HELP!!! Electrical shock intermittently

[Emotions54]

hello guys i have a
2000 Fleetwood
Bounder 39Z
84k miles
freedom 458 inverter/charger

this is a new to me coach i bought from the original owner we have driven it 300 miles and just road testing it now its time to go camping, while being plugged in at the house (15 amp receptacle ) to charge up the house batteries i have been shocked !!! this isn't something that happens all the time i have noticed it two times while working under the coach. my understanding is the freedom inverter /charger has a bounding neutral/ ground and when shore power is applied a relay separates them. could this be my issue ? when this has happened i have checked everything i can think of. if i unplug and plug back in the issue seems to go away. i have checked polarity going into coach and inside and all seems ok any help would be much appreciated thanks all !!!

[Sbrownstein]

I would look elsewhere. An RV does not have neutral bonded to chassis since the chassis floats and if the hot and neutral in the shore power feed were reversed it would make the skin "hot" and subject to shock hazards.

However, if the neutral is really neutral then there really should be almost nothing between the neutral and ground, since they are tied together inside your house. The reason that generators and inverters often bond is that bonding of the neutral and ground is the responsibility of the source. In the generator case it is the generator and in the inverter case it is the inverter.

Make sure that your neutral is really neutral (there should be 110 volts between the hot and ground and nothing between the neutral and ground in your outlet and power cord.)

[leesdx1]

Sorry can't help with your electrical issues, but seems you have RV hot skin affects which is very dangerous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8h64X33aKg

[Vicr]

It's hard for us electricians to give you any help when you don't tell us how you were shocked. What parts of you body were where??

[Sweetbriar]

First get one of these -



And start checking from the outlet at the house you are plugged into all the way out to the coach. Had the same problem which turned out to be an ungrounded 15 amp outlet at the house.

[Emotions54]

today i went out to check things out and grabbed the ladder and put my knee on the ground and i was shocked, it felt like a 120 shock as i have been shocked before, i unplugged and plugged back in and it was gone i am thinking it has something to do with the inverter, if it was a short wouldn't it be there all the time ? its not tripping any breakers thanks

[Peter M]

Originally Posted by Emotions54

today i went out to check things out and grabbed the ladder and put my knee on the ground and i was shocked, it felt like a 120 shock as i have been shocked before, i unplugged and plugged back in and it was gone i am thinking it has something to do with the inverter, if it was a short wouldn't it be there all the time ? its not tripping any breakers thanks

Sounds like a positive ground fault.
Take it back to the orig owner and let him figure it out.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by Peter M

Sounds like a positive ground fault.
Take it back to the orig owner and let him figure it out.

That would be OK IF there was a warranty but there usually isn't. Used MH's are usually sold "As is, Where is". If it breaks in half leaving the lot the new owner owns both halves.

[Mudfrog]

Originally Posted by Emotions54

today i went out to check things out and grabbed the ladder and put my knee on the ground and i was shocked, it felt like a 120 shock as i have been shocked before, i unplugged and plugged back in and it was gone i am thinking it has something to do with the inverter, if it was a short wouldn't it be there all the time ? its not tripping any breakers thanks

I'm no expert but if i thought the inverter might be the problem, i'd start by disconnecting it to see if the problem went away?

[JPeterson]

A few years ago, I was getting shocked sometimes when touching the rv. The electrical tester showed a fault (don't remember which one) on all my outlets. It turned out to be a wire was shorting to another wire in the plug of my electrical power cord.

[MotorPro]

I have found many houses wired wrong get the tester shown above and start there

[grumpytoo]

This is a long shot. Does the RV have a outdoor 120 outlet? I had an RV with an outdoor outlet only protected by a spring loaded flapper door. It had had water in it. It was rusty inside and one of the wires had come loose, it would sometimes cause a small shock. It never pooped the breaker. I replaced and resealed it, no more shocks.

[Old Crows]

Look Bud! You are about 1 millionth of a milisecond from becoming short circuit and DEAD. You are guessing the cause and could up DEAD WRONG. Or.... your wife, kid, grand kid, or pup! Quit guessing! Get professional help!!!

[Sbrownstein]

...agreed, but well, he has longer than that like maybe 50 milliseconds...