We'll be boondocking more to short-circuit electrical problems on the road.

[LegalEagle82]

followup to lens' suggestion. .. and the picture.

If you're not inclined to manufacture your own product, it can be bought.
Here is a quick link I ran across.

http://www.boatandrvaccessories.com/PWT-ADP50-15.htm

THIS HANDY ADAPTER ALLOWS THE "GOOD GOVERNOR" TO TEST LINE A (TOP 15A SOCKET) OR LINE B (BOTTOM 15A SOCKET) FOR PROPER VOLTAGE AND POLARITY BEFORE YOU PLUG YOUR RV INTO CAMPGROUND HOOKUP

Hope this helps.

For what is worth, I'm a newbie to the list and bus owner.
Just picked up a 82 Eagle already converted. Used to be an entertainer bus, and slightly reconfigured over the years to have a shower and full kitchen.

Living in Nashvegas, if anyone else is nearby, I'm looking to learn.

Evan

[Gary LaBombard]

LegalEagle82,
Welcome to our hobby, our club also and we gots lots of information for you to read and if it hasn't been asked yet just post on this board and these guys will get you all the information you can handle most of the time. 

This shore power connector for checking power connections before actually connecting our rigs up to shore power is the cats -uts, this is what Len was talking about, all ready done and at a reasonable cost and I am gonna get me one. You have already paid your dues to be a member, a very good suggestion here with this power connector to use, and is wired I am sure exactly as Len has suggested.   I get turned on easily by the way as you can see.  I wonder if they have one for just a 30 amp
connection or do we have to use an adapter which I am sure will work. 

Thanks again, and good luck with our conversion.
Gary

[Fred Mc]

I must be doing something wrong as I have NOT been able to see any of the diagrams that Len was positng. Am I missing something(other than the diagrams)?

Thanks

Fred Mc.

[DrivingMissLazy]

I must be doing something wrong as I have NOT been able to see any of the diagrams that Len was positng. Am I missing something(other than the diagrams)?

Thanks

Fred Mc.

Left click on the drqwing in len's post  to enlarge it so that it is legible.
Richard

[Gary LaBombard]

The power test cord make up that LegalEagle82 recommended should be here at my home in a couple of days, $41.89 total, I feel I have saved hundreds off the more expensive campground power connection devises on the market already.  Now all I have to do is find two little do-hickeys with the 3 yellow and one red led light to plug into each one of the recepticles of this valuable power testing inspecting devise and leave connected forever for power checks only on both legs of the shore power supply at the same time!!!!!!  The same place also has a plug in type of monitor left monitoring all the time for power drops and spikes suggested by Johnmc9.  Once we are satisfied the park power at the time of our bus connection is good we can still depend upon an audible alarm system to tell us everthing is stilll doing great after we start living in our cabins.  Visually seeing the meter is good also. 

I believe we have nipped this in the bud thanks to Phil for starting it and as a group we have come up with a great plan to protect our rigs against un-protected shore power connections. 

I want to also mention that the post by Jim-safetyman is similar to len silvas drawing and LegalEagle82's suggested power tester I ordered.  You guys are all on the same track for sure. 
Thanks again,
Gary

[John Z]

Fred - most of the time i want to chk on the board, i am signed in. It just leaves my name and password in there. But every once in a while it lets me "view" the posts, although i am not technically signed in,,, and when this happens you don't get to view the photos. Maybe this is all thats wrong,, be sure you are signed in. As a newbie, i was frustrated at not knowing why i could not see photos too.

[HighTechRedneck]

The power test cord make up that LegalEagle82 recommended should be here at my home in a couple of days, $41.89 total, I feel I have saved hundreds off the more expensive campground power connection devises on the market already.  Now all I have to do is find two little do-hickeys with the 3 yellow and one red led light to plug into each one of the recepticles of this valuable power testing inspecting devise and leave connected forever for power checks only on both legs of the shore power supply at the same time!!!!!!  The same place also has a plug in type of monitor left monitoring all the time for power drops and spikes suggested by Johnmc9.  Once we are satisfied the park power at the time of our bus connection is good we can still depend upon an audible alarm system to tell us everthing is stilll doing great after we start living in our cabins.  Visually seeing the meter is good also. 

That was a great link by LegalEagle82.  Gary, the meter you mentioned, is that the "Good Governor"?  It looks really handy since it reads not only the voltage and polarities but also the line frequency.  I am definitely putting that on my list.

I'm sure you also noticed the 30amp adapter for the meter. 

Now all we need is a magic wand to correct all polarity/voltage/frequency problems when found. 

[Gary LaBombard]

Hightechredneck,
The monitoring meter I mentioned was mentioned by Newbiemc9 and he posted this web site
http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus/index.cfm?skunum=24900&src=SRQB
The meter probably does exactly the same as the good govonor.  This is a matter of research between the two to determine what you really want.

