Forum Discussion

tragusa3's avatar
tragusa3
Explorer
Jun 16, 2015

Trailer shocked me...HARD!

Our trailer is new. We've camped in it about 10 nights so far. No issues, until yesterday.

It was raining very, very heavily. I stepped out to put things away. One hand on the support handle and barefoot into the running water under the trailer. I've been hit with 12v before, and this was much more powerful. It took my breath and had me shaking for a while after.

My power cord was on the ground and the water I stepped in was a running stream from under the trailer. I would say there was likely a direct path. I inspected the cord (it is new) and there were no nicks.

What happened? Should I have concerns for the wiring of my trailer? A ground? Or was it just the wrong circumstances? I didn't think power would flow through an insulated power cord.

32 Replies

  • Check pedastal for correct polarity. Likely wired incorrectly puting the hot side to your camper instead of the neutral. Could also be ground fault at the pedastal. I would suspect that first. Do you have a polarity checker with you? If not get one, and check every pedastal before plugging in. May be something else, but I would start there.
  • It didn't flow thru the insulation of the cord. Did you have the cord plugged into an extension cord? This would allow water to touch the prongs.
    However, it sounds like your trailer frame was "hot" for some reason. If the trailer were properly grounded it should have tripped the breaker but it didn't. I would make sure the ground connection in the pedestal, cord, and RV breaker box is secure. There should be a bare or green bond wire connected to the frame of the trailer.
    Also, make sure the polarity of the outlet you were plugged into is correct.

About Technical Issues

Having RV issues? Connect with others who have been in your shoes.24,288 PostsLatest Activity: Jan 09, 2022