Important - check this every time you set up |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
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Topic: Important - check this every time you set up Posted: 27 May 2014 at 7:08pm |
Wow, already! I expected to eventually hear back that somebody tested positive, but not in the first 1-2 weeks. Glad to hear the tester caught that. Everyone else, if you are still sitting on the fence about ordering ordering one of those testers, do you need any more proof? Mike, any thoughts on my positive test on all 3 pins of my power cord? Maybe water intrusion?
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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fwunder
Senior Member Joined: 04 Oct 2013 Location: New Jersey Online Status: Offline Posts: 1676 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 27 May 2014 at 3:55pm |
You guys may have saved a life here! No Kidding!!
My Pod is in the driveway. It's just a hair too far to comfortably plug into garage outlet. I have been using one of my molded Home Depot Yellow Jacket 12/3 25 ft. extension cords for the last few feet inside the garage. It's also the extension cord I take camping. The factory Pod shore power cord goes under the garage door at home. Soooo, I just got my Fluke VoltAlert from Amazon. Without reading any instructions I pressed the green on button, walked outside and touched the tongue jack. Holy s#%t!! It beeped loud enough to scare the cat! Really! Kinda freaked me out. I touched various other parts of the tongue. Same thing. I tested the steps. Same thing! I figured it (the tester) must be broken. Time to get out the voltmeter. I've been using these extension cords for years. I got a 25 footer, 50 footer and 100 footer I use around the property. Never had a problem. I rarely go barefoot. With voltmeter, positive probe to tongue jack bolt, negative just stuck in gravel driveway. Holy s&$t again! 39.7 volts. I unplugged the pod! OK, first thing I checked was garage plug polarity. It is fine. Next, checked continuity in extension cord. It checked fine. Next, I was just able to plug pod shore power cord in garage outlet. No voltage seen at trailer frame. I unplugged and replugged several times just to double check. Next, I put extension cord back in place. Hmmmm. No hot-skin. Sooo, I started playing with the pod shore power cord/extension cord interface. I could actually hear a faint "crackle". Obviously, a good connection is not being made between adapter and extension cord. I would guess it's the ground connection. I have had those break off before. Until I am comfortable that I have solved the problem, I will not use the extension cord and will keep my VoltAlert very close by!! Thanks again!! fred |
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2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits
2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
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jmsokol
Groupie Joined: 21 May 2014 Location: Maryland Online Status: Offline Posts: 89 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 26 May 2014 at 2:27am |
I'll stake my reputation as an EE that it will NOT find an RPBG. But I test for everything, no matter how sure I am of something. It really looks like a good basic tester for 99% of outlet wiring failures and could be a useful addition to your RV extension cords. We shall see... |
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mike@noshockzone.org
www.noshockzone.org |
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Cap-n-Cray
Senior Member Joined: 22 Feb 2014 Location: Bainbridge Is Online Status: Offline Posts: 121 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 26 May 2014 at 2:17am |
On the label: "Bright green LED indicator grounded and properly wired, red LED or red LED + green LED indicator - open ground, reversed polarity, no indicator - open hot, open neutral, hot and ground reversed"
I don't know if it would indicate RPBG. |
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Cary
2014 RP-177 |
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jmsokol
Groupie Joined: 21 May 2014 Location: Maryland Online Status: Offline Posts: 89 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 26 May 2014 at 2:04am |
Very interesting. I'll pick one up next week and see how it can be tricked. There are a number of mis-wiring conditions that standard 3-light testers will not detect, the most dangerous one being an RPBG (Reverse Polarity Bootleg Ground). While this tester will probably find an "open ground" or "reversed H-N polarity", there's no way it can find an RPBG condition. I'll report back once I do some testing. |
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mike@noshockzone.org
www.noshockzone.org |
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Cap-n-Cray
Senior Member Joined: 22 Feb 2014 Location: Bainbridge Is Online Status: Offline Posts: 121 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 26 May 2014 at 1:46am |
When we bought our Rpod 177 it came with a power cord. I had a new 50
foot 30 AMP boat power cord with twist locks plugs on both ends of the cord. I
decided to use the the boat cord and made a cheater adapter to go from
the twist plug to a regular 15 AMP plug. I found this plug at Home
Depot...
