Shocking Experience

[Bill Garamella]

I think this situation was best explained by a fellow forum member who works in
the high voltage industry. Here is what he had to say

"Bill:

Certainly what this fellow was experiencing was not what many have talked about
on our forums. We talk about the dangers of wiring not done properly, and how
the neutral could pass to ground and energize the coach body.

What this fellow was experiencing is called "induced voltage". In the high
voltage industry we experience this all the time. When we work on a deenergized
line next to an energized line, the voltage can build up extremely high, and the
only thing which keeps it in check is the grounding of the worksite. In addition
to the grounding, we bond ourselves and anything we use to ground. Even then,
when working with wrenches, it is possible to pull arcs up to 4 inches, do that
with the tips of your fingers a number of times, and you will learn to touch
very quick, just to extinquish the arc.

Due to our coaches being all steel and standing 11 to 13 feet high, we should
pay particular attention as to where you park your vehicle. At the aluminum
smelter here, we are not allowed to park directly under the transmission lines,
and we have them everywhere.

At the generating station, we use insulated cables with a ground shield, very
typical of the coaxial cable, except capable of withstanding 300kv and 600 amps,
this ground cable if not grounded (bonded) would rise to a very high voltage,
and even though it is bonded to ground, the ground cable has a 500 amp
circulating current on it.

Yes, homes are built under the transmission lines, but they are built of a
wooden/concrete structure and all the water lines are bonded to ground.
Everything else metallic is usually bonded to the ground which is part of the
water line circuit.

Now back to this fellow, being under the power lines was one factor, being
around a wet situation, was another factor. If he was standing on dry ground
etc. he probably would not have received a shock.

How can we rectify this situation? Install a rectractable ground cable and
connect it first whenever we use the dump station or even fueling of the
vehicle. (and of course, ensure its integrity by doing proper maintenace)"

There are additional responses at

<
http://www.wanderlodgeownersgroup.com/fo...t=Sho\
cking >

Also, here is a link to the original thread at the BNO site.

http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/11/30...1248891763

NH BIll 1983 FC "Casa Billisa"

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "xz3kg7" wrote:
>
> I read your blog and I'm not sure exactly what happened. Are you saying that
there was an arc between the high tension wires and the bus when you grounded
the bus?
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Bill Garamella"
wrote:
> >
> > I just noticed this post at the BNO site and thought it worth passing on.
> >
> > "This morning I got a 400+ volt AC shock by touching my bus and a metal pipe
at a dump station at the same time. It woke me up enough to want to share it
with other large-metal-RV owners (such as bus nuts). The whole story is posted
over on my blog here:
> >
> > <
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2009/07/s...ation.html
>"