Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 08-11-2012, 12:11 PM   #1
Bus Geek
 
lornaschinske's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Roswell, NM
Posts: 3,588
Year: 1986
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: 40 ft All American FE
Engine: 8.2LTA Fuel Pincher DD V8
Rated Cap: 89
RV Electrical Safety

RVSafety

We need to all read this series of articles. We might even want to print them out and save in a binder as part of our "owners manuals" for our buses. (I saved all the articles as PDF files using PDFLite to print out later plus save on a USB thumb drive). I think this series may help many of us understand the basics of a mobile electrical system. I think these are the types of articles that you save, like Phred's Poop Sheets.
The Shocking Truth About RV’s
RV Electrical Safety: Part I – Volts
RV Electrical Safety: Part 2 - Meters
RV Electrical Safety: Part 3 - Outlets
RV Electrical Safety: Part 4 - Hot Skin
RV Electrical Safety: Part 5 - Amperage
RV Electrical Safety: Part 6 - Voltage Drop
RV Electrical Safety: Part 7 - Wattage
RV Electrical Safety: Part 8 - GFCI Theory
RV Electrical Safety: Part 9 - In Review
RV Electrical Safety: Part 10 - GFCI Testing
RV Electrical Safety: Part 11 - Extension Cords
RV Electrical Safety: Part 12 - Surge Strips

DIY testers and how to use them
30 amp DIY tester
50 amp DIY tester

__________________
This post is my opinion. It is not intended to influence anyone's judgment nor do I advocate anyone do what I propose.
Fulltime since 2006
The goal of life is living in agreement with nature. Zeno (335BC-264BC)
https://lorndavi.wordpress.com/blog/
https://i570.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps0340a6ff.jpg
lornaschinske is offline  
Old 08-11-2012, 09:01 PM   #2
Bus Nut
 
TygerCub's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 784
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Genesis
Engine: Detroit
Rated Cap: 14
Re: RV Electrical Safety

THANK YOU.
TygerCub is offline  
Old 08-12-2012, 12:27 AM   #3
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Olympia, Washington
Posts: 557
Year: 87
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: International s1700
Engine: 6.9 internatiional
Rated Cap: 65
Re: RV Electrical Safety

thanks, this is exactly what i needed
proconsul100 is offline  
Old 08-13-2012, 10:31 AM   #4
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Oregon/Philippines
Posts: 1,660
Re: RV Electrical Safety

good post.
I have told people about a billion times to check the skin of the rv's.
Lots of good basic things people need to read. thanks
__________________
Jesus Christ... Conversion in progress.
chev49 is offline  
Old 08-13-2012, 12:08 PM   #5
Moderator
 
crazycal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NUNYA
Posts: 4,236
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: 3800
Engine: DT408, AT545
Rated Cap: 23 500 gvw
Re: RV Electrical Safety

Tag.
__________________
I'm hungry!

You Gotta Let Me Fly
crazycal is offline  
Old 08-15-2012, 02:44 PM   #6
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 118
Re: RV Electrical Safety

Quote:
Originally Posted by chev49
good post.
I have told people about a billion times to check the skin of the rv's.
Lots of good basic things people need to read. thanks
I'm the author of the articles linked above about RV Electrical Safety. Thanks for posting them here. There's one more thing to watch out for when hooking into 120 volt power... something I call an RPBG Outlet (Reverse Polarity Bootleg Ground) which sometimes occurs in old houses and garages that have been rewired to add grounded outlets. An RPBG outlet will electrify the chassis and skin of any appliance or RV plugged into it. See http://www.rvdoctor.com/2001/07/friends ... -mike.html for an article I just wrote about testing for RPBG outlets.

Mike Sokol
jmsokol is offline  
Old 08-15-2012, 04:14 PM   #7
Bus Geek
 
bansil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MNT CITY TN
Posts: 5,158
Re: RV Electrical Safety

Thanks for joining us,awesome articles!

Good job
__________________
Our build La Tortuga
Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.
George S. Patton
bansil is offline  
Old 08-15-2012, 04:35 PM   #8
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 118
Re: RV Electrical Safety

Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
Thanks for joining us,awesome articles!
Thanks very much. You can help by passing this information on to everyone you know with a RV. Doesn't matter if it's a Too-Cool-For-School Bus or a Class-A factory build, all of them are susceptible to hot skin conditions. Even water features at miniature golf courses like the one that killed that girl in Orlando this summer can be deadly. And boat docks with power outlets are especially dangerous due to gradient voltages in freshwater.

