Important - check this every time you set up

Originally posted by babyboogerfamily "I still think the easiest test to make sure your RV doesn't have a hot-skin voltage is a basic NCVT such as the Fluke VoltAlert or Klein NCVT-1" Can you or someone describe how this test can be done when 'hooking' up to a site with an electrical outlet?  I'm not following a-lot of the more experienced talk and jargon.   Thanks!!!

The NCVT is Non-Contact Voltage Test, and you can use one to verify that the correct pin on the outlet is the hot one. You can also verify that ground and neutral are (more-or-less) the same potential. If those two things are correct, the outlet is wired correctly. You would still need to verify that the voltage is between 110 and 120, or close to that.

This explains the wiring: http://www.myrv.us/Imgs/PDF/30-amp%20Service.pdf

Originally posted by mcarter I've bought tools 40 years ago I still have today, I have bought the same brand in the last five years, I've discarded. I have Fluke products I have had repaired under warranty that are 40 years old and Craftsman products I have returned and been replaced. Those days are ending as quality goes downhill. Not to say they are not quality makers, but they are getting harder to find.

Yeppers. Just about exactly 40 years ago, I bought a Craftsman Master Mechanic tool set (it was just about 3 months of my little old PFC pay..) To this day, I have never needed to replace a single piece. I did have the 3/4 inch ratchet rebuilt about 25 years ago.

Originally posted by jmsokol I agree entirely. But in the engineering world I live in there's a saying about tools: Buy once, cry once... That is, really good tools will last for decades if you take care of them. But cheap tools are expensive since they usually break in a few years and need to be bought over and over again. I tell my engineering students to buy a Fluke meter since it will be respected by everyone on their crew, plus it will last for the rest of their careers. But companies like Klein, Amprobe and others make quality products that should serve perfectly well for most RV owners.

If you calculate the cost of one broken tool to include the time lost on the job because of the broken tool, suddenly the "expensive tool" doesn't look so expensive any more.

Mike has a new video series, too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs5hgO2Sy40&feature=youtu.be

If you test ANY part of the RV's frame, you've pretty must tested ALL of it. That's because the entire RV frame and chassis is bonded to practically everything else in the RV. So if you point your NCVT at the wheel or lug nuts that will certainly indicate if there's a hot-skin voltage. Same goes for the tow hitch, propane tanks, door frame, and yes, metal skin.

Also, your tow vehicle is bonded to the RV chassis via the hitch, safety chains, and electrical plug. So if you're connected to an RV which has a hot-skin voltage, then your tow vehicle will also have a hot-skin voltage. Now you see why I don't like the word "hot-skin" which implies it's only the skin of the RV that's energized. In reality, it's the CHASSIS of the RV that's been electrically energized, and everything that's bonded to it (just about everything metal inside of, on, or connected to your RV) will go along for the ride and be electrically energized with a "hot-skin" voltage.

Mike Sokol
No~Shock~Zone