Got shocked while washing trailer

[gat75]

My neighbor has a FR Heritage Glenn Lite bumper pull that is just past a year old; (no more warranty). He just told me that he was shocked while kneeling & hand-washing top of RV.

He was washing the alum trim pc that seals the front cap to main roof body.

He furthur stated that he did not get shocked when he had just washed the other roof areas where the other alum strips were located.

He unplugged shore power & finished the job with no more shocks.
Anybody have a clue on what might be causing the problem?

[BFL13]

Bobbo wrote:

BFL13 wrote:
One way to get a GFCI fault is to get the outside receptacle wet. He was washing his rig when this happened. So..... ?

The problem is not a GFCI fault, it is a hot skin. Someone threw in a comment about a GFCI fault just to muddy the water.

I don't know the electrical details so my terminology is not to be trusted.

ISTR past threads where they got a tingle from the trailer skin or frame while doing something and it turned out the problem was GFCI related.

Once they plugged the shore cord into a GFCI receptacle it popped, revealing the problem, and after fixing what was causing that, the tingle problem wet away too. Can't say which is chicken and which is egg for that.

Usually the shore power cord adapter being out in a puddle or some such reason to do with rain IIRC.

[CA_Traveler]

Bobbo wrote:

BFL13 wrote:
One way to get a GFCI fault is to get the outside receptacle wet. He was washing his rig when this happened. So..... ?

The problem is not a GFCI fault, it is a hot skin. Someone threw in a comment about a GFCI fault just to muddy the water.

I added testing for a ground fault but let me clarify.

The rig has an open ground that needs to be resolved and fixed. And something is causing the skin to be "hot" which is a ground fault or leak to the frame. The frame won't be hot after fixing the open ground but the current leak to ground or ground fault may still exist. After fixing the open ground plugging into a GFCI will trip if indeed the current leakage is 5ma or greater.

It other words the rig in question may have 2 problems that need to be fixed:
1. Open ground
2. Ground fault

It's a good idea to plug your RV into a GFCI plug periodically to make sure you don't have a ground fault. If OK turn on various appliances one at a time to test them.

If further testing using a GFCI plug muddies the water then so be it.

[Bobbo]

BFL13 wrote:
One way to get a GFCI fault is to get the outside receptacle wet. He was washing his rig when this happened. So..... ?

The problem is not a GFCI fault, it is a hot skin. Someone threw in a comment about a GFCI fault just to muddy the water.

[tenbear]

If he is using a 2 wire extension cord that will do it.

[Old-Biscuit]

Raften wrote:
Who the heck washes a trailer while plugged in?

Why not.........

They get rained on while plugged in.

[Raften]

Who the heck washes a trailer while plugged in?

[Gene_Ginny]

CA Traveler wrote:
He has an open ground that needs to be fixed. .....

That is ALWAYS the reason. Even it there are other problems the skin will NEVER be hot if the trailer is properly grounded.

[BFL13]

One way to get a GFCI fault is to get the outside receptacle wet. He was washing his rig when this happened. So..... ?

[gat75]

From OP,

Thanks everyone for your help/suggestions!
Will try to update everyone when problem is found.

[Rmcgrath53]

wE HAD THAT PROBLEM LAST YEAR WITH A CAMPER down the road. the issue was he had the hot water tank empty of water and electric (120) on and melted the heating rods and caused the frame to be hot

[Harvard]

As said above, missing RV chassis ground connection to Earth.

[RoyB]

ALL THREE CONDUCTORs from the SHORE POWER ADAPTER has to be used. Also the 120VAC RECEPTACLE in the garage may not have the GROUND wire being used...

The GREEN WIRE GROUND for the trailer comes from the pedestal connection so it can be a hazard to anyone touching FRAME GROUND on the trailer if it isn't being used.

This is really a dangerous thing to have...

The sad thing is it probably won't ever shock you enough to do harm but may hurt a small kid or one of the animals...

Needs to be tracked down and fixed...

You can use one of the CIRCUIT TESTERS plugged into the 120VAC receptacle to test to find out if the three conducters are properly wired...

Looks like this...


These are available from LOWES-WALMART-AMAZON and are inexpensive...

Roy Ken

[YC_1]

Search for Hot Skin on rv. Lots of reasons can contribute but using an extension cord is a sure fire way to get a hot skin if not done correctly.

[Old-Biscuit]

IS he using an adapter with extension cord?

Bad ground

Reverse polarity but that is unusual unless wiring has been messed with