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07-26-2016, 08:25 PM
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#1
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1 Rivet Member
hillier
, Ontario
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 18
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Whats this thing and how important is it really?
Hi,
Super newb here. beginning a simple interior reno of an early 70's Sovereign airstream. first step clean-up & cut out things not important & ugly.
What is this little electrical dewhicky? Can i cut it out. Not sure if its live yet, i'll check but i can't see me needing it and its ugly and in the way. But lets hear from you folks first please...?
Regards,
Kitchy
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07-26-2016, 08:41 PM
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#2
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3 Rivet Member
1973 31' Excella 500
Vicksburg
, Mississippi
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 164
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Flux capacitor?
Where is it located?
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07-26-2016, 08:43 PM
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#3
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Rivet Master
1971 27' Overlander
2023 28' Flying Cloud
Monmouth
, Oregon
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 607
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I have that same light in my 71 Overlander trunk. I assume mine is a operation or fault light for the electrical mode of the water heater. I only use LP for my water heater though and haven't explored the electrical side. Where is your light located?
__________________
“Let’s be careful out there.”
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07-26-2016, 09:36 PM
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#4
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3 Rivet Member
1973 31' Excella 500
Vicksburg
, Mississippi
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 164
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thiss
I have that same light in my 71 Overlander trunk. I assume mine is a operation or fault light for the electrical mode of the water heater. I only use LP for my water heater though and haven't explored the electrical side. Where is your light located?
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It's probably a warning light to let you know if your shore power has polarity reversed.
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07-26-2016, 09:49 PM
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#5
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Rivet Master
1971 27' Overlander
2023 28' Flying Cloud
Monmouth
, Oregon
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 607
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Boondy
It's probably a warning light to let you know if your shore power has polarity reversed.
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That would be a handy light. I never even thought of that. Bad on me for assuming and thank you for letting me know!
So if the polarity is reversed, i.e. the power source is incorrectly wired, then you will get red light and need to find a new source or create a way to correct the polarity?
To the OP, then yeah it's needed
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07-26-2016, 10:01 PM
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#6
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3 Rivet Member
1973 31' Excella 500
Vicksburg
, Mississippi
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 164
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thiss
So if the polarity is reversed, i.e. the power source is incorrectly wired, then you will get red light and need to find a new source or create a way to correct the polarity?
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Correct. It's simply a light bulb connected across the neutral and ground wires. It lights up if shore power has the line and the neutral reversed.
Of course it's better to check polarity BEFORE you plug in and see the light on to avoid any possible damage to electronics, but is mainly there to prevent shock from an energized aluminum trailer.
It can be moved if you want or removed if you always check shore power polarity.
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07-26-2016, 10:45 PM
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#7
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Rivet Master
1971 27' Overlander
2023 28' Flying Cloud
Monmouth
, Oregon
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 607
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I never thought to "beware of the pole." My sheltered millennial self am just assumed everything is up to code, but obviously that is a poor assumption given how many"handy men" there are.
Using private RV parks is something o have yet to do. We boondock a lot and also use state parks. We do spend a weekend at a rural fairground once a year, and I should have know better to not test their work.
I am ordering a surge protector and circuit tester now
Thanks!
To the OP, happy restoring!
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07-27-2016, 10:50 AM
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#8
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Wise Elder
2010 30' Classic
Vintage Kin Owner
South of the river
, Minnesota
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 4,169
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New trailers don't have those. Campground wiring practices have improved since 1971.
The polarity light may cause a GFCI trip if you plug into a GFCI protected outlet (by using a 30a to 20a adapter), which is the main reason for removing it.
__________________
To learn to see below the surface, you must adjust your altitude
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07-27-2016, 11:01 AM
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#9
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begorragirl
2017 25' Flying Cloud
Denville
, New Jersey
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,029
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Thiss, I use fairgrounds a lot, not akways up to par, I akways use my surge protector, and in some cases choose to not have power. Someone along the way on this forum explained how expensive it would be to fix. I look at both situations as cheap insurance.
Good lck with redo OP, hope to see you down the road!
__________________
2006 Bambi CCD ("EireStream!!")
2010 Funfinder
2005 T@B
2001 Teardrop, Mountain Hardware Tent
For some perfection takes a little longer...
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07-27-2016, 11:17 AM
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#10
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Rivet Master
2006 23' Safari SE
Biloxi
, Mississippi
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 8,278
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Not good to guess on the electronic function of a fixture. Best to trace the wires and find where they lead. To me it does not look like a factory installed part. Sort of DIY jerry rigged looking.
__________________
MICHAEL
Do you know what a learning experience is? A learning experience is one of those things that says "You know that thing that you just did? Don't do that."
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07-27-2016, 11:23 AM
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#11
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Retired.
Currently Looking...
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, At Large
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 21,276
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New airstreams come with a plug-in polarity tester and gfci checker.
Ideally, you would plug it in to the exterior outlet and make sure it is correct before grabbing anything potentially dangerous, like the door handle.
__________________
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy, and taste good with ketchup.
Terry
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07-27-2016, 11:39 AM
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#12
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Rivet Master
1972 29' Ambassador
Boynton Beach
, Florida
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 568
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jammer
New trailers don't have those. Campground wiring practices have improved since 1971.
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Evidently you've never camped in Florida! Crappy power nearly melted down my main panel. I now have a surge/dip protector, and always test for polarity. An easy way to do this is to 15A female/30A male converter (a good thing to have regardless), and one of those household plug testers. They are available at any hardware store.
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07-27-2016, 01:33 PM
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#13
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Rivet Master
2014 25' FB Eddie Bauer
Vero Beach
, Florida
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 693
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For what it's worth, my surge protector identified a hot/neutral reversal (I assume that's what you mean when you say "polarity reversal" since AC doesn't have a plus and minus wire then polarity isn't a meaningful term) at a Louisiana State Park campsite recently. I checked adjacent campsites and they were fine. Someone misfired one pedestal.
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07-27-2016, 04:07 PM
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#14
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3 Rivet Member
1973 31' Excella 500
Vicksburg
, Mississippi
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 164
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Quote:
Originally Posted by overlander63
New airstreams come with a plug-in polarity tester and gfci checker.
Ideally, you would plug it in to the exterior outlet and make sure it is correct before grabbing anything potentially dangerous, like the door handle.
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You might get your answer while trying to plug in the tester to an energized trailer. Best to check before you plug in on an airstream because the entire skin can be potentially dangerous.
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07-27-2016, 04:08 PM
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#15
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3 Rivet Member
1973 31' Excella 500
Vicksburg
, Mississippi
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 164
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GammaDog
For what it's worth, my surge protector identified a hot/neutral reversal (I assume that's what you mean when you say "polarity reversal" since AC doesn't have a plus and minus wire then polarity isn't a meaningful term) at a Louisiana State Park campsite recently. I checked adjacent campsites and they were fine. Someone misfired one pedestal.
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Polarity is commonly used when discussing the phase of ac circuits and it's easy for people to understand as seen above. Hard to break a 40 year old habbit. Kinda like mass and weight now that I think about it.
Back to the subject of the thread, as jammer pointed out they can cause problems, the lamp acts as a bond between the neutral and gound even though it's a very small filiment.
I'd remove it.
Mine protrudes through the skin above the power cord reel and the PO liked the "power light" but didn't know why it only worked sometimes.
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