120 volt electrical issue

[noteven]

I discovered a line voltage short to the trailer chassis / body.

When connected to shore power, I measure 120v touching the test meter probe to the checker plate aluminum on the front drop of the trailer with the negative probe stuck in the damp soil beside the trailer.

When disconnected from shore power and generator is running no stray volatge is detected at the same location.

[mike-s]

noteven wrote:
I don't see how you check a 15 amp plug in with one of those ?

15/20/30 amp are all the same electrically, just able to provide different currents. 15 to 30 "dogbone", and a 30 amp protector won't know the difference and will work just fine.

[noteven]

Dave H M wrote:
I was thinking the same thing as sig and drew.

Something don't add up here in my foggy cranial area. :h

The polarity was corrected in the receptacle. The stray voltage is no longer present.

Nothing has been altered in the rv wiring during my ownership. Is there something that become an issue by itself that needs to be checked?

Thanks

[noteven]

SoundGuy wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:
If the OP really wants to learn from this experience he'd invest ASAP in a Progressive Industries EMS w/Surge Protection, portable or hardwire, that will constantly monitor incoming source power, refuse to pass faulty power on to his trailer whenever any such error may occur, AND tell him the reason why it won't do so. :B

OR like many he could ignore this advice, potentially risk his life AND his trailer's electrical system, and hope he never runs into any situation ever again where the power source being supplied isn't what it should be ... yeah, what are the chances?! :R

noteven wrote:
?

It's unclear as to what your "?" means but surely as a forum member since 2011 you'd have to be well aware of the Progressive Industries series of EMS units that will easily prevent situations such as you've described, protect you at the very least from a nasty shock, and could under some circumstances, potentially save your life. No? :@

I don't see how you check a 15 amp plug in with one of those ?

On edit - I am taking your sarcastic advice and reseaching these devices. Do they come with a fire extinguisher? Clicky

[Dave_H_M]

I was thinking the same thing as sig and drew.

Something don't add up here in my foggy cranial area. :h

[SoundGuy]

SoundGuy wrote:
If the OP really wants to learn from this experience he'd invest ASAP in a Progressive Industries EMS w/Surge Protection, portable or hardwire, that will constantly monitor incoming source power, refuse to pass faulty power on to his trailer whenever any such error may occur, AND tell him the reason why it won't do so. :B

OR like many he could ignore this advice, potentially risk his life AND his trailer's electrical system, and hope he never runs into any situation ever again where the power source being supplied isn't what it should be ... yeah, what are the chances?! :R

noteven wrote:
?

It's unclear as to what your "?" means but surely as a forum member since 2011 you'd have to be well aware of the Progressive Industries series of EMS units that will easily prevent situations such as you've described, protect you at the very least from a nasty shock, and could under some circumstances, potentially save your life. No? :@

[sgip2000]

DrewE wrote:
Even with reversed polarity, you should not have 120V on the RV chassis unless the ground wire from the receptacle was also reversed and wired to the hot (at, say, the main electric panel). Having that sort of stray voltage indicates at the very least poor grounding, and quite possibly also a neutral to ground fault in the RV. I would guess that if you plugged the RV into a GFCI protected receptacle the GFCI would pop due to a ground fault.

Good point. Since the power converter should be wired as a sub-panel with isolated ground, this should not happen.

[DrewE]

Even with reversed polarity, you should not have 120V on the RV chassis unless the ground wire from the receptacle was also reversed and wired to the hot (at, say, the main electric panel). Having that sort of stray voltage indicates at the very least poor grounding, and quite possibly also a neutral to ground fault in the RV. I would guess that if you plugged the RV into a GFCI protected receptacle the GFCI would pop due to a ground fault.

[time2roll]

As long as outlet is wired wrong consider yourself lucky that it was not 240v like so many posts.
Not too soon to get the PI EMS.

[CharlesinGA]

SoundGuy wrote:

noteven wrote:
Issue resolved - power supply recepticle the trailer was plugged in to had reversed polarity. Fixed.

beemerphile1 wrote:
Learn from this, your life depends on it; never connect to any pedestal without first checking the polarity and voltage.

If the OP really wants to learn from this experience he'd invest ASAP in a Progressive Industries EMS w/Surge Protection, portable or hardwire, that will constantly monitor incoming source power, refuse to pass faulty power on to his trailer whenever any such error may occur, AND tell him the reason why it won't do so. :B

OR like many he could ignore this advice, potentially risk his life AND his trailer's electrical system, and hope he never runs into any situation ever again where the power source being supplied isn't what it should be ... yeah, what are the chances?! :R

Yep, I agree. I have a PI HW30C and the one time it denied power was at a friends house, where I plugged in to keep the fridge running. Hot/Neutral were reversed in an outside receptacle on the house.

Charles

[noteven]

SoundGuy wrote:

noteven wrote:
Issue resolved - power supply recepticle the trailer was plugged in to had reversed polarity. Fixed.

beemerphile1 wrote:
Learn from this, your life depends on it; never connect to any pedestal without first checking the polarity and voltage.

If the OP really wants to learn from this experience he'd invest ASAP in a Progressive Industries EMS w/Surge Protection, portable or hardwire, that will constantly monitor incoming source power, refuse to pass faulty power on to his trailer whenever any such error may occur, AND tell him the reason why it won't do so. :B

OR like many he could ignore this advice, potentially risk his life AND his trailer's electrical system, and hope he never runs into any situation ever again where the power source being supplied isn't what it should be ... yeah, what are the chances?! :R

?

[wa8yxm]

noteven wrote:
Neither on board generator or a portable supplying power to the shore power connection have the same issue.

Indications are the polarity of the shore recepticle the trailer was connected to is reversed. Electrician being consulted.

Issue resolved - power supply recepticle the trailer was plugged in to had reversed polarity. Fixed.

Glad to hear it.. In reading the first I assumed you had that issue when using a Generator not shore power.

Generators ... At least portable ones, Not grounded so polarity not an issue,

But you do often have 60 volts showing on the ground wire. (no current but 60 volts. put a load on it and it hits zero and fast)

[SoundGuy]

noteven wrote:
Issue resolved - power supply recepticle the trailer was plugged in to had reversed polarity. Fixed.

beemerphile1 wrote:
Learn from this, your life depends on it; never connect to any pedestal without first checking the polarity and voltage.

If the OP really wants to learn from this experience he'd invest ASAP in a Progressive Industries EMS w/Surge Protection, portable or hardwire, that will constantly monitor incoming source power, refuse to pass faulty power on to his trailer whenever any such error may occur, AND tell him the reason why it won't do so. :B

OR like many he could ignore this advice, potentially risk his life AND his trailer's electrical system, and hope he never runs into any situation ever again where the power source being supplied isn't what it should be ... yeah, what are the chances?! :R

[beemerphile1]

noteven wrote:
Neither on board generator or a portable supplying power to the shore power connection have the same issue.

Indications are the polarity of the shore recepticle the trailer was connected to is reversed. Electrician being consulted.

Issue resolved - power supply recepticle the trailer was plugged in to had reversed polarity. Fixed.

Learn from this, your life depends on it; never connect to any pedestal without first checking the polarity and voltage.

[noteven]

Neither on board generator or a portable supplying power to the shore power connection have the same issue.

Indications are the polarity of the shore recepticle the trailer was connected to is reversed. Electrician being consulted.

Issue resolved - power supply recepticle the trailer was plugged in to had reversed polarity. Fixed.