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Old 01-27-2021, 02:05 PM   #1
paulinri
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Question Shock touching exterior exhaust vent

I have a 2021 Springdale 1750RD. I plugged my trailer shore power cable using a 30-15 amp adaptor into my house 120v 15amp receptacle to charge my battery. When I touched the exterior furnace exhaust vent I got quite a "tingle". I have an older house with mostly ungrounded receptacles. Has anyone else experienced this? My Power Watchdog surge protector warned me that my power source was ungrounded . A manufacturer metal exterior fitting should still never be "live". My RV dealer will look into it. Any ideas?
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Old 01-27-2021, 02:22 PM   #2
JRTJH
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You're right, a metal surface on your trailer should NEVER be "live"... But, if your house outlet, is ungrounded, and the hot is wired to the neutral side of the plug, then your trailer neutral system is going to be HOT. I've seen more than my share of "old houses with polarity issues" from people installing a replacement plug or a replacement switch and not knowing or not realizing that the "dark screw connector is for the black wire and the light color screw is for the white wire".... One miswired plug and the entire circuit polarity is wrong.

So, a miswired, ungrounded plug on the side of your house could very well make your trailer a "live wire booby trap".....
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Old 01-27-2021, 03:59 PM   #3
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A couple of thoughts here.

First, get an electrician to straighten out the house wireing. IMHO if you can afford a truck and camper you should be able to get that done. It could easily be a life threatening situation. Let's say you plug in a toaster in the kitchen and it's wired backwards. Without a ground a gfi offers no protection. The sink and stove (if gas) will be grounded. If you touch the sink and the toaster metal you become the path for the electricity to flow.

Secondly, do not plug anything with a 3 prong plug into an outlet until you confirm if it's wired correctly. Any tool, or alliance with only 2 prongs should be double insulated meaning the case is isolated from the ground. You can purchase an outlet tester for under $10 that will indicate if it's wired correctly. If it indicates the it's jot wired correctly DO NOT USE IT! Place some tape over it until you get it fixed.

Third, throw away the trailer surge protector. Obviously it did not protect you from getting shocked. It may have "warned you" but obviously you didn't heed the warning. A child touching that may have had a different outcome. An EMS (energy management system) would prevent this from happening. If the electrical connection is missing a natural or ground, Or is improperly wire, or if the voltage is too high or too low the EMS will not allow the connection.

I hope you get your house wiring corrected and stay safe.
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Old 01-27-2021, 04:03 PM   #4
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There seem to be quite a number of "Power Watchdog" gizmos and some look to be surge protectors and some look like they would actually be EMS units. Suggest OP let us know which model he has; it does look like it is useless but who knows?
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Old 01-27-2021, 04:10 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paulinri View Post
I have a 2021 Springdale 1750RD. I plugged my trailer shore power cable using a 30-15 amp adaptor into my house 120v 15amp receptacle to charge my battery. When I touched the exterior furnace exhaust vent I got quite a "tingle". I have an older house with mostly ungrounded receptacles. Has anyone else experienced this? My Power Watchdog surge protector warned me that my power source was ungrounded . A manufacturer metal exterior fitting should still never be "live". My RV dealer will look into it. Any ideas?
I would call an electrician right away but I would also say watch what you say to your rv dealer. They may be a standup great place to deal with but depending on how you word it they may just make a notation in your service records. “ customer had electrical issues at house and plugged in trailer”. That could potentially absolve them of any future warranty issues whether it was relevant or not.
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Old 01-27-2021, 04:29 PM   #6
sourdough
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You have received some EXCELLENT advice. If it were me that trailer would be unplugged from the house, a new plug for it installed by an electrician then the house wired properly before I ever plugged it in there again. You can get killed - or kill someone. I've been hung under a "hot skinned" mobile home and I didn't like it.

Whatever you're using for a "surge protector" should be discarded. "Warning" you that there is a potential deadly problem but letting you get to experience it is useless IMO. Buy a real EMS and the trailer would be isolated from the problematic power problem.

As a previous poster pointed out, you may or may not have damaged something in the new RV, BUT, plugging it into faulty wiring will most definitely void your warranties.
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Old 01-27-2021, 06:32 PM   #7
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This is a good article that will tell all about hot skin dangers:
https://www.rvtravel.com/rv-electric...-skin-voltage/
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Old 01-27-2021, 06:32 PM   #8
Bill-2020
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I've heard the term "Hot Skin" on RVs that exhibit this condition. If your camper is aluminum skinned, the entire outside of the camper could give you that tingle you mention on any exposed bare surfaces.
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Old 01-27-2021, 09:28 PM   #9
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It's not unusual to have small leakage currents present in the trailer. Normally it's bled off by the ground connection that's why it's important to have one. Your trailer may or may not have an issue.

One way to give you some protection if you have to use an ungrounded outlet is to either replace the outlet with a GFCI outlet or use a GFCI protected plug. That way it will trip if the leakage current is dangerously high. You may still get a tingle but it won't kill you.

The best way to fix it is to rewire the outlet circuit so it is grounded properly.
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