By Mike Sokol
RVelectricity™ funding campaign off to a great start!
You really do “Like Mike“
A few months ago at the Enumclaw RV Expo, Chuck and I (and the rest of the RVtravel crew) had a very long meeting about various potential ways to fund my RVelectricity program. While I’ve been writing about electrical safety and troubleshooting for the last 10 years, I’ve only received partial funding for the last 3 years from Chuck and the RVtravel readers. And while that was a help, it didn’t come close to the costs I’ve incurred designing and testing RVelectricity demonstration gear, spending dozens of hours each week writing articles and answering questions, and presenting seminars all around the country. So we had reached a tipping point, a crossroads as it were.
I’ve been looking for any kind of monetary support from RV manufacturers since 2010 without any luck at all (yes, 2020 will be my 10th anniversary of writing for the RV industry). Several years ago in Louisville I was told by RV industry leaders that I wasn’t a friend to the RV industry since I was teaching you all about electrical safety, and making potential buyers too scared to purchase an RV. Seriously??? It was then that I knew I had to do this on my own.
However, without some sort of revenue stream from the industry there was no way I could afford to keep building RVelectricity demonstration gear to use at free seminars around the country, and was even finding it difficult to spend the hours needed to write important publications like this newsletter. I’ve been taking on other side-jobs during the day to pay bills, then staying up all night writing my articles for RV Travel as well as this newsletter, now in its 23rd monthly issue. Plus, I was beginning to present RVelectricity seminars around the country, most with zero monetary support from the RV trade shows and rallies who asked me to attend. Something had to give…
Chuck and I had been trying to find advertising support for my articles for the last five years, again with only limited success. Or we could create an entire paid website that would require a subscription to be able to access any of my No~Shock~Zone or RVelectricity articles, but I don’t like limiting access to only those who could pay for it since there are many RV owners struggling with their own finances. So we decided on a strictly voluntary donation campaign, and the I Like Mike campaign was born.
No, it isn’t going to make me rich, nor will it even pay the normal salary I could make as an engineer working in another industry. But if successful, it will help reduce the hours I have to spend scrambling to make a living at other day jobs, which will result in more time I can spend answering your questions about RV electricity, along with writing even more articles and presenting additional seminars around the country.
So will I Like Mike be successful enough to allow me to expand my efforts of teaching electricity to RV owners? The first month has been encouraging, and I hope it continues. There’s just so much to cover about RV electricity, and so many of you need my help. I’m going to keep access to my RVelectricity articles free for everyone. If you can help with any level of donation, you’re helping to fund this knowledge for everyone, including others who can’t afford a monetary contribution.
But even if you can’t afford to donate money, please send me a little emotional support in an email or comment. I really want to continue to expand RV electricity education since it saves both lives and repair time, and with your help I’ll be able to continue doing it for at least the next 10 years.
Thank you very much for your support. I truly appreciate it.
Email me at mike (at) noshockzone.org with your questions.
Let’s play safe out there….
Mike Sokol is an electrical and professional sound expert with 40+ years in the industry. His excellent book RV Electrical Safety is available at Amazon.com. For more info on Mike’s qualifications as an electrical expert, click here.
##RVe23
Hi Mike, I’ve purchased and read your book, great information. I do have a question regarding 30 & 50amp service. When only provided 30amp service how does the single leg of 30amps get into double legs of 50amps. Not sure if I have phrased the question correctly, While only using certain appliances at the same time all of them still work.
Got you covered. I’ve already written about it here: https://www.rvtravel.com/rv-electricity-just-ask-mike-30-amp-dogbone-50-amp-rv/
Got it, thank you.
When I went to my first RV rally I attended as many seminars as I could fit into my schedule. Each presenter had valuable knowledge to share, but at the end of their seminar they had something to sell. I can see why they would attend a rally and not charge a speaking fee. However, at your seminar, which was by far the most popular and most educational, there was nothing to buy. I know that you are already dragging all of your demonstration equipment with you, but maybe you could also carry some of your books to sell. I’m sure a volunteer would be glad to help you sell them. I have purchased lots of tools that you have recommended through the RVTravel Amazon link, but perhaps you could pass out a list of recommended products at your seminars with a request to use your own Amazon link. I joined the “I Like Mike” campaign because the information you provide has value and I would hate to see you stop doing what you do for the RV industry.
It’s hard to sell books at RV rallies. I took 40 of my books to the Enumclaw Expo two months ago, and I sold exactly one book there. But it cost me an extra luggage fee on the airplane, so I lost money on that one sale. I would have to sell a LOT of books at a show to pay for my airplane flight and hotel room.
Mike, have you approached any suppliers to sponsor you (like Mark Polk of RV Education 101 and KOA)?
Progressive Industries would seem to be the perfect fit for you and them. You both have credibility and compatible missions.
Yes, I have talked to KOA at length about the possibility of presenting my training sessions at their campgrounds, but without any traction. And Mark Polk is a great guy who knows what i’m doing, but I’ve not asked for funding. However, I’m sure he would support me with advertising space in his publications. I’ve asked Progressive Industries for support, but after they were sold I’m not getting any return calls. The only monetary support I’ve received so far from suppliers has been SurgeGuard and Smart Plug, but up to this point it has only been for seminars, and not for any of my weekly articles and newsletters. However, now that my RVelectricity programs are gaining a lot of visibility I’m hoping that someone like Camco, eTrailers, Honda or Dometic will step in to help. I’ve asked all of them them periodically for sponsorship, but without any commitments. But I’ll keep trying to find an underwriter for this program since it’s important to everyone who has an RV.