RVer Lights Himself Up, Read the Shocking Details
The other day I was wiring in a new 110 power outlet in my RV. You're not supposed to work on wiring or electric fixtures while the electricity is on. You're supposed to turn off the breaker to the fixture so you won’t get shocked.
Well, I thought I was good enough to bypass that step, after all I’ve wired hot connections many times before. The work was progressing well until I inadvertently allowed my body to complete the circuit at which time, in cartoon fashion, my body went stiff while my hair stood on end making punk rocker’s jealous. A warm sensation beginning at my fingers (which were attached to the two opposing wires) traveled up my arms giving me that special warm tingly feeling that only live electricity can provide. Following this instant reminder of the power of nature the electric shock ceased and smoke began wafting out of my ears. I smoothed my hair back and finished wiring the receptacle knowing it couldn’t shock me again. Satisfied everything was properly connected I marched outside to my electric bay to reset the breaker. Problem was none of the breakers tripped during my human multi-meter act. For the next twenty minutes I wondered around looking for the answer but couldn’t figure it out. I busted out the RV manual and began looking at the electrical section and there it was something quite simple. I slapped myself on the forehead as I gazed at a picture of the Ground Fault Interrupt (GFI) receptacle. 
Yes, all I had to do was push that little red button back in and problem solved. This little guy monitors the current leaving and compares it to the current returning and if there is a variance it trips off. So, when your connected to shore power or your generator and the RV receptacles go dark, check that little red button on your GFI receptacle first. 
Keeping you plugged in and powered up - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing
Well, I thought I was good enough to bypass that step, after all I’ve wired hot connections many times before. The work was progressing well until I inadvertently allowed my body to complete the circuit at which time, in cartoon fashion, my body went stiff while my hair stood on end making punk rocker’s jealous. A warm sensation beginning at my fingers (which were attached to the two opposing wires) traveled up my arms giving me that special warm tingly feeling that only live electricity can provide. Following this instant reminder of the power of nature the electric shock ceased and smoke began wafting out of my ears. I smoothed my hair back and finished wiring the receptacle knowing it couldn’t shock me again. Satisfied everything was properly connected I marched outside to my electric bay to reset the breaker. Problem was none of the breakers tripped during my human multi-meter act. For the next twenty minutes I wondered around looking for the answer but couldn’t figure it out. I busted out the RV manual and began looking at the electrical section and there it was something quite simple. I slapped myself on the forehead as I gazed at a picture of the Ground Fault Interrupt (GFI) receptacle. 
Yes, all I had to do was push that little red button back in and problem solved. This little guy monitors the current leaving and compares it to the current returning and if there is a variance it trips off. So, when your connected to shore power or your generator and the RV receptacles go dark, check that little red button on your GFI receptacle first. 
Keeping you plugged in and powered up - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVingLabels: Electrical
posted by Jim Twamley at
11/14/2007 11:00:00 AM
2 Comments:
ouch
By
Eustace Bright, at November 14, 2007 7:24:00 AM PST
The dead receptacle may not be a GFI receptacle but may be connected to a GFI in a remote location. This happened to me recently. It took several days before I found the problem when my bedroom receptacles went dead in the MH. I found it accidentally when checking the diesel engine oil. There was a GFI receptacle just inside the rear compartment door and it was tripped. So I reset it and went on with my maintenance chores not thinking any more about it and certainly not connecting it to the bedroom problem. Then my wife called out asking what I did to turn on the bedroom receptacles. That set me back for a minute not realizing it was this receptacle that controlled the bedroom also.
By
Ran, at December 5, 2007 9:29:00 AM PST
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