Metal camper step shocked my dog!

[thomaskemper]

I realize that I have an electrical issue, as sometimes I get a little shock when I step into the cabin wearing no shoes. My dog got shocked on the wet step last night, and it really traumatized her.

I know electrical issues are a whole can-of-worms, but I wonder if anyone might have some tips and directions about me feeling my way through a repair. The last thing I want (of course) is my home burning down. If there is a short, how do I go about finding it?! I've had to dig into a wire harness before on my motorcycle, and so I know it's tough, but how are RVs wired?

I have a 1988 Toyota Dolphin. Two breakers that run 1) the AC, and 2) the outlets. I also have one solar-panel with four storage batteries that run the lights and water-pump.

So how would electricity be getting into the body of the truck? (For those of you who are concerned about my dog's well-being, know that I have installed a rubber mat on the step, so once I can get her over her PTSD and into the cabin through that door, she is not going to get shocked.)

I appreciate this forum and I hope that someone can help me solve this serious issue before I take off for a 2200 mile journey in three weeks (September 1st).

Thanks for any and all help.

~Thomas

[CA_Traveler]

I can see where the black ground wire goes to a screw with a square housing. It's connected well, as are all the other wires.

Those wires and fuses are part of the DC or battery electrical system and have nothing to do with the your AC shock. The AC portion is under the panel and there may be a junction box somewhere.

Now that you can post pictures which can help to understand what your saying I suggest you start from the beginning. AS SUGGESTED use the 3 light tester on the extension cord. If OK then use in on a rig plug with and without loads. What does it indicate?

We can go from there but need good input from you.

BTW Suggest you check the meter in the house with a good plug as it may be damaged when you used the wrong connections.

Also AC can be dangerous as your dog found out. You would be wise to get some help so that no one gets hurt.

[beemerphile1]

thomaskemper wrote:

I just noticed something: why is there a black wire going to the far left 15A fuse? Ground to hot? This isn't right, is it?

You do not have a ground wire going to a fuse. You are looking at the 12vdc system and every color is hot except for white which is ground.

On the 120vac system green or bare copper is ground, white is neutral (common) and every other color is hot.

Of course with a rig as old as yours anything is possible. lots of people have probably modified it over the years.

[westend]

Your black ground wire is the "hot" in a 120V schedule. That box it's connected to is probably a circuit breaker. The whites should all go to a common lug bar with many screws. Any green or bare wires should be joined on an insulated stud or in a wire nut and another connected wire should be the ground that leads to the frame.

Follow wnjj's advice about the meter connectivity. If you have been measuring with the leads plugged in as pictured, you are not reading accurate voltage.

[time2roll]

Walmart or any hardware store has the three light tester less than $10.
This is really the starting point.

I'm out.

[wnjj]

thomaskemper wrote:
Exactly. It's nonsensical to me, too. It was working fine the way I had it, and now that is not doing anything. 00.0. Did my leak heal itself? I'm letting it go. Things keep changing, not being consistent. It's late. I'm fried. Done. Have a good night. Thanks for your help.

What I meant by nonsensical is that the meter is not designed to measure anything with the leads in the top two holes. Make sure your meter still works by measuring the voltage in an outlet. You may have blown a fuse in it by using the 'amps' connection incorrectly.

[thomaskemper]

smkettner wrote:

thomaskemper wrote:

smkettner wrote:
Has the supply been checked with a tester yet?
Doubt there is anything miswired in the RV.

Are you talking about the extension cord from the house? I didn't use the tester, but I traded it out with my neighbor's extension, and got the same result. Is this what you mean by "supply"? If you mean the outlet in the house, I am using a strip in the house. I'll go switch it out and see if there is a difference...

What are you waiting for? The three light tester should go in the home outlet, each extension as connected, then in the RV.
Two minutes max to verify the three lights indicate all is correct at each point.

Ah, I see. Misunderstanding. I thought you meant the volt-meter, when you meant three-light. I don't have one. Good night.

[wnjj]

thomaskemper wrote:

I don't know if you've read the previous posts, but I have been working with people on this for two days. Here's what's up:

I am running shore-power to the cable that comes out of the side of the camper and runs straight into the breaker box. Inside the panel (which is original, and the wiring, although likely not original, may or may not be new), I can see where the black ground wire goes to a screw with a square housing. It's connected well, as are all the other wires. I will post a picture in a minute. Will take a few minutes to go through the process, of course. I have checked the ground wire under the truck. Two wires connected well to the frame. The breakers are a 15A service that runs all the outlets, and a 20A AC service.

I think it is significant, although nobody has answered this issue, that I get progressively more leakage as appliances are added, of course, when I am hooked to shore-power, but when I run the generator, as I add the appliances nothing changes. But it still leaking 20V consistently.

Photo file to come...

In 120V AC systems, black is usually, if not always, hot and not ground. White is neutral and ground is green or bare copper. You may want to be sure your main power cord is actually connected correctly and not reversed polarity. If you have to, take the silver replacement plug end apart to see which wire color goes to which pin. Then check where the RV end of the power cord wires are connected. The pins on a 120V plug are: small blade is hot, large blade is neutral, round pin is ground.

