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Topic: "Hot Skin" on RVs (Read 13 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: "Hot Skin" on RVs
Reply #1
Yahoo Message Number: 147618
Thanks, Joan! There are also some good articles about RV electrical safety on Mike Sokol's "No Shock Zone" website.

Andy Baird

Travels with Andy
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"

Re: "Hot Skin" on RVs
Reply #2
Yahoo Message Number: 147620
By the way, the contact-less AC voltage tester in the video was a Fluke 1AC. It has been since been superseded by the Fluke 2AC model, which has a number of improvements, including "always on"--no need to press a button to turn it on, and no distracting flashing when idling. (There is a battery test button, but users report that the batteries last for at least a year in "always on" mode, thanks to the tester's ultra-low-power circuitry.)

If you're thinking this type of tester is a one-trick pony--only good for testing for "hot skin" RVs, as shown in the video--think again. It senses AC voltages anywhere, without the need to make physical contact, so it can instantly tell you whether an outlet is hot; it can be used to check whether a wire or extension cord is live just by bringing it near the cable; and it can tell you whether a circuit breaker is hot.

I use mine (an older Greenlee model) as a safety tool whenever I work on AC wiring: I probe first to make sure the circuit is truly dead before I actually touch anything. It's also a very useful diagnostic tool; I was quickly able to pinpoint a bad Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) with it a couple of years ago just by putting its insulated tip near the various terminals to see which were live.

The Fluke 2AC looks like an improvement over my old Greenlee tester in several ways, so I ordered one for myself this morning--it was just under thirty bucks.

Andy Baird

http://www.andybaird.com/travels
As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"

Re: "Hot Skin" on RVs
Reply #3
Yahoo Message Number: 147666
Speaking of electrical safety ... I pulled into an RV park plugged in my EMS PT30C aka surge protector in the 30 amp plug. . It give me a E1 error - reverse polarity issue.  I called the park manger.  The maintenance guy came out measured the outlet then declared he had been here for two years and there has never been a problem.    I explained that my surge protector would not let any electricity thru with that error.   We moved to other boxes on the grounds and all other checked out fine.   We got a 50 amp pig tail, tested that outlet, it tested good.
The moral of the story is for more then two years folks have been hooking up to 30 amp outlet setting themselves up for a nasty shock.   A reverse polarity issue means the neutral and hot  wires are reversed on the plug.
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2014 Twin King

Re: "Hot Skin" on RVs
Reply #4
Yahoo Message Number: 147667
"Speaking of electrical safety ... I pulled into an RV park plugged in my EMS PT30C aka surge protector in the 30 amp plug. . It give me a E1 error - reverse polarity issue."

Having the power analyzed by the surge/power protectors is the best reason, IMO, to own  one.
I have had the same experience in a few RV parks over the years and they always say the same thing, "it's been that way for years" Before surge protectors, I used a 30-amp to 20-amp adapter combined with a cheap neon 120-volt tester to check the power wiring before plugging the power cord in.
Voltec Triangle 15-30 Reverse Adapter

Gardner Bender 120 VAC GFCI Outlet Tester; 1/clam, 5 clams/master-GFI-3501 at The Home Depot

Larry

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze

 
Re: "Hot Skin" on RVs
Reply #5
Yahoo Message Number: 147680
Those alternatives to the surge protector are cheap, easy, and improve safety - it's the minimum  that everyone should have.

For years I used one that also showed the voltage. It found two bad outlets: one at an informal campground that used extension cords(!) to distribute power; the other was my brother's barn (he fixed that socket a year after I warned him, when it shocked the bejesus out of him).

I now use a fancier one ($60) that also displays the AC voltage and frequency. That helps with generator problems, and it's audio warnings tell me when the voltage drops low enough I should maybe shut off the A/C, or rises high enough I should shut off everything.

Eric Greenwell
  [lifewithalazydazerv] wrote, On 7/29/2014 8:09 AM:
2005 Jayco 24SS