The main thing to know is that you should NEVER feel a shock from your vehicle. A little static jolt is one thing, but a sustained shock is a different story. Let me know how I can help educate you all about electrical power safety.

Mike Sokol
www.noshockzone.org
mike@noshockzone.org
jmsokol is offline  
Old 08-15-2012, 05:17 PM   #9
Moderator
 
crazycal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NUNYA
Posts: 4,236
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: 3800
Engine: DT408, AT545
Rated Cap: 23 500 gvw
Re: RV Electrical Safety

Quote:
Originally Posted by jmsokol
Quote:
Originally Posted by chev49
good post.
I have told people about a billion times to check the skin of the rv's.
Lots of good basic things people need to read. thanks
I'm the author of the articles linked above about RV Electrical Safety. Thanks for posting them here. There's one more thing to watch out for when hooking into 120 volt power... something I call an RPBG Outlet (Reverse Polarity Bootleg Ground) which sometimes occurs in old houses and garages that have been rewired to add grounded outlets. An RPBG outlet will electrify the chassis and skin of any appliance or RV plugged into it. See http://www.rvdoctor.com/2001/07/friends ... -mike.html for an article I just wrote about testing for RPBG outlets.

Mike Sokol

Awesome! Thanks.
__________________
I'm hungry!

You Gotta Let Me Fly
crazycal is offline  
Old 08-16-2012, 05:53 AM   #10
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 118
Re: RV Electrical Safety

Quote:
Originally Posted by crazycal
I have told people about a billion times to check the skin of the rv's.
Here's a link to a youtube video I've posted about testing RV's for hot-skin conditions using a $25 Fluke VoltAlert pen.

There's also a bunch of other videos on my youtube channel about how to use a voltmeter, outlet polarity testing, why extension cords overheat, etc... http://www.youtube.com/howtoseminars.

Please let me know if you find these useful.

Mike Sokol
jmsokol is offline  
Old 08-29-2012, 06:23 AM   #11
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 118
Re: RV Electrical Safety

Quote:
Originally Posted by jmsokol
The main thing to know is that you should NEVER feel a shock from your vehicle. A little static jolt is one thing, but a sustained shock is a different story. Let me know how I can help educate you all about electrical power safety.

Mike Sokol
http://www.noshockzone.org
mike@noshockzone.org
Please post links to my No~Shock~Zone articles on any other RV or conversion websites you know of. Everybody should be educated about how to avoid electric shock conditions.

I also have a few basic power questions for you. How many of your vehicles are wired for 20 amp, 30 amp, or 50 amp hookups? How many use a portable generator and what size? And finally, how many of you have felt any kind of tingle or shock from their "skoolie" or other RV?

Thanks for you input. It will help me determine the topics for future articles I plan to write.

Mike Sokol
jmsokol is offline  
Old 08-29-2012, 07:27 AM   #12
Bus Geek
 
bansil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MNT CITY TN
Posts: 5,158
Re: RV Electrical Safety

30 amp,with a 5000 watt generator here
__________________
Our build La Tortuga
Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.
George S. Patton
bansil is offline  
Old 08-29-2012, 09:52 AM   #13
Bus Geek
 
lornaschinske's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Roswell, NM
Posts: 3,588
Year: 1986
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: 40 ft All American FE
Engine: 8.2LTA Fuel Pincher DD V8
Rated Cap: 89
Re: RV Electrical Safety

Quote:
Originally Posted by jmsokol
...
I also have a few basic power questions for you. How many of your vehicles are wired for 20 amp, 30 amp, or 50 amp hookups? How many use a portable generator and what size? And finally, how many of you have felt any kind of tingle or shock from their "skoolie" or other RV?
30 amp, no generator yet (planning on an LP generator due to lack of use... over 4K)
No tingles/shock from our (current) bus, former vintage Class C or former pop-up.
__________________
This post is my opinion. It is not intended to influence anyone's judgment nor do I advocate anyone do what I propose.
Fulltime since 2006
The goal of life is living in agreement with nature. Zeno (335BC-264BC)
https://lorndavi.wordpress.com/blog/
https://i570.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps0340a6ff.jpg
lornaschinske is offline  
Old 08-29-2012, 10:21 AM   #14
Bus Geek
 
bansil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MNT CITY TN
Posts: 5,158
Re: RV Electrical Safety

