Strange "Hot Skin" Electrical Issue - Getting minor Shocks

To feel a shock from the electrical service, you have to touch two points with different voltages. Could be damp earth or other metal parts of the RV. What other conductor are you touching when the frame shocks you?

Just tossing this in, thinking why only there and nothing on the meter. Could it be static you feel? Rubbing on upholstery or carpet by that seat?

Remove the solar from the equation. Turn off the inverter. Begin at the shore power. Using a volt meter measure all contacts. I'm gonna assume you have 30 amp serves. Hot to neutral = 120 volts. Hot to ground = 120 volts. Neutral to ground = 0 volts. Now plug in and go do the same test on the female end of your shore power cord. Plug that in and go remove the cover from your main panel box. Turn off all the breakers. Do the same test again on the wire coming in from the shore power cord. Turn on the main breaker. Do the test again on the buss bar and ground and neutral bars.

If you haven't found it by know you need to turn on the breakers one at a time while you test the buss bar and the ground and neutral bars. Remember Neutral to ground should always 0 volts.

You must start at a Good shore power and work your way back. If you don't you make yourself crazy. Do not jump around out of order.

All -

Thanks for the responses. I am chasing this down, as for a qualified electrician, I put my self through college as one so I am solid there.

@ sidecarflip - Thank you, yes this is a ground issue but why its strange is I can only replicate it at this one point in the trailer.

@mexicowanderer - I have tried other parts of the trailer with no luck, that is why it is so strange, even @ super low voltage. I do 120 can hurt you, I have grabbed enough of it in my day, want some real fun grab some 240 :)

@wa8yxm I have gone through with my plug tester and I am getting no open grounds at any AC outlet, that is the weird one.

@I get the shock regardless of where we are, or what type of power we are attached to. We have 30A service, happens adaptor or not, different plugs or totally on inverted power.

I'll keep digging, I am really feeling like the builder of the trailer caught an AC wire jacket with the fasteners used to mount this seat.

I'll dig and report back.

Thanks All

TrOy,

What you are experiencing is not normal, it sometimes called "hot skin", it is a symptom of not having a good ground of your shore power.

This often can be traced to bad extension cords (bad/no ground), bad adapters (15A/20A to trailer 30A or 50A/30A adapters) and sometimes internally in your RV (breaker panel, RV fridge heater leakage to ground, ect).

So, you need to give some additional info..

Is this happening only at home or at campsite or both?

What kind of plug do you have (30A 120V, 50A 120/240V)

Are you using any adapters?

Extension cords?

This does need fixed.

There are a few "Suspects"
Step one is obtain a 3LT (3 Light outlet Tester) Plug it in to a non-inverter outlet anywhere in/on the RV.. NOTE non GFCI is also good but may not matter.

You shoudl see two GREEN lights on most I'm guessing you will see ONE. (Showing open ground) (Note not all use green lights).

And if your unit has ONE red light it should be dark But that's suspect 2

Once you have the results we can assist you.. You can also do these tests with a multi-meter but for 10 bucks. a 3LT is nice and very very fast.

Get a 15-30 "Puck" type adapter (not a dog bone) and when you pull into a 30 amp site plug the 3LT in via the PUCK. in fact leave it plugged into the puck for storage.. Quick check of park

Flute Man wrote:
Suggest you find a skilled electrical person to help you find the cause.

Jerry Parr
xxx-xxx-xxxx

Jerry,

I HIGHLY recommend your remove your phone number from your posts, even if is "published". Makes it much easier for scammers/spammers to call you..

Too much unneeded "information", not a smart thing to do out on the wobbly web.

If you want a forum member to have your number or to contact you, it is much better to use the forum Private Messaging (PM) system.

IMHO even though it's tiny now skin-shocks can go critical fast.

Multi-meter / AC amps 10 amp setting while measuring the following outside the rig.

WEAR A PAIR OF DRY KITCHEN SCRUB GLOVES !

Stick one probe into wet earth then scratch the other probe into bright aluminum somewhere on the skin.

Look at the meter reading as you scratch the 2nd probe to the skin because now you are making a better contact between line to ground. If you get an amperage value note it then disconnect shore power. One amp of 120 vac can kill you in one second.

Suggest you find a skilled electrical person to help you find the cause.

Jerry Parr
602-321-8141

You have a ground issue somewhere.