RV-300/500V
RV Flexible Hook-Up Wire, 300/500 V
A Class 5 conductor in a thin PVC wall, for anything that gets wired inside a box, a panel or an appliance.
Hook-up wire is the wire that lives inside something else. It connects a terminal block to a relay, a motor winding to a capacitor, and a circuit board to a transformer, and in every one of those jobs it is asked to bend in a small space and to be thin enough that the enclosure still closes. That is why RV uses a Class 5 conductor, the same stranding class as a flexible cord, in sizes down to 0.5 mm².
The voltage class is 300/500 V, which is not a limitation inside a panel but a reminder about where it may be used. RV is internal wiring: it is not a building wire for a fixed installation in a wall, and it is not a power cable. Voltcore supplies it in 0.5 mm² to 10 mm² in ten colours, on spools or in coils sized for a production line rather than for a building site.
Specification
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Rated voltage U0/U | 300/500 V |
| Conductor | Class 5 flexible plain copper, IEC 60228 |
| Cross-section range | 0.5 – 10 mm² |
| Number of cores | 1 |
| Insulation | PVC/C compound, 0.6–1.0 mm nominal by size |
| Maximum conductor temperature | +70 °C continuous |
| Short-circuit temperature | 160 °C for 5 s |
| Minimum bending radius | 3 × overall diameter |
| Voltage test | 2 kV AC for 5 min in water |
| Flame behaviour | IEC 60332-1-2 |
| Standard | GB/T 5023.5, IEC 60227-5 |
| Supply form | Spools, 100 m coils, or cut lengths for a production line |
Layer-by-layer construction
Listed from the conductor outward. Read this alongside the specification table — the two together tell you whether the cable will survive its installation method.
- 1. ConductorClass 5 flexible plain copper, 16 × 0.20 mm to 84 × 0.40 mm, to IEC 60228
- 2. InsulationPVC/C compound, 0.6–1.0 mm nominal wall, concentric, coloured
- 3. Surface and markingSmooth finish with printed marking: GB/T 5023.5, RV, size, voltage rating
- 4. PackageSpools or 100 m coils, shrink-wrapped and labelled, or cut lengths for a production line
Reference dimensions and weights
| Nominal cross-section (mm²) | Conductor structure (n×mm) | Insulation thickness (mm) | Approx. overall diameter (mm) | Approx. weight (kg/km) | Max. DC resistance at 20 °C (Ω/km) | Current rating in free air at 30 °C (A) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 16 × 0.20 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 9.5 | 39.0 | 11 |
| 0.75 | 24 × 0.20 | 0.6 | 2.4 | 12.5 | 26.0 | 14 |
| 1.0 | 32 × 0.20 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 15.5 | 19.5 | 17 |
| 1.5 | 30 × 0.25 | 0.7 | 3.1 | 22 | 13.3 | 21 |
| 2.5 | 50 × 0.25 | 0.8 | 3.7 | 34 | 7.98 | 29 |
| 4 | 56 × 0.30 | 0.8 | 4.3 | 48 | 4.95 | 38 |
| 6 | 84 × 0.30 | 0.8 | 4.8 | 65 | 3.30 | 49 |
| 10 | 84 × 0.40 | 1.0 | 6.4 | 113 | 1.91 | 68 |
Reference figures for preliminary sizing and drum planning. Overall diameter and weight vary with strand construction and sheath thickness tolerance; certified drawings are issued with each quotation.
Engineering characteristics
- Class 5 flexible copper to IEC 60228, which is what lets the wire be dressed inside a small enclosure.
- Sizes down to 0.5 mm², where the conductor is 16 wires of 0.20 mm.
- A 0.6–1.0 mm insulation wall keeps the overall diameter small enough for a crowded terminal strip.
- 300/500 V rating to GB/T 5023.5, for internal wiring of equipment and panels.
- Minimum bending radius of 3 × overall diameter, tighter than a building wire allows.
- Resistance tabulated per size, which the low-voltage side of a control circuit actually needs.
- Ten standard colours, so a panel builder can colour-code without a second product.
Typical applications
- Internal wiring of control panels and switchgear
- Appliance and white goods internal wiring
- Electronic equipment and instrument wiring
- Automotive and trailer harness repair
- Signal and low-voltage circuits inside enclosures
- Transformer and motor terminal connections
Ordering options
- 0.5–10 mm² on spools, in 100 m coils, or cut to length
- Ten standard colours, plus striped and tipped identification
- Tinned copper conductor for soldering work
- Finer Class 5 stranding for tight-radius enclosures
- Private-label spool labels and OEM packaging
Standards manufactured to
- GB/T 5023.5
- IEC 60227-5
- IEC 60228
- IEC 60332-1-2
- RoHS
Manufactured to other standards on request. Send the standard number with your RFQ and we will quote against it rather than against a near-equivalent.
Price and availability for RV Flexible Hook-Up Wire
Include cross-section, core count, voltage grade, route length and installation method — those five determine price more than anything else on the page.
- Engineer-reviewed before pricing
- Reference drawings issued with the quotation
- Free sample up to free sample up to 5 m
RV Flexible Hook-Up Wire — frequently asked questions
Can I use RV wire for fixed building wiring?
No. RV is a 300/500 V internal wiring wire for equipment and panels. For a fixed installation in a wall or conduit the correct products are BV or BVR, which are rated 450/750 V and carry the insulation wall and the test voltage that a building installation requires. Using RV in a wall is the kind of substitution an inspector will reject.
What sizes do I need for a control panel?
Most panels run on two sizes: 1.5 mm² or 2.5 mm² for the power and output circuits, and 0.5 mm² or 0.75 mm² for the signal and control wiring, where the current is measured in milliamps and the space is tight. Ordering both in different colours lets the wiring be identified without ferrules on every end.
Do you supply tinned copper?
Yes, and it is worth it wherever the wire is soldered. A tinned Class 5 conductor solders cleanly without aggressive flux and does not oxidise in a humid enclosure, which matters in a coastal or tropical installation. The resistance is marginally higher than plain copper, and the figures for the tinned version are available on request.
How is it packed for a production line?
On spools or in 100 m coils as standard, with cut lengths available for a cell that assembles one harness at a time. For a volume account Voltcore will pack to the length the line consumes per shift, which removes the handling of part-used coils. The standard minimum order is 500 m per size.