[thomaskemper]

wnjj wrote:

thomaskemper wrote:

thomaskemper wrote:

enblethen wrote:
Close up of breaker 15 amp is a little too close!
Have you located the GFCI receptacle? If you have disconnect the neutral and ground. Older units had an internal circuit.

OK, this is an older unit, and I have not seen a GFCI. I don't know where to look for an internal circuit. And I don't know what one looks like if I did look.

I'll post another picture of the panel. Try to get the wiring from the side...

It takes a while to get the picture, send it to my mailbox, download it, and upload to IMGUR. Be back in a bit. People who have been involved in this keep disappearing, so it's hard to keep continuity here. I keep expecting this to be a conversation with one or two people, but once I get rolling, someone goes away, and someone new takes over. It's frustrating.

So, here we have my meter. The first picture is the configuration I used all day, and which started out reading 00.0. Tonight, it is -00.0, and I get no reading when touching the truck with the meter grounded. I changed the plugs to the configuration in the second picture, and I get 2V, even with the amplifier on.

I'm cursed. There are demons in my truck. And in my meter. What the h*e*l*l.

Leave the black lead in the com (common) hole. Don't ever put it anywhere else. Leave the red one in the middle hole (like your first 'configuration') for all voltage measurements. Don't bother trying to use the top hole to measure current.

Your last 'configuration' is nonsensical.

Exactly. It's nonsensical to me, too. It was working fine the way I had it, and now that is not doing anything. 00.0. Did my leak heal itself? I'm letting it go. Things keep changing, not being consistent. It's late. I'm fried. Done. Have a good night. Thanks for your help.

[wnjj]

thomaskemper wrote:

thomaskemper wrote:

enblethen wrote:
Close up of breaker 15 amp is a little too close!
Have you located the GFCI receptacle? If you have disconnect the neutral and ground. Older units had an internal circuit.

OK, this is an older unit, and I have not seen a GFCI. I don't know where to look for an internal circuit. And I don't know what one looks like if I did look.

I'll post another picture of the panel. Try to get the wiring from the side...

It takes a while to get the picture, send it to my mailbox, download it, and upload to IMGUR. Be back in a bit. People who have been involved in this keep disappearing, so it's hard to keep continuity here. I keep expecting this to be a conversation with one or two people, but once I get rolling, someone goes away, and someone new takes over. It's frustrating.

So, here we have my meter. The first picture is the configuration I used all day, and which started out reading 00.0. Tonight, it is -00.0, and I get no reading when touching the truck with the meter grounded. I changed the plugs to the configuration in the second picture, and I get 2V, even with the amplifier on.

I'm cursed. There are demons in my truck. And in my meter. What the h*e*l*l.

Leave the black lead in the com (common) hole. Don't ever put it anywhere else. Leave the red one in the middle hole (like your first 'configuration') for all voltage measurements. Don't bother trying to use the top hole to measure current.

Your last 'configuration' is nonsensical.

[time2roll]

thomaskemper wrote:

smkettner wrote:
Has the supply been checked with a tester yet?
Doubt there is anything miswired in the RV.

Are you talking about the extension cord from the house? I didn't use the tester, but I traded it out with my neighbor's extension, and got the same result. Is this what you mean by "supply"? If you mean the outlet in the house, I am using a strip in the house. I'll go switch it out and see if there is a difference...

What are you waiting for? The three light tester should go in the home outlet, each extension as connected, then in the RV.
Two minutes max to verify the three lights indicate all is correct at each point.

[thomaskemper]

thomaskemper wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:

thomaskemper wrote:
People who have been involved in this keep disappearing, so it's hard to keep continuity here. I keep expecting this to be a conversation with one or two people, but once I get rolling, someone goes away, and someone new takes over. It's frustrating.

Seriously?! :h

This is a public forum most of us visit from time to time for entertainment, not a personal technical service that exists for the sole purpose of serving any one forum member. :S

Oh, o.k. My bad. I hope the entertainment is sufficient. :C

Seriously. I did not know this. I don't think, of course, that the sole purpose of this forum is to assist me, and I think that's unfair, but whatever. I'm glad to have your $.02. I'm getting to know lots of people here.

[thomaskemper]

SoundGuy wrote:

thomaskemper wrote:
People who have been involved in this keep disappearing, so it's hard to keep continuity here. I keep expecting this to be a conversation with one or two people, but once I get rolling, someone goes away, and someone new takes over. It's frustrating.

Seriously?! :h

This is a public forum most of us visit from time to time for entertainment, not a personal technical service that exists for the sole purpose of serving any one forum member. :S

Oh, o.k. My bad. I hope the entertainment is sufficient. :C

[thomaskemper]

enblethen wrote:
Remove the cover off the breakers side. Post photo on that side.
Some where near the shore cable entrance should be a junction box where the shore power cable splices to the rigs internal wiring. Check the connections there if you have not done it.

Just a few minutes. I'll do that.

[SoundGuy]

thomaskemper wrote:
People who have been involved in this keep disappearing, so it's hard to keep continuity here. I keep expecting this to be a conversation with one or two people, but once I get rolling, someone goes away, and someone new takes over. It's frustrating.

Seriously?! :h

This is a public forum most of us visit from time to time for entertainment, not a personal technical service that exists for the sole purpose of serving any one forum member. :S