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RV Electricity

Basic voltage measurements at a campground pedestal

Mike Sokol -
  I just had a phone call from a nervous camper that went something like this: Hey Mike, Guess I should have read your columns more...

Should you unplug your RV during a lightning storm?

RV Travel -
In this video, RVtravel.com editor Chuck Woodbury talks with RV electricity authority Mike Sokol about whether it's a good idea to unplug an RV...

Advantages of AGM batteries in motorhome

Mike Sokol -
  Dear Gary, I'm thinking my coach batteries may need replacing within the year. I asked my RV dealer whether AGM batteries are a good...

What’s a ground loop tester and do I need one?

Mike Sokol -
  Hey Mike, I’ve read in several of your posts on various sites that you recommend a Ground Impedance Tester as the “Gold Standard.” What...

Campground power pedestal testing, Part 2 (with Reader Poll)

Mike Sokol -
  This is the follow-up article to my column from two weeks ago when I asked how many of you had measured electrical problems for...

Follow-up on LED bulb replacement dangers

Mike Sokol -
  This week I’m going to circle back and continue the discussion about LED bulbs that were designed for CAN Bus use, and which overheat...

Campground power pedestal failures (Reader Poll included)

Mike Sokol -
  My column last week on open pedestal grounds (Campsite power pedestal safety: "open ground" danger) must have caused quite a stir with our readers...

Campsite power pedestal safety: “open ground” danger

Mike Sokol -
  I just received this email from one of my readers who happens to be a Progressive Industries Surge Protector owner. I’ll explain why this...

Protect your RV’s electrical system

Russ and Tiña De Maris -
By Chris Dougherty Chris Dougherty is a certified RV technician. Here is an article he prepared while he was serving as RVtravel.com's technical editor. A...

LED bulb replacement dangers

Mike Sokol -
  Replacing tungsten and halogen bulbs with modern LED bulbs is becoming popular with many RV owners since it reduces the power load. However, you...

Electrical safety near water inside home or RV — Important!

Mike Sokol -
  Texas teen electrocuted after cell phone accidentally falls in bathtub  I just saw this on one of my forums about electrical safety around water and...

Using a generator to power a trailer with GFCI outlets

Mike Sokol -
  Hello Mike, I have a new mobile food trailer with GFCI outlets that is powered by a new Honda EU7000is generator. The last part of...

All about non-contact voltage testers

Mike Sokol -
  From my friends at the R-Pod Owners Forum: Mike, My 2015 R-Pod 178 tests hot with a Fluke Meter when plugged into my 110 house...

What is polarity?

Mike Sokol -
  Mike, I hear the word “polarity” a lot, but what exactly is it? Doesn’t the AC power line reverse its own polarity 60 times...

Beware of Electric Shock Drowning – Critical information!

Mike Sokol -
By Mike Sokol (Originally published June 20, 2017) You’ve most likely read my articles and watched my videos about RV hot-skin conditions. But for those of...

RVer wonders if shock from RV is due to reversed polarity

Mike Sokol -
  Hey Mike, I replaced the valve on my black water flush-out system today and noticed that when I touched any metal part of the...

240-volt generator RV hookup

Mike Sokol -
  Hi Mike, I have a 50-amp shore power plug on my fifth wheel camper and was told by the camping store that I needed...

Choosing the right extension cord for RV’s shore power cord

Mike Sokol -
  Hi Mike, I need to add a 25-foot extension cord to my shore power cord to reach the outlet in my garage while my...

DIY: Safe way to test the ground wire “bond” to the RV frame

Mike Sokol -
Dear Mike, You talk a lot about RV grounding and bonding, and I understand that the frame of the RV is supposed to be connected...

Can RV parking under power lines cause a dangerous ‘hot skin’ condition?

Mike Sokol -
Dear Mike, I’ve been reading about hot-skin voltages on your No-Shock-Zone site for a while and have come up with a really strange one. We...

Hooking up 50-amp trailer to 30-amp service at campground

Mike Sokol -
Hello Mike, If you have a 50-amp trailer and 30-amp service is the only service available at the campground post, can you show me a...

How generator neutral-ground bonding for an RV works

Mike Sokol -
  Hi Mike, First off, let me thank you for all the hard work you’ve put into No~Shock~Zone. It has been so educational as a...

Online resource explains motorhome electrical systems

Chuck Woodbury -
  A new e-learning video is now available from Progressive Dynamics, Inc. as part of its Online Learning Center. Available on the company’s website,...

Proper RV chassis grounding to prevent “hot skin” condition

Mike Sokol -
  Dear Mike, I stumbled on noshockzone.org and it has been very informative. Thanks for the time you have put into it. I am in...

Beware of dangerous “Reflected Hot-Skin Condition”!

Mike Sokol -
  Hello, Mike, I just happened across your YouTube video on camper hot-skin conditions and I had to relate my first experience with it. We...

How often does RV hot-skin wiring occur?

