Yes I know the NEC makes the rules but local, state and other controlling authorities can make changes for the area they control. I had to set through more hours in code classes than I care to remember so I could keep my licence. Remember when Arc Fault rec came out for bedrooms and they didn't work well Nebraska where I was licensed at didn't require them until they could prove they worked. Don't miss that time in my life

Denny

 

Steve: I have a 2000 Tahoe fiver that does that same thing. If you lean on say, the metal frame around a storage hatch or something and the camper is plugged in, it will shock the crap out of you, especially if your arm is sweating! I plug the camper into a 20 amp arc fault/Ground fault combo protected circuit at home. It does not trip that breaker.

What did you do, if anything, to solve that "shock the crap out of ya" problem? I looked in the junction box where the camper cord comes into the camper and is wired to the romex stuff that goes to the old 45 amp charger/converter panel box. That junction box was okay. I have not delved into the charger/converter panel.

 

Take a look at this link Camper Grounding to Prevent Electrical Schock - Sunline Coach Owner's Club.

So far the major culprits I have found at power converters and Dometic refrigerators, but I am sure there are others.

Do check the shoreline carefully where it connects to the camper also.

What you have is called a "hot skin" and you can also research that topic on the Internet for more info.

Steve

 

Steve, I read the link you posted and unfortunately, it's over my head. As I was reading through that post and hearing about Earth Ground I starting thinking maybe the trailer isn't itself getting grounded to Earth. If I use the plastic platforms under my stabilizers and the tongue jack have I then isolated the the trailer from the ground?

 

Father in law had a fridge that would nail you if touching the handle and the sink faucet at the same time. Found the hot and neutral wires backwards in the panel.

 

Your trailer does not ground through your stabilizers or tongue and a properly wired trailer should not shock you. When it does, it mean current is getting to the frame from something that is a problem. You can try pounding a copper rod into the ground and tying it to the trailer frame, but that should no be necessary and if it works, it is only bandaids the problem.

When you go to school for this stuff one of the first things they teach is about "hot skins" (which is what your trailer has) and needing to find the break or problem in the wiring. The trailer is supposed to ground back through the shoreline.

You can go to your breaker and shut off one at a time to see if there is any particular one that makes a difference. I know the bottom section in the WFCO power converters can go bad because I had one shock the heck out of me. If you are stuck on this problem, you might want to check with a tech. Sometimes it is a really easy fix.

Steve

 

Been there, seen that. Happens a lot more than one might imagine.

Steve

 

I don't KNOW that I have a problem, I'm just trying to understand the problem and solution so I'm prepared should I ever get a little shock. I've never had my trailer plugged into shore power. I've been running the onboard generator and haven't noticed any issues. So far my trailer is a storage lot queen.

 

When you get a shock, there is current passing to the frame of your camper and when you touch it, you become the path to the ground.

One of the really odd things is everything can work and the wiring can really be a mess. I think I cited one I worked on recently where the ground was cut off the shoreline at the breaker box and a wire nut was put on the neutral so it was not connected. Then the neutral and ground busses were jumpered so the current path was positive to frame ground and it all worked. Dangerous for sure, but it all worked.

I think the most important thing to bear in mind is if you get a shock when you touch your camper, something needs fixing.

Steve

 

I was always taught that you can't have two GFCI devices in the same circuit (i.e. a GFCI breaker with a GFCI outlet in that circuit) as it will cause the first device in-line to malfunction. This comes up quite often with portable spas, which usually have a GFCI plug, when someone tries to plug it into a GFCI-protected circuit. Maybe part of the issue, especially in an RV with suspect ground connections.

 

Never heard that, but it is not true. Virtually all RVs have GFCI that cover the galley, the vanity, and the outlet on the outside of the camper and you can plug those into GFCI without a problem. I keep our fiver plugged into a GFCI all the time on the house. Everything works just fine.

Steve

 

X2
Me too - and have been doing that for 30 years with zero problem. Even, as mentioned above, plug space heaters into them plus my truck's block heater. Also, past trailers with Dometic fridges. I did have a problem with the block heater on my tractor, but that was a different failure mode.

A quick note about a trailer with a 'hot' skin. About 20 years ago, my groups ~25 YO secretary was electrocuted by a Terry TT that way. It was raining, she grabbed the handle outside the door..............

 

Separate circuits, both with GFCI protection, with shared neutrals will cause this issue. Shouldn't be an issue with newer stuff, but that's where the not running multiple GFCI devices in the same circuit comes from. Old houses when GFCI protection was first out often had shared neutrals for separate circuits and it would cause issues.

 

Thanks for help Steve. Sorry I haven't gotten back sooner. Been busy. I did look at that link you sent. That guy is very helpful at describing the problem and ways to diagnose. I haven't had a chance to try any of those checks though. I did do one simple check when the household Arc Fault/Ground Fault circuit breaker tripped immediately when I plugged the camper in, twice. It hadn't done that before. I looked closely at the extension cord that went from the outlet to the camper cord. The ext. cord cover was old and tore away from both plug ends. Wires were exposed and those wire coatings were aged and cracked. I was getting an arc fault from the cracked wire coverings. I got a new extension cord and the breaker quit tripping. While doing some other water damage repairs, I tried to get a shock on my sweaty arm on the metal frame like I had been and could not. Hopefully that was the problem. My brother's camper has a "hot Skin" also. He has replaced the old charger/controller but apparently still has it as he was telling me how it shocked the crap out of him the other day.
Thanks again. Doug

 

Man, don't use your body. If you have a meter, try putting the black probe in the ground next to your camper and touch the red one to the trailer frame.

Tell your brother to try shutting off one breaker at a time and see if that helps determine which circuit is passing power to the frame. glad you are trying to figure this stuff out.

Steve