Important - check this every time you set up

Thanks... Please pass the video link onto everyone you know with an RV.

Mike Sokol
No~Shock~Zone

Would not have thought of that... Thank you!

What about grounding your generator? In the military all generators must be grounded by a 9' rod driven 8' into the ground. I've never seen anyone ground a generator at a campsite including me. 

Originally posted by techntrek Not necessary for smaller generators. Without an earth ground, a fault (like a frayed wire touching the cabinet in your microwave) isn't a danger to you since there isn't a way to complete the circuit from the cabinet, through you, back to the generator. This is especially true if the circuit has a GFCI outlet.

That's correct, ground rods are not required for portable generators powering RVs. What you're creating with a portable generator is an isolated localized ground-plane, where everything directly connected to the generator is at the same voltage potential. Just like a pigeon on a power line, an RV with a generator that's not directly connected to the earth is a completely isolated system. However, once you distribute AC power to multiple locations (your neighbor's RV, outlets on a campground, etc) then it's possible for a ground fault at one location to energize other appliances or even entire RV chassis. For instance, I install and run large concert sound systems for a living (really) and we have to ground our generators. That's because we don't want a short to earth ground at our mixing console 100 feet away from the stage to electrically energize the grounded chassis of equipment down on the stage which could be deadly for musicians.

I will note that you definitely DO NOT want to be pounding ground rod into the dirt without knowing what buried power lines and water pipes are in the way. There's been a few electrocutions (deaths) from contractors pounding in ground rods that nicked an underground power line. That energized the ground rod, killing the next guy who touched it. In most areas you're required to contact an agency such as "Miss Utility" to mark any underground cables in the area.

Originally posted by JohnBG Would an RV surge protector/power analyzer that shows an "open ground" condition suffice for this test? Link to the one I have: http://trci.net/products/surge-guard-rv/hardwires-portables/30a-portable-surge-protector

This will detect most dangerous power conditions including open grounds, but can't detect or disconnect you from something I call an RPBG (Reverse Polarity Bootleg Ground). See http://ecmweb.com/contractor/failures-outlet-testing-exposed for the article I wrote about it. I think that a NCVT (Non Contact Voltage Tester) is the best way to test for RV hot-skin conditions.

Mike Sokol