Issue 17 • March 31, 2019

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Read back issues of this newsletter and many other articles by Mike on RVtravel.com. Warning: There is a lot to learn here.

Welcome …

By Mike Sokol

Hey Everyone,

A lot is happening this week. By the time you read this newsletter I will have completed my RV Electricity Seminar at the RVillage 2.0 rally in Florida and be in the process of making the 12-hour solo drive back to Maryland. I’ll post pictures of the rally next week, but I’m sure it will have a great turnout.

Also, I had a ton of response from the YouTube radio show I did with Alan Warren from the RV Show USA last week where I discussed Electric Shock Drowning (ESD). Watch my 10-minute segment. I updated the article I first wrote about ESD nearly 2 years ago and reposted it below. I would appreciate it if you would respond to a poll about how many of you RVers also take along a boat on your trips or swim around boat docks. That will be great information, so thanks in advance for taking the poll.

And my hot dog ketchup/mustard poll two weeks ago was a huge hit, with almost 2,700 of you answering the call. This has inspired my latest Road Signs piece which I’ve titled “You Are What You Eat.” Yes, Road Signs isn’t about actual Road Signs, as a savvy reader once pointed out to me. It’s just about things I’ve observed or think about while I’m driving solo across the the country, or perhaps mixing a concert. Yes, I do admit to getting a little bored at times so I often write entire essays in my head to keep my mind occupied and not fall asleep while working a show.

Speaking of not falling asleep, I challenge any of you to fall asleep in one of my RV Electricity seminars this summer and fall. There are a lot of things to cover in my 1-hour basic seminars and 3-hour advanced clinics. I guarantee you’ll get your brain packed full of important and useful electrical knowledge when you attend one.

With that in mind, HERE is a link to my seminar schedule for this summer and fall. Hope to see many of you at one, including my advanced 3-hour clinic on RV Electricity troubleshooting in my hometown of Funkstown, MD. (SEE DETAILS BELOW). Seriously, that’s where I live. And how cool is that? Cue Funkytown.

And since I can’t be everywhere at once, the plan is to webcast them as well so you’ll be able to watch me anytime, anywhere. Yes, even more of me. (Hah!)

So, strap in and let’s get started…

Let’s play safe out there… 

P.S. And just a quick note that this newsletter is made possible by the voluntary pledges of the readers of RVtravel.com. We could not bring this to you without their support. If you deem what we provide to you here and at RVtravel.com to be of special value and would like to be a part of our effort, please consider pledging a voluntary subscription. More information is here.

Technician Training (or lack thereof)?

Why we need more RV technician training…

By Mike Sokol

You all see the type of electrical knowledge I’m bringing to the consumer side of the RV industry. Over the last 10 years I’ve written a book on RV Electrical Safety, published hundreds of educational articles on electricity and answered a few thousand questions on dozens of forums.

I’ve also produced a score of videos detailing topics such as how to use a digital meter, using a Non-Contact Voltage Tester (NCVT) to check for hot-skin/contact-voltage, even how to bond the neutral bus on inverter generators so your Intelligent/EMS surge protectors will operate properly. And just last year I began presenting RV Electricity seminars at a number of large RV shows and rallies around the country.

But the 800-pound gorilla in the room is the lack of training for RV technicians working at dealerships. I’ve been going down that rabbit hole lately, and it’s quite disturbing to me.

Read more. (You honestly won’t believe this!)

RV Electricity Seminar Series kicking off June 8

Mike Sokol will kick off a national seminar series about RV electricity on June 8 just outside Hagerstown, Maryland, sponsored by RVtravel.com. He will teach two classes about RV electricity — a basic class in the morning followed by an advanced class in the afternoon. Read more about the seminars and let us know if you are interested in attending in person or via a live stream. RVtravel.com members receive a special discounted rate.

Industry Updates

Honda recalls 200,000 inverter generators for potential fire hazard!

Honda has recalled 200,000 inverter generators sold between February 2018 and February 2019 because they can leak gasoline from the fuel valve, posing a fire hazard. Honda has received 19 reports of gasoline leaking from the fuel valve, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission hasn’t received any reports of injuries associated with the generator.

Honda is asking owners of the recalled generators to stop using them and contact an authorized Honda power-equipment dealer to schedule a free repair, which involves replacing the fuel valve. “Due to the complicated nature of replacing the fuel valve, this is a repair that can only be accomplished by an authorized dealer,” says Davis Adams, communications manager for Honda’s power-equipment division.

Read the full Consumer Reports article HERE.

Survey Question

I’m doing a study to help determine the number of RVers who could be exposed to ESD (Electric Shock Drowning). How many of you take a boat along on your camping trips or swim around boat docks that have electrical power? For a little more information, HERE is what I wrote about ESD two years ago, and HERE is what the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association – writers of the National Electrical Code) say about it. More on that topic in my next RV Electricity issue, so stay tuned.

Camco Store at Amazon.com
There isn’t much you need for your RV that Camco doesn’t have. If you think we’re kidding, then click through to the Camco store on Amazon where you’ll find some of their best-selling products — all for your RV or for you to make your RVing better. Click here and you’ll feel like a kid in a candy store.

Last month’s survey results:

Do you have all of your updated medical information and directives in an easily accessible place in your RV?

Hmmm… Only 16% of those responding to last month’s survey have all their medical information up to date and easily available for emergency personnel to access. We all need to work on that and get better at it. Consider the fact that when you’re camping you’re much more on your own than when you’re in your sticks-and-bricks home. That means you can’t count on your neighbor of 20 years to tell the EMT about your heart condition, and you may even have difficulty telling the 911 operator your exact location in a park that’s way out in the woods.

I’m going to talk to a few of my EMT colleagues and see if they can recommend a series of articles we can publish on RV Travel that will make your RV traveling safer. I’m sure it’s going to include keeping your medical information up to date, as well as listing all your medications, doctors contact information, etc. Then we’ll circle back next year and try another survey to see if we’ve helped.

When I say “Let’s play safe out there,” I really mean it. —Mike

Tools and Other Devices

Tape it to the limit…

I recently rediscovered this self-fusing silicon tape after using it decades ago. Rather than an adhesive, this type of tape fuses to itself. It makes a totally waterproof seal that can be used to repair the insulation on electrical wiring in the field. It has all kinds of other emergency uses advertised such as a quick fix for a leaking radiator hose (but don’t quote me on it since I’ve never tried it in that application). I think it deserves a place in your RV toolbox since it’s a multi-tasking piece of equipment that could save your bacon. (See how I worked in even more food in this newsletter?)

Learn more or order at Amazon.

Last Month’s RVtravel.com Posts

• Why did my shore power plug neutral burn up?
• Does a construction generator provide clean AC power?
• What’s a modified/stepped inverter?
• Do I need a 30- or 50-amp surge protector?
• An easy way to measure 50-amp outlets.

Amazon Deals of the Day
Here are more than 1,000 special deals, just for today. And the items just keep on changing. If you can’t find a great deal here on something you want, then, well, you must not need anything. If nothing else, it sure is fun to poke around here to see the incredible array of cool stuff that’s available today at bargain prices! Click here for today’s deals!

Q&A’s from Forums

I spend a lot of time on dozens of other RV forums reading and answering questions about electricity. Here’s one just in time for the new RVing season:

From the Jayco Forum

A1: (from Grumpy)
We felt the same way until the introduction of all the new electronics in RVs. Because of that, along with the fact that many campgrounds are being overloaded with multiple a/c units and associated voltage drops, I bought my first one about 15 yrs ago. They have reacted based on low voltage numerous times.