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Bodale · Nov 9, 2010, 01:28 PM

I have wired a travel trailer into my homes box, it has its own circuit breaker a dual 50 amp. Everything works fine. Yet when the direct TV guy went to install a new receiver the outlet shocked him, he tested it and said positive and negative were backwards, furthermore if you stand next to the trailer and touch it you get amild shock. Where did I screw up?

smoothy · Nov 9, 2010, 01:58 PM

Sounds exactly like he said... you have the hot and common reversed... common is not ground.

If you have a multimeter you can check which is hot...

If you are in the usa for example which is hot...

L l
0

The o is ground... which of the other is hot measured referencing ground... at the female outlets. The left or right if the ground is on the low side of the prongs... the outlet could be flipped from that with the groung on the high side.

ma0641 · Nov 9, 2010, 02:04 PM

How did you wire it from the house? A dual 50 AMP would lead one to expect 240V. There is no true positive and negative on AC, perhaps he meant the hot and neutral are reversed and on 240 there is no neutral. If you are getting shocked, you have a hot lead touching the ground, The trailer is probably on rubber tires and is insulated, you are providing the ground and get shocked by the electricity going to ground through you. Dangerous situation. Get an electrician to sort it out

stanfortyman · Nov 9, 2010, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by ma0641

A dual 50 AMP would lead one to expect 240V. There is no true positive and negative on AC, perhaps he meant the hot and neutral are reversed and on 240 there is no neutral.

With this circuit there IS a neutral.
A 50A travel trailer circuit is 120/240v 4-wire.

I HIGHLY suggest you get a qualified electrician to check this out. It could be so many things that only someone with troubleshooting experience should be working on this.

ma0641 · Nov 9, 2010, 04:49 PM

Not having seen the hookup I only went by the Double 50Amp.

stanfortyman · Nov 9, 2010, 06:30 PM

If it is feeding a travel trailer receptacle it would have to have a neutral, no?
There are quite a few loads and circuits in a TT that are 120v. Dare I say most.

For the record, the "I HIGHLY suggest..." part of my post was direct at the OP if it was not assumed.

smoothy · Nov 10, 2010, 06:39 AM

I'll back us stanfortyman, unless you have a good knowledge of electricity, electrical work or electronics... leave this to someone who does.

I'm a degreed Electronic Engineer, not an Electrician or Electrical Engineer... there are terminology differences between my discipline and the Electricians world. So I might get some terminology wrong in this discipline.

But understand the dangers of a an incorrectly wired circuit can extend far beyond a fire hazzard... to something life threatening. Like stepping out of the trailer barefoot on a damp morning and touching the trailer (as only one of several possibilities) and getting electrocuted. And no one is around to help before its too late.

tkrussell · Nov 10, 2010, 06:52 AM

What concerns me is the statement:

furthermore if you stand next to the trailer and touch it you get amild shock

This is the best reason to call in an electrician to troubleshoot this issue.

smoothy · Nov 10, 2010, 06:58 AM

Originally Posted by tkrussell

What concerns me is the statement:

furthermore if you stand next to the trailer and touch it you get amild shock

This is the best reason to call in an electrician to troubleshoot this issue.

Exactly... any SHOCK can result in an electrocution if conductivity is improved sufficiently, all dependent on the path the current takes between the point of contact and the point of exit.