Mike Sokol -
  Dear Mike, Regarding the three essential testers (Digital Multi-Meter, Non-Contact Voltage Tester, and Circuit Analyzer) mentioned in the video from Gary Bunzer in...

RVer put dimmer switch in bathroom — Why didn’t it work?

Mike Sokol -
  Hey Mike, I tried to change out the On-Off wall switch in my camper bathroom to a dimmer switch and it didn’t work. Now...

Non-contact voltage tester and false positive results

Mike Sokol -
  Hey Mike, I'm hoping you can answer a question I have. I've tried the Internet, but I think you may be the only person...

Prevent theft with heavy-duty battery lock

Bob Difley -
  By Bob Difley Prevent theft with a heavy-duty dual-or single-battery lock from Battery Shackle of Redding, CA. Perfect for anyone out hunting, camping, or fishing...

Question about installing 50-amp RV outlet at home

Chuck Woodbury -
  Hi Mike, I’m about to have a 50-amp RV outlet installed at my home. I’ll have the 50 amp installed or purchase a 50...

Intellitec Battery Disconnect Relay prevents dead batteries

Bob Difley -
  By Bob Difley It is not a pleasant surprise to find dead batteries in your RV after storing it for a few weeks. The phantom...

Charging chassis battery through a lighter socket?

RV Staff -
By Chris DoughertyChris Dougherty is a certified RV technician. Here is a letter he received from a reader while he was serving as RVtravel.com's...

Cold weather RV battery tips

RV Staff -
  By Russ and Tiña De Maris You know it's cold out when, as my father-in-law suggested, "It's colder than a mother-in-law's kiss." Yeah, that can...

Unexpected cause of Dometic fridge fire discovered

Chuck Woodbury -
NOTE: Electrical expert Mike Sokol reports that this news story has inaccuracies, so please keep that in mind when reading it. By Greg Gerber RV...

Boiling RV batteries

RV Staff -
By Chris DoughertyChris Dougherty is a certified RV technician. Here is a letter he received from a reader while he was serving as RVtravel.com's...

Beware of battery-draining phantom loads

Chuck Woodbury -
By Russ and Tiña De MarisPhantom loads are electrical connections to your batteries that continually draw power, however small.Loads that are run off the...

RVer asks about plugging 30 amp RV into 50 amp service

Chuck Woodbury -
A question from an RVtravel.com reader to Gary Bunzer, the RV Doctor.Dear Gary,Our motorhome has 30 amp service. We’ll be camping in the near...

Can you plug a friend’s RV into yours to charge his batteries?

RV Staff -
By Chris Dougherty Certified RV technician Dear Chris, I am a new RVer and have a new Class C motorhome which we purchased this spring. I have...

Do-it-yourself generator maintenance saves money, frustration

RV Staff -
By Jim Twamley RV generators are great because they allow you to run all your electrical stuff without being hooked up to shore power. It's...

Beware of RV gas pains!

RV Staff -
By Russ and Tiña De Maris When RVers think of gas pains, they may think about the price they have to pay for a fill-up...

How to protect your RV’s electrical system

RV Staff -
By Chris Dougherty Certified RV technician A reader wrote in recently who had heard about RVs getting fried by bad wiring in campgrounds, and asked if...

Protect, charge RV batteries with new solar battery box

Chuck Woodbury -
By Bob Difley The PowerArmor is a high quality locking aluminum battery box. Developed specifically to prevent increasingly common and expensive battery theft and related...

No Shock Zone: Part 1: Introduction

Mike Sokol -
 By Mike SokolWhat follows is the first in a 12-part series about basic electricity for RV users and how to protect yourself and your...

No Shock Zone: Part Two: Multimeters

Mike Sokol -
 By Mike SokolIf you recall the survey we did July, 2010, in RVtravel.com, you know that 21 percent of the RVers who responded had...

No Shock Zone: Part Three: Testing campground outlets

Mike Sokol -
 By Mike SokolA July, 2010 survey in RVtravel.com revealed that 21 percent of RVers who responded had been shocked by their RV. Review the...

No Shock Zone: Part Four: Preventing hot skin condition

Mike Sokol -
By Mike Sokol If you recall the survey we did July, 2010 in RVtravel.com you know that 21 percent of RVers who responded had been...

RV Shock Zone. Part Five. Exactly what are amps?

Mike Sokol -
By Mike Sokol If you recall the survey we did July, 2010 in RVtravel.com, you know that 21 percent of RVers who responded had been...

No Shock Zone: Part VI: Voltage Drop

Mike Sokol -
 By Mike SokolIf you recall the survey we did July, 2010 in RVtravel.com, you know that 21 percent of RVers who responsed have been...

No Shock Zone: Part VII: Wattage

Mike Sokol -
 By Mike SokolIf you recall the survey we did July, 2010 in RVtravel.com, you know that 21 percent of RVers who answered the survey...

No Shock Zone: Part VIII: GFCI

Mike Sokol -
 By Mike SokolIf you recall the survey we did July, 2010 in RVtravel.com, you know that 21 percent of those who reported had been...
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