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Pass-Seymour-15-Amp-125-Volt-Straight-Blade-GCM-Plug-PS5266XGCMCCV4/202039721?cm_mmc=shopping-_-googleads-_-pla-_-202039721&skwcid&kwd=&ci_sku=202039721&ci_kw=&ci_gpa=pla&ci_src=17588969 The plug has LED lights that tell you in code if the receptacle your plugging in to is wired correctly. Green LED everything is OK. Red LED or any combination signals a incorrectly wired receptacle. I thought it was pretty neat. I may start using them on construction sites |
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Cary
2014 RP-177 |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 23 May 2014 at 8:59pm |
Received my VoltAlert this afternoon. I didn't have time to play with it much (both kids are having a double b-day party + sleepover, we have 18 teens and preteens running around right now... seriously considering sleeping in the pod tonight, lol). I did test one of my kitchen outlets, which only tested positive on the hot pin. Tested my 30 amp outlet in the garage, ditto. Then I plugged in the camper's cord and all 3 pins on the twist-lock tested positive. I tested the outlet and cord with my voltmeter and it is ok so I assume the pins inside are too close to the tip of the tester (wider openings) causing the false positives. The frame of my pod tested negatively, yay!
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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jmsokol
Groupie Joined: 21 May 2014 Location: Maryland Online Status: Offline Posts: 89 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 23 May 2014 at 6:35pm |
And thanks to techntrek for posting his story about getting shocked and linking to my No~Shock~Zone site, or I would never have found your forum. |
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mike@noshockzone.org
www.noshockzone.org |
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outermostpod
Groupie Joined: 06 Nov 2013 Online Status: Offline Posts: 43 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 23 May 2014 at 10:27am |
Just ordered the VoltAlert from Amazon. Got one for my Father-in-law too. For $30 bucks it is not worth the risk. Just add it to the checklist of stuff to do when you set up camp.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I would have never known.
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jmsokol
Groupie Joined: 21 May 2014 Location: Maryland Online Status: Offline Posts: 89 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 23 May 2014 at 10:05am |
Actually, there's a pretty easy way to manufacture a built in hot-skin detector (which I've already built and tested). However, it seems like the RVIA and RVDA are not interested in promoting that an RV can become a shock hazard if plugged into a mis-wired outlet or extension cord. Their point of view is that it might scare prospective buyers away from purchasing new RVs. No kidding, I've sat at a desk in front of these guys and asked them about it point-blank. I also had an off-the-record comment from an RV industry official who stated that having an RV's electrical system destroyed by improper voltage hookup was not necessarily a bad thing since now the insurance company would pay to install a new refrigerator, inveter/converter, HVAC, etc... and that RV suppliers would thus be selling more replacement parts. The potential for loss of life from a hot-skin shock wasn't even on their radar.
So yes, while I believe that consumer education about electrical safety is the key to safe RVing, I seriously doubt that the RV industry will fund it unless there's a big push from consumers to do so. That's why I spend so much time developing demonstrations and testing techniques for RV owners. This is not my day job... I'm actually a technology instructor who teaches live music production around the country. I've been pitching the idea of RV consumer and technician electrical safety training for the last several years to the RV Industry, but without any traction. So if you think this is important then please contact your RV manufacturer representative and ask them to support No~Shock~Zone seminars at your rally or RV sales event. I'm already driving around the country teaching my live-sound classes and could also schedule single-day No~Shock~Zone clinics at dozens of RV events every year. But the push has to come from those purchasing new RVs, as that's the only group they'll listen to. You all have my NSZ contact info and links to my articles and videos, so please pass it on to them and tell them you consider this to be an important topic. Thanks for your interest and support. Keep those questions about electrical safety coming. |
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mike@noshockzone.org
www.noshockzone.org |
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