Warning Low Voltage
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
Likes: 491
From: Bristol, TN.
Warning Low Voltage
Would everyone please get a voltage monitor in their camper? I just got in from a day of service calls with virtually every call this week having to do with electrical complaints centered around low voltage in the campgound. Voltage range for RVs is 104 - 132. One call I made today was to a camper with 97 volts at the pedestal and one was trying to run the entire camper plugged into a 20 amp receptacle. I guess noone notices anymore when the dogbone adapter melts.
Campgrounds are really full this year and problems related to low voltage are epidemic. Often things continue to work, but generate a great deal more heat in components, which shortens their lifespans.
Voltage monitors are cheap insurance and if you have quite a few bucks to spare install the device that automatically takes your camper off line in the event voltage gets too low or too high.
Just a good natured rant,
Steve
Campgrounds are really full this year and problems related to low voltage are epidemic. Often things continue to work, but generate a great deal more heat in components, which shortens their lifespans.
Voltage monitors are cheap insurance and if you have quite a few bucks to spare install the device that automatically takes your camper off line in the event voltage gets too low or too high.
Just a good natured rant,
Steve
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Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
Likes: 491
From: Bristol, TN.
Steve
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 950
Likes: 6
From: Waco, Texas
I have an AC voltage meter plugged in all the time in the Kitchen. I can look at it from most any angle. I also keep a DC voltage meter plugged in next to the TV. Normally when I pull in to a campground, I get out the ole meter and check the voltage before I even plug in. It has become habit now. I learned my lesson many many years ago. Great tip/warning. Save lots of repairs just by monitoring this.
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Joined: Jan 2010
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From: Bristol, TN.
Here's a true story about campground power supplies. A couple of years ago a customer was rasing cain with one of my dealers claiming his fifty-amp power supply was no good. He was quite sure it was our fault, as seems to be almost a universal when it comes to RVs. When it comes to problems, it is always the tech's fault.
The dealer asked me to go take a look. So I drive 60 miles one way and get to the campground. Starting at the pedestal, I find 120 volts on one leg and 4 volts on the other leg of the power supply. Pedestal problem, not the camper's.
So I go and get the campground owner. While I am there, I see them pull the breaker out of the pedestal and start shaking mud out of it, which I thought was a somewhat interesting approach to repair. He sees me looking and says, "see that swimmnig pool back there?" pointing to the rec area about 8 feet up on higher ground. "Well, when the river rises, all this down here (where the campers are) floods and covers the pedestals." When the flood waters recede, they turned the power back on.
And so it goes in the RV world!
Steve
The dealer asked me to go take a look. So I drive 60 miles one way and get to the campground. Starting at the pedestal, I find 120 volts on one leg and 4 volts on the other leg of the power supply. Pedestal problem, not the camper's.
So I go and get the campground owner. While I am there, I see them pull the breaker out of the pedestal and start shaking mud out of it, which I thought was a somewhat interesting approach to repair. He sees me looking and says, "see that swimmnig pool back there?" pointing to the rec area about 8 feet up on higher ground. "Well, when the river rises, all this down here (where the campers are) floods and covers the pedestals." When the flood waters recede, they turned the power back on.
And so it goes in the RV world!
Steve
Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 950
Likes: 6
From: Waco, Texas
I do, I use a whole house surge protector, Intermatic IG1240RC3. You may think I over do it, but I have a 10 guage wire, 25 ft, with alligator clips, that I clip to the bumper or exposed metal of the RV to the ground pin by the pedistal. If no ground, I bring out the hammer and my portable copper rod and drive it in the ground. When on generator, for a few days, I ground the generator to this along with the RV. Back in the early 2000's, I learned to ground, when you have the chance.
More Turbo
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 627
Likes: 1
From: Western Connecticut
After reading this thread, I went to my friendly, local RV dealer and bought an inexpensive analog meter for $17 bucks. Money well spent. I only pray I don't find low voltage this w\e since we'll be camping in RI with 100 deg temps. Yeoww.