No tingles or shocks from mine (yet ) altho I occasionally hit my head on the mirrors

Also posted on another site
__________________
Our build La Tortuga
Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.
George S. Patton
bansil is offline  
Old 08-29-2012, 11:55 AM   #15
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 118
Re: RV Electrical Safety

Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
No tingles or shocks from mine (yet ) altho I occasionally hit my head on the mirrors

Also posted on another site
As long as you don't hit your shin in a trailer hitch. That REALLY hurts!!!
jmsokol is offline  
Old 09-18-2012, 06:20 PM   #16
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 118
Re: RV Electrical Safety

Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
No tingles or shocks from mine (yet ) altho I occasionally hit my head on the mirrors

Also posted on another site
An update: I just taught an RV electrical safety seminar with Gary Bunzer (The RV Doctor) at the Hershey RV show over the weekend. He taught a DC power seminar, then I dived in with a bunch of AC power testing tricks, including my hot-skin test and RPBG test. The crowd was very interested and seemed to really absorb it all.

So here's an OT question for you. I took my son along to snoop around and kick some tires. The vehicle he talked about the most was an antique bus we saw on display near the entrance of the show. Sort of looked like a 50's jet airliner with an art nouveau ibe. I was driving so I didn't get a good look at it. Anybody know what it was?

Mike Sokol
jmsokol is offline  
Old 09-18-2012, 06:47 PM   #17
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Oregon/Philippines
Posts: 1,660
Re: RV Electrical Safety

u mean the california one?
__________________
Jesus Christ... Conversion in progress.
chev49 is offline  
Old 09-18-2012, 07:33 PM   #18
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 118
Re: RV Electrical Safety

Quote:
Originally Posted by chev49
u mean the california one?
No, in Hershey PA.
jmsokol is offline  
Old 09-19-2012, 08:26 AM   #19
Bus Nut
 
GreyEagle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 801
Re: RV Electrical Safety

Possible the GM Futurliner .... Some have been restored. I saw one of these in Chattanooga about 2 years ago. neat bus.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=gm+ ... ORM=IQFRBA

Additional info...
GM Futurliner Progress Photos GM Futurliner Restoration Project ...
www.futurliner.com/2009hershey.htm
GM Futurliner Progress Photos GM ... 2012 - 2011 2010 - 2009 2008 - 2007 ... This is the second time the Futurliner appeared at the Hershey, PA car show and swap meet. This ... The Hershey show was the last of the season for the Futurliner but it can be seen at the AACA Museum in Hershey, PA …
__________________
GreyEagle
Roll - On...
GreyEagle is offline  
Old 09-23-2012, 08:22 AM   #20
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 118
Re: RV Electrical Safety

Wow!!! I've just looked at my downloads, and see that this thread alone has downloaded my No~Shock~Zone articles nearly 200 times in the last 30 days. You guys are really studying this stuff. I hope these articles are helping you better understand your vehicle electrical systems, and are helping to keep you safe. If you've had any interesting "shock" issues in the past or recently, please post them here. I'm trying for a grant that will allow me to make No~Shock~Zone a national electrical safety training program, so any examples you can provide will help with the process.

Thanks very much...

Mike Sokol
http://www.noshockzone.org
mike@noshockzone.org
jmsokol is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Maryland Safety Inspection missingTexas Conversion General Discussions 1 11-12-2014 04:25 PM
Bus Safety porkchopsandwiches Conversion General Discussions 6 04-23-2014 11:12 AM
Electrical Safety Switches DaRealGuru Electrical, Charging and Solar 6 10-08-2013 02:20 PM
Pressurized Cylinder Safety Cyrus Conversion Tutorials and How-to's 0 09-30-2009 08:02 PM
What to do with roof safety hatches? dammitAndy Conversion General Discussions 17 04-27-2005 05:24 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:24 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.