Be sure to sign up for the weekly RV Travel Newsletter, published continuously every Saturday since 2001. Click here.
Huge RV parts & accessories store!
You have never seen so many RV parts and accessories in one place! And, Wow! Check out those low prices! Click to shop or browse!

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Kit tests for proper electricity and wiring at campgrounds

One thing you want to avoid is plugging in your RV to an improperly wired power pedestal at an RV park. In this video, RV electricity expert Mike Sokol reviews the Amprobe PK-110 Electrical Test Kit for verifying the proper voltage and ground of RV pedestals before plugging in shore power. The kit checks RV wiring — discovering hot skin voltage conditions and ensuring RV electrical safety.

The Amprobe PK-110 Electrical Test Kit is available at Amazon.com for about $35. Learn more or order.

To learn more about RV electricity and safety issues, visit Sokol's website NoShockZone.org.

Posted by at

6 comments:

  1. MrTommyNovember 1, 2014 at 7:10 AM

    Good vid, Mike. While I don't have this particular kit, I have over time acquired all this equipment individually (after watching some of your other videos). Good info.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousNovember 2, 2014 at 9:16 AM

    Is it possible to get a "hot skin" condition with a fiberglass walled rv?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mike SokolNovember 2, 2014 at 12:40 PM

      Yes, it certainly is. The “hot skin” slang is not exactly accurate, but commonly used in the RV industry. I think it really should be called a “hot chassis” condition since that’s where the voltage starts. And because virtually every metal part of your RV is bonded to its chassis, then everything metal can be “hot skin" electrified including your RV’s door frame, door latch, metal steps, canopy brace, trailer hitch, propane tanks, trailer axle(s), wheels, and even the tow vehicle. So a fiberglass walled RV doesn’t make you safe from a “hot skin” condition since most RV electrocutions occur while touching the door latch or putting a foot on the metal steps while standing on the ground.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousNovember 2, 2014 at 7:43 PM

    I was concerned when I bought my generator and run it in the box of my truck when hooked to my 5th wheel. If I run power from the 15 AMP socket (3 prong), my tester shows and open ground. If I run from the four prong socket it shows no open ground. I have not had a shock (yet) but it does cause me some worry. Any ideas?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mike SokolNovember 3, 2014 at 4:04 AM

    If this is a 240-volt generator (which I assume from the 4-wire twist-lock outlet you describe) do you have a custom twist-lock to 50-amp (range plug) adapter to plug in your RV? If so, many of these custom generator adapter pigtails had a special Neutral-to-Ground bonding jumper installed. If you're plugging an adapter into your 20-amp outlet, then it doesn't have the Neutral bonding jumper in place. If that's the case, there's a slight chance you could get shocked between your generator and the bed of the truck if you had an internal hot-to-chassis short inside your RV somewhere. To remedy that, you should add a G-N bonding plug like I detail in my No~Shock~Zone article at http://www.noshockzone.org/generator-ground-neutral-bonding/ and my RV Electrical Safety Book available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L2DWBD8

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownNovember 4, 2014 at 1:15 PM

    EXCELLENT! The kit and price are on target and the video was spot on.

    TYVM from us all, and ex navy electrician.

    ReplyDelete

All comments are moderated. They may take an hour or more to appear after posting.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)