Tell me about the light

[RichardT]

Please tell me about the little light on the side breaker box on a 1963 model, Is it a polarity light? Please tell me what it does and how it works.

Thanks in advance
RichardT

Ps Mine is good but are these available should 1 be needed?

[Janet H]

Don't know... but we have a weird little light on the outside skin, near the fuse box, that is described in the manual as serving the same purpose.... it's about the size of a gum drop (on a hot day).

[john hd]

rich

it is just a 120 volt indicator lamp that is connected between neutral and ground.

it should only light if the polarity is reversed.

without a pic it would be hard to tell if has a replacable lamp. if it burns out (how would you ever know) you could use any pilot or indicator lamp from a well stocked hardware store to replace it.

john

[azflycaster]

I use these two devices to monitor the shore power. They plug into any outlet. The top one shows the voltage and the bottom one the polarity. They came with my trailer from the PO.

[Ken J]

I remember a post a long time ago - and John may be able to tell me if this is true - but that polarity lite can be a dangerous thing because it could make the skin hot if its on - is this correct or did I dream this?

Ken J.

[davidz71]

Originally Posted by azflycaster

I use these two devices to monitor the shore power. They plug into any outlet. The top one shows the voltage and the bottom one the polarity. They came with my trailer from the PO.

Funny, that's exactly how I set my indicators up on my '86.

[flyfshr]

Ken ~

You are correct. If the polarity light is on then the aluminum skin could give you a zap. This is before they made one of the plugs on an electrical outlet just a little bit taller than the other or, if early enough, only two prong plugs without a third one to act as the ground.

Brad
FF

[Ken J]

If I remember it was Bud Cooper (started the VAC) who gave this warning and strongly recommended that those lights be removed and replace with something similar to what azflycaster shows in his picture.

Ken J.

[RichardT]

Thank you for the answers. I have a 63 with a 2 prong plug, there are two ways to plug it in, the right way and the reversed polarity wrong way. Of course I plugged it in the wrong way and the light was ON, I unpluged it and plugged it in the other way and the light was OFF. It worked as it was intended and I am now safer.
When I had it plugged in incorrecly I could feel a tingle when I touched certain parts of the trailer!

RichardT

RichardT

[C Johnson]

it's about the size of a gum drop (on a hot day).

Janet, Aren't gumdrops the same size cold or hot ? You might have some fancy hybrid gum drops there.

PS - My polarity light works fine too. It is smaller than a regular gum drop hot or cold. I found out from a campsite that was wired backwards.

Chris

[Janet H]

Originally Posted by C Johnson

Janet, Aren't gumdrops the same size cold or hot ? You might have some fancy hybrid gum drops there. ....Chris

Um... OK a sightly used gumdrop - ya know - the kind you whip out of your mouth and stuff in your pocket, when the principal walks by....