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Getting Electric Shocks When Touching RV

by Anonymous
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Why Your RV is Shocking You

Why Your RV is Shocking You

RE: Shocks when working on tires/rims - air brakes?

When removing the tires to grease the bearings my husband was receiving shocks. He just now was adding air to the tires & when touching the rims received additional shocks. Is this a serious problem with the air brakes?

Thanks so much.

ANSWER: Let me assure you that the electrical shocks that your husband is getting when touching the wheels on your Motorhome has nothing to do with the Air Brakes.

The electrical shocks are being caused by a reversed polarity problem in the electric receptacle that your RV is plugged into, a polarity problem in the extension cord you are using to plug in your RV or to a shorted wire somewhere in your RV's electrical system. This problem can also be caused by an improper ground in the receptacle, extension cord or in the RV.

First let's address the most likely cause of this shocking experience reversed polarity in the receptacle that you have your RV plugged into. To check the polarity you will need an Electric Receptacle Tester/Circuit Analyzer. These testers run anywhere from $5 to $10 depending on the model you get.


Unplug your RV from Shore Power and then plug the tester into that receptacle. You may find that the tester will indicate that the polarity of the receptacle is reversed. To solve this problem the electrical outlet needs be rewired properly or you will have to plug into a known good receptacle.

If the outlet shows no problems then we know that is not causing the shocks. If you are using an extension cord to plug in your RV we need to check that next. Plug the extension cord into a known good outlet and plug the tester into the extension cord. If it indicates that there is a problem with the extension cord then the extension cord needs to be disposed of.

If both the receptacle and extension cord show OK then we know that the problem is in the electrical system of the RV itself. The problem could be something as simple as a staple through an electrical wire that is shorting it onto the body or frame of the RV or it could be an issue with the ground on your RV's electrical system. When you get to this point it is advisable to take your RV in and have a Certified RV Technician tackle the diagnosis and repair of this problem.

I hope this helped.

Do you have any suggestions or comments on this topic? You can add them to this page by clicking on the "Click Here To Post Comments" link located near the bottom of this page.

Happy RVing

RVing Al

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Comments for Getting Electric Shocks When Touching RV

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Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Hot skin problem
by: Hopper22

I moved my RV to a family members driveway for the hollidays . There isn't a 30 amp outlet available so I purchased a 50 amp to two 30 amp female y cord adapter. I then purchased 2 new 15 amp to 30 amp dogbone plug adaptersand pluged into 2 seperate 15 amp plug outlets in the garage with two short # 12 wire extension cords. So now I have a hot skin problem that I will trace to find the faulty ground . Or just disconnect the retarded setup idea . just saying.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		voltage present in frame
by: Kirk

I just bought a new 2016 Jayco Jay feather today. After getting it home, I plugged it in to a 15 amp outlet. During my inspection of all the systems, I went to check out the LP gas quick Connect port. When I touched the port, I felt voltage. It's not enough voltage to hurt, but voltage none the less. I then checked a few other parts of the frame and again feeling voltage, I proceeded to in plugging it. I then let the system run on the 24 volt system and checked the port and frame without feeling any voltage. I checked my extension chord and found it was missing the ground prong. After using a new extension chord, the problem has not been replicated. My question is, should voltage ever be present even if the extension chord has an issue with a missing ground. My understanding is that the ground USA safety if there is ever a short.

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