the UK appliance they just can't do without.
 
Mike, that's largely irrelevant if they have a transformer installed.
 
Tom, it was just an additional information for everyone who is interested in the different power supplies.

To BKBinITO's question:
A transformer certainly is the cheapest and simplest way from 120V to 230V. But don't forget the frequency. Some clocks and simple constructed things take the frequency of the power supply as a kind of trigger. And don't forget the wattage the transformer is able to manage. It is limited.
 
Thank you all for your input.
The electrical issues with the RV are worrisome. I have used transformers for specific appliances and I am quite familiar with them, but my question was about what to do for the entire RV. From what input I have received, it appears that using my generator is going to be the easiest, best, and possibly, the safest solution. 
 

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