Getting small shock from camper?

[doonkin]

I suspect this is a common problem- and hoping w a simple solution.

When plugged in, in driveway, TT gives off a small shock. Your arm touches metal frame of outside storage cubby, for example, you can def feel the voltage tingle. This is our 2nd TT, and both had this issue, so I'm sure it's my reg extension cable>to 30amp adapter n not the camper.

I'm a dunce when it comes to the juice but I suspect I need to get an electrician to install a dedicated 30amp plug on the outside of my house to plug into.

Is this right?

Thx in advance

[Jack in Alaska]

It is probably a ground problem.
Installing a 30 amp service at your house is an easy job but if your are an electrical clutz hiring an electrician is the way to go.

I had a problem like that a long time back and the leak was in the transformer of a 12/120 volt TV. It went into the can. Problem solved.

Good luck

[gmucha]

This happened when we used a different plug at the house to power the trailer. The plug was improperly grounded causing the shock. The dealer called it "hot skin."

[chrisg]

I just had this happen at our last camp site and are not sure if it has always happened (new TT) or if it was the first time. We may have just noticed it cause it was raining out during setup. We took a meter and found 40-ish volts between the frame and ground. I use those yellow Lego bricks under the stabilizers thus no metal was touching the ground. I then removed them on 1 stabilizer and let it make contact to the ground and the voltage went away.

I will be watching during out travels this next month to see if it's the TT or just bad camp site wiring...

[us71na]

Get an outlet tester and check the outlet you are plugging the trailer into. Cost is less than $20.
I have one plugged into a 30 amp adapter that I use every time we travel before I connect my trailer to a power post.

If your outlet checks good then you have a grounding problem in your trailer.

[RoyBraddy]

Be sure you are using all three conductors on your extension cord. This is where the earth ground comes from for your trailer.

I also will not ever use one of those small round RV30A-15A adapters. I use the long dogbone type.

Also my 50-foot Extension cords is a heavy duty 10-gauge (10-3) construction type extension cord. It is plugged into a 20-AMP receptacle inside my garage. My long RV30A-15A adapter (WALMART) is laying in the middle of the yard where the trailer shore power cable plugs into it. I have a small plastic box with a lid housing the adapter to keep water away from it...

Nothing ever gets warm to touch and my 120VAC is very stable... We can run everything in our trailer including the air conditioner but do have to watch which high wattage items are running at the same time. This will trip the garage 20AMP breaker...

I tested the 20AMP garage receptacle with one of those circuit testers shown in the thread above...

Don't take this small shock Lightly.. Electric shock does different things to different folks or animals... Get this resolved right away... Sure wouldn't want anything to happen to a grandchild or your beloved fur babies...

Roy Ken

[RVhiker]

This is a dangerous situation. What it means is that 120v AC is somehow connecting with the frame and skin of your trailer and that the electrical ground is not draining off that voltage. So when you touch the skin of your trailer, your body is draining off that voltage. Obviously not safe and obviously must be fixed. My suggestion is to leave the trailer unplugged until it is fixed.

[Iraqvet05]

Originally Posted by us71na

Get an outlet tester and check the outlet you are plugging the trailer into. Cost is less than $20.
I have one plugged into a 30 amp adapter that I use every time we travel before I connect my trailer to a power post.

If your outlet checks good then you have a grounding problem in your trailer.

X2

They are $5 at Home Depot

[Dream Girl]

The outlet tester is NO GOOD! you need "Fluke Volt-Alert"

RV Hot skin is VERY dangerous thing!!!!
MANY MANY KIDS DIED touching Hot Skinned RV's
(as their heart can't handle the shocks very well)

This is a VERY serious issue - you need to fix it ASAP!
Please take the time to watch the entire video and pay attention!

Boy dies from touching RV. What went wrong?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=opuult8jMOo

Ever feel a tingle when touching an RV? Danger! Watch this!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=870zuHwEH30

Fluke Volt-Alert

[Dirkdaddy]

Having done home wiring after self-educating and passing the local test for homeowners in MD when I lived there, I wanted to confirm what I figured the wiring problem was, so I referenced a picture.



Credit to Mike Holt

Basically proper 3 wire wiring the ground and common (white) are the same (when it gets to the breaker box they are on the same leg), but in the mis-wired outlet those are hot (black) and the ground is where the hot lead usually goes. Just wanted to make sure my wired outlets were good, this is a huge mistake in wiring.

[Proud Grandpa]

This can be a serious problem. I had this on my trailer. If ground is damp, it could cause huge problem, especially for little ones. Get a polarity tester and make sure the plug you are using is wired correctly first. Reverse polarity can cause it. My problem was in the trailer connect where I plugged in the cord to my trailer. It had leaked a little in rainy weather and corroded at the connections inside the trailer. Took delaer almost a week to find the problem, thankfully it still under warrenty. They replaced the trailer connection device and problem went away. Please have this checked out immediately, before someone gets hurt.

[doonkin]

Ok - I do have a 15 amp ext cord w ground/ I have the smaller 15/30 adapter but ordered the dogbone one.

I will get tester at home depot today. I will look into a fluke tester now.

NOTE; this does not happen at any campground i remember - ONLY at home
so im hoping its the house plug.

My problem is - most handymen electricians are kinda unschooled in RV setup - I.e setting up a 30 amp so you can plug generator to my house.

