Section 8 - The Electrical Distribution System
Page 8-2
Foretravel Owners Manual
Rev. 06-02
The small 15 amp receptacles are not equipped to handle larger amperag-
es. If 15 amp receptacles are forced to handle these higher amperages, the con-
tacts will eventually burn out, along with the wire feeding it, if also rated at 15
amps.
Obviously this can cause quite an inconvenience, but aside from the ordi-
nary nuisances such as, tripping the park's 15 amp circuit breakers, or burning
out the receptacle's contacts, the real problem arises from "makeshift arrange-
ments" in order to connect the RV to the park receptacle. Such arrangements
can result in fatal shock.
The equipment ground pin is necessary for the connection of exposed
metal parts on an appliance or recreational vehicle to earth ground. This
insures that there can be no voltage difference between the two that would
result in shock.
The Standard for Recreational Vehicles, NFPA 501-C
, is very explicit in
its requirements to assure the connection of "all exposed non-current-carrying
metal parts" that may become "energized" to the grounding conductor which is
thence connected to the "equipment ground pin." The receptacle for the equip-
ment ground pin then must be connected to earth ground in accordance with
The
Standard for Recreational Vehicle Parks, NFPA 501-C.
According to these standards:
1. The metal skin (or trim) of an RV must be bonded to the metal frame.
2. The frame, water pipes, gas pipes, and all other exposed metal parts must
be connected to the grounding bus in the distribution panel.
3. The grounding bus is then connected through the green wire in the power
supply cord to the equipment pin.
4. The equipment ground pin in the park receptacle is then connected to earth
ground.
With everything connected properly in this grounding circuit, the vehicle
is shock safe. . . but it could become very unsafe if the continuity described
above is not maintained. Let us examine several possibilities. First of all, it
should be explained that there is a difference between "RV wiring" and "house
wiring" in that the "neutral" current carrying conductor in the house is ground-
ed at the distribution panel. But not so in the RV and there is good reason - and
that reason is the high probability that the RV will be plugged into a park re-
ceptacle backwards, reversing the polarity of the "hot" and "neutral" current
carrying conductors, thus making the RV skin (or trim and frame) hot and a real
shock hazard.
