RV Voltage Electrical Testers Test RV Park Power Problems

Many RVers ask if using RV voltage and electrical testers are worth using to test RV park power. The answer is "yes" if you care about avoiding expensive bills to repair electronics and appliances in your RV. RVs today have many more electrical and electronic equipment in them today than ever before. RVers now have microwave ovens, electronic fridges, stereos, DVD players, surround sound systems, DSI / electric water heaters, multiple TVs, satellite dishes, satellite receivers, automatic satellite pointing systems, wireless routers, computers, etc. There is a lot of expensive electrical and electronic equipment in our RVs these days that is expensive to repair and replace in the event of a problem. It makes sense to prevent problems if possible by performing a few quick tests prior to plugging into unknown power outlets.

There are lots of  testers and monitors available to RVers in order to test RV park power before plugging in. I have not yet found the one unit that will suit all RVing situations. I carry 4 different testers, which may be overkill, but I find it gives me a lot of options and convenience while RVing full time in the US, Canada and Mexico.

I leave one digital voltage monitor plugged inside our RV all the time. This shows the voltage at all times with a back-light screen. It gives and audible alarm and warning for a variety of situations. It alarms for low and high voltage, open ground fault and  reversed polarity conditions. It also has a small surge suppressor capacity so it is always plugged into our computer and satellite electrical circuit to protect electronic equipment. Many people test the park power when they arrive once and assume all is OK. This provides us with ongoing monitoring inside our RV. We find this very useful in Mexico where low and high voltage situations are common. We have seen voltage as low as 70 volts and as high as 141 volts.

I also have a very simple Pen-Style Non-Contact Tester that simply tests for the presence of voltage. It tells me if a RV site has power to the parks electrical outlets or not. I can't tell you how many times we have parked on an RV pad only to

find the power does not work and then we have to move to a new site. This also proves handy when troubleshooting to see who has power at the sites around you if your power goes out. All you have to do is touch the tip of the tester onto an electrical outlet or power cable to see if it has power or not. If there is power present the tester emits a flashing orange light and a rapid beeping sound.

I also use this tester to perform a more thorough evaluation of the 30amp electrical outlet.This is a digital voltage meter that shows voltage, correct polarity, reversed polarity, open neutral and open ground. 

I have a 30-15amp electrical adapter on this one, to test the 30amp park outlet. Many people incorrectly test the 15amp outlet which is a waste of time as the 30amp is on a different circuit. You must test the 30amp if you plan on plugging into it.

The last tester in my bag of tricks, shows some conditions such as correct wiring, open ground, reversed polarity, open hot, open neutral, hot and ground wire reversed, hot wire on neutral. Most importantly for me is that it also has a button on it to create a short so that you can test that a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) circuit breaker is working in your RV. There is an RV GFCI outlet receptacle located on any circuits that have outlet/s that are near the kitchen or bathroom faucets in your RV. The GFCI senses when a short is happening and trips the circuit in as little as 1/30th of a second to prevent you from getting a serious shock. RV GFCI's should be tested once a month by all Rvers.

An RV voltage or electrical tester is a necessary tool to have along to test RV park power and keep your precious electronics safe and in good operating order.