Thanks for making me aware that in the web site for the test line adapter that there was a 30 amp adapter also located 1" from the test line adapter  on the web site that I ordered on line Dahhhhhhh!!!  I am going to camping world in a few minutes, for new toys for S&S right now and also to see if they have those little yellow do-hickeys with the two yellow led lights and one red one to put in each recepticle connection of the test adapterthe test line adapter and will see if their 30 amp adapter is any cheaper or nearly the same price as the one in the test line adapter website.   Thanks again, I did not really realize the 30 amp adapter in the web site was what I really wanted last night, got all excited seeing the made up part that len had recommended we make.  I couldn't make it up for the price they are selling it if you get all the parts and the time involved.
Gary

[Len Silva]

.......  I couldn't make it up for the price they are selling it if you get all the parts and the time involved.
Gary 

I agree, if you don't have most of that stuff in your junk box already, that's a good deal.  I have found the 4 wire 50 Amp range cords at garage sales and flea markets pretty cheap.

Len

[pete81eaglefanasty]

 I would NOT TRUST the Good Governor, I have two of them for a couple of years they do not read the correct voltage all the time. you readjust them and in a couple of days or in a few hours their off anywhere from 3 - to 10 volts all the time. you can readjust them all you want, they will not stay there. In my opinon they are not trustworthy. I've purchase others that are on target all the time. never had to readjust them at all. I also have that plug set up it works great using the polarites plug in . the one with the three lights.

           Pete & Jean
            Fantasy

[plyonsMC9]

I must be doing something wrong as I have NOT been able to see any of the diagrams that Len was positng. Am I missing something(other than the diagrams)?

Thanks

Fred Mc.

Hi Fred,

As John mentioned, without signing in, you can still read posts, but not see images.  This is one of the ways we try to bring some small measure of security  to the board.  Once signed in though, you should be able to see all images. 

Welcome to the board!   Please let us know if you are still having problems seeing the images.

Hope this helps, Phil

[Gary LaBombard]

Anyone else having trouble with this bb'd running so slooooooooooo?  Sometimes it does not want to go from one screen to another and it completely lost my last post so here I am again but will make it shorter this time incase of a repeat.

Purchased 3 power polarity indicators, they have 2 yellow lights and 1 red one as an indicator to use with my shore power inspection cord I ordered last night.  They cost $3.99 ea. at LOWES.  Get a spare just in case, you need two in order to keep connected up permanetly to check 50 amp connections all the time before plugging in your bus land line.  The spare can be used with the 30 amp adaptor I also got today at nearly a $2 savings from the www price lof ast night.  $2.49 at Camping World.

Well I feel I am in good shape now for campground connection protection before connecting up our S&S, hope you all consider this post infomation as a good precautionary measure that could save you much money or more in due time.

Thanks Pete81Eagle for the heads up on the Govonor power monitor failures, will look around for this next.  Anyone have one not costing more than they should be that we all can use, come on Len, lets not quite here, how about Jim-safetyman, or Melbo.  What are good experienced suggestions on this cabin plug in monitor that is not a ridiculously priced item that we can use for monitoring with some kind of indicator alarm that we can depend upon for spikes or brownouts etc.?
Gary

[rv_safetyman]

I would NOT TRUST the Good Governor, I have two of them for a couple of years they do not read the correct voltage all the time. you readjust them and in a couple of days or in a few hours their off anywhere from 3 - to 10 volts all the time. you can readjust them all you want, they will not stay there. In my opinon they are not trustworthy. I've purchase others that are on target all the time. never had to readjust them at all. I also have that plug set up it works great using the polarites plug in . the one with the three lights.

           Pete & Jean
            Fantasy

Pete, I have had my GG for many years and find that it is quite reliable.  On mine, there is no voltage adjustment.  I check mine againts the grid quite often (we are the connected to a huge transformer that is way over capacity)and with my digital voltmeter every once in a while.  When we were having problems in Charlotte at the FMCA rally, I did a lot of checking of my system and my neighbor's system and the GG was always spot on with my meter.

Evan, The link you provided is exactly what I described, and is a fair price.  I am in the process of ordering one now.

[pete81eaglefanasty]

Well Jim I guess you got a good one. I know a friend of mine his is just as bad as mine always adjusting  it. the adjustment  is in the inside.I was told by the man who invented them how to adjust them, I called them and he was the one who told me how to adjust them.
I check mine offen with other meters, like 3 others meters in the bus which all read the same, along with a fluke and a Simpsom.
I'm glad that yours is working good for you.

                Pete & Jean
                  Fantasy

[kyle4501]

Gary & others,
While checking the pole power with those fancy adapters & 'idiot' light testers, please understand they are only ONE indicator of the quality of power. You are checking it without a load on the circut. If it chacks 'bad', you KNOW to NOT plug in. If it checks OK, you still need to be cautious & monitor it under load to see if it changes.

Poor connections prior to the pole will pass voltage at very low current levels, but when the load is increased (higher current draw), the voltage drops. Low voltage will damage lots of things.

Having a volt meter in a prominent location is important too. Dad has one & you'd be surprised by how much the voltage varies in some campgrounds.