Ok - ive 2 small kids that I will keep away from trailer- and will unplug till I get help .
IF it is the 15amp plug at home, what sould I be doing to it - ---
I am very dumb w electricity

[wags999]

Originally Posted by doonkin

Ok - I do have a 15 amp ext cord w ground/ I have the smaller 15/30 adapter but ordered the dogbone one.

I will get tester at home depot today. I will look into a fluke tester now.

NOTE; this does not happen at any campground i remember - ONLY at home
so im hoping its the house plug.

My problem is - most handymen electricians are kinda unschooled in RV setup - I.e setting up a 30 amp so you can plug generator to my house.

Ok - ive 2 small kids that I will keep away from trailer- and will unplug till I get help .
IF it is the 15amp plug at home, what sould I be doing to it - ---
I am very dumb w electricity

Most likely a ground issue. Are you on romex wiring or conduit? Romex is the plastic coated cable, conduit is the metal piping. The conduit acts as the ground otherwise you have a green wire with the romex. Have to make sure it's connected at each end, the main panel and the receptacle. If your not familiar with electric I would have someone who is check it. May not be a big issue to fix, could be just connecting the ground wire. I would also check for reverse polarity...ie.. white wire connected to the silver screw and black wire (hot) connected to brass screw on outlet.

This is something you want to be concerned about, it should not happen.

Good Luck.

[us71na]

Originally Posted by doonkin

Ok - I will look into a fluke tester now.

The fluke tester will only detect if there is voltage present. It will not tell you if things are connected correctly.

Originally Posted by doonkin

IF it is the 15amp plug at home, what sould I be doing to it - ---
I am very dumb w electricity

Your best bet is to hire an licensed electrician if there are outlet problem rather than take it on yourself.

[doonkin]

I had my 30 amp plugged into (via adapter)one of those office plug strips, w THATplugged into the 15amp mains plug. ONCE I plugged the ext cord directy into mains I cant feel the electrical tingle anymore.
Im def going to get a dedicated 30amp plug installed, and buy that tester.
Can anyone recommend an outside (under covered oatio) 30amp recpticke- home depot only had inside ones.

[wags999]

GE 30-Amp Temporary RV Power Outlet-U013P - The Home Depot

This would work for you. I would suggest you turn the breaker off when plugging in or unplugging your RV. After plugging in then turn the breaker on, this is also a good habit to get into at campgrounds.

Good Luck.

[FishAr]

Originally Posted by wags999

GE 30-Amp Temporary RV Power Outlet-U013P - The Home Depot

This would work for you. I would suggest you turn the breaker off when plugging in or unplugging your RV. After plugging in then turn the breaker on, this is also a good habit to get into at campgrounds.

Good Luck.

That's what I put on my one shop and what my 23rb is plugged into right now. Trailer being parked there is blocking my shooting area though. Not really so much blocking it as I would be showering my trailer with brass when I shoot. So I have a guy coming out to level a pad next to my other shop out of the way. That shop is also where I'm going to keep the trailer inside during winter.

I put a 30 amp plug in inside so I could plug the trailer in while it's inside.
Then I bought a cord door from the local rv place like the one that's on the outside of our trailers and put it into the shop wall.

Now when the pad is done I can park my trailer there outside and run my camper power cord through that door and plug it in inside the bldg.

[norty1]

That box pictured is what I use. The receptacle is not what is weather proof, it's the box. I also bought a small 2 breaker box and installed a 30 and a 15a breaker in it. I mounted a external weather proof box with a GFCI outlet in it for general use on the pedestal. I can turn them off when I am not home and it also keeps the power off the plug in connections when hooking up.

[doonkin]

quote
'This would work for you. I would suggest you turn the breaker off when plugging in or unplugging your RV. After plugging in then turn the breaker on, this is also a good habit to get into at campgrounds.

turn the breaker off in camper, and/or at outlet.

at campground, i always turn breaker of, plug in, the flip breaker on.
Ironically, i never do this plugging in at home-bad habit!

Ok,
I just got the dogbone 15-30 adapter

I ordered the fluke volt alert- i bought the wrong thing at home depot- klein tools voltage tester (looks EXACTLY the same)

Im getiing the 30amp receptacle today from HD and getting an electrician to install this weekend.

Thanks all for scaring me into action everyone- I wasnt taking this problem seriously at all

[wags999]

Originally Posted by doonkin

quote
'This would work for you. I would suggest you turn the breaker off when plugging in or unplugging your RV. After plugging in then turn the breaker on, this is also a good habit to get into at campgrounds.

turn the breaker off in camper, and/or at outlet.

at campground, i always turn breaker of, plug in, the flip breaker on.
Ironically, i never do this plugging in at home-bad habit!

Ok,
I just got the dogbone 15-30 adapter

I ordered the fluke volt alert- i bought the wrong thing at home depot- klein tools voltage tester (looks EXACTLY the same)

Im getiing the 30amp receptacle today from HD and getting an electrician to install this weekend.

Thanks all for scaring me into action everyone- I wasnt taking this problem seriously at all

At this point not sure you need the fluke volt alert, this is not a major problem at campgrounds that I have found, and, at home your issue is taken care off. The dog bone will not be needed at home, but, not bad to carry with "just in case".
Not trying to scare anyone, but, electrical issues are not something to ignore. Thanks for bringing this to everyone, may just help a few others that didn't realize they had an issue.

Good Luck and happy camping !