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Badly grounded power pedestals

reed_cundiff
Explorer
Explorer
A lot of power pedestals on Mexican RV parks are badly grounded which can lead to nasty electric shocks if chassis is touched. We put a grounding cable into frame attached to grounding rod. Did notice a slight shock even so but dry sand is not a good conductor. Poured sea water (we are on beach in Yucatan) around the rod and it works perfectly.

The shock was so bad at Playa Azul that we never plugged in for the following three weeks up West coast of Mexico. Solar and LFP bank was sufficient for electrical requirements to include fridge on AC (2.5 kW PSWI) during day with propane at night.
22 REPLIES 22

Tequila
Explorer
Explorer
That is why everyone should use a power protector

moisheh
Explorer
Explorer
There are a few ways to limit power usage. One is to install meters at each site. Better yet is to have a small 20 amp type fused disconnect at each site with a 15 amp breaker. You can only get 15 amps!!
Moisheh

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Explorer
When owners of fully paid-for little shops decided to hike rents to their shop tenants from $200 month to $800 month (that's US Dollars) I bailed out on Quintana Roo entirely.

Increase my profits a thousand percent -- they will still come

The shop owners have little choice but to raise prices. When forty foot RV's pull in and start using five hundred dollars a month in power to save LPG, they are going to pay for the power in rent, and reduced park service maintenance.

This life-style is too rich for me.

If I ever opened another park down here, it would be an electrical boondocking park with a 350 watt solar panel at each site. And have Mexican prices.

reed_cundiff
Explorer
Explorer
Mexicowanderer - we are on beach at Xpu Ha Near Tulum. You hit limestone two feet down. It is a short walk to seashore to fill a bucket with seawater and the pour around stake.

No other US travelers at Xpu Ha. Currently Swiss (drove across Russia in 13 Days), Germans on way from Brazil, two couples from Quebec, one from BC, two Mexican RVers, two permanent Germans, in three weeks there have been: two French couples headed to SA, and a few more Canadians in Mexico for winter. We have seen no other Gringos since San Miguel Del allende

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Explorer
When Comision Federal de Electricidad applies themselves their work is on a level to match a typical US grid. The main problem down here is those centralized transformers feeding entire neighborhoods. That's why when looking at the powerlines in a city you see 4 wires stacked vertically. 254 volts phase to phase and 127 volts phase to neutral. A bunch of air conditioners (home or RV) starting and stopping affects the entire neighborhood's quality of power. North of the border, each service drop has it's own exclusive transformer. And it acts like a giant filter in reverse as well as forward.

USA parks on a single transformer face the same thing when heavily occupied and everyone's running A/C. Phase balancing is an art form with transient load duty and in Mexico I have seen some sections of some parks with high voltage while the more popular areas are having low voltage.

Years ago I remember the facility next to the gasolinera north of Zacatecas. It was a cold winter night. The only space available was cramped at the end of a service hookup island. I plugged in a 15 amp plug. It fell out. So I went inside and grabbed one of those 3 wire to 2 wire plastic block adapters.

The tangs had been pre-spread out. It slipped tightly into the receptacle. I started the catalytic heater and two small circulation fans and an electric blanket. Water was freezing up outside. Voltage was slightly under 100 even with my almost non existent load.

The next morning I couldn't help but overhear crabby comments by neighbors as they were winding up shore power cords. "Dammned heater quit in the middle of the night! Cold! Let's get moving!" I wasn't the only one with receptacle and low voltage problems.

Talleyho69
Moderator
Moderator
No doubt, it's the RV park and it's wiring.

We have worked with several, and seen as many of you have, a person barehanded pulling out a wire wrapped fuse, shaking their hand and head, and putting in another.

In the same respect, some are wired correctly.

Most? It's a **** shoot.

However, we have had very bad wiring and service in the US also.

navegator
Explorer
Explorer
Those jolts are as good as getting a cardio work out being zapped with a taser gun.

No need to go to the gim, hook the RV to the pedestal and get a good jolt, check before you plug!


navegator

qtla9111
Nomad
Nomad
Just to reiterate, it is not the power grid, it is the rv park being cheap with wiring and transformers. Fact.
2005 Dodge Durango Hemi
2008 Funfinder 230DS
Living and Boondocking Mexico Blog

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Explorer
A foot deep into the ground is hardly pounding. Aint the depth itยดs the conductivity.

Pour water all around the stake.

I proved a point to some friends last year.

You know those receptacle adapters...that allow a three prong plug appliance to plug into a 2 prong outlet.

I alligator clipped a 12 gauge wire to the little metal tab on the adapter.

The opposite end had an alligator clip too

Which I clamped a 5 peso coin to

Dangled it onto a TILE floor

Covered by a sopping wet wash cloth.

Then SHORTED line to ground

DIRECT

Nyaaat ZOOT

It tripped a 30 amp breaker again and again.

Yes this harebrained ground needs maintenance. Wetting the washcloth.

Infinitely preferable to stress testing my pacemaker.

reed_cundiff
Explorer
Explorer
Moisheh - we burned out a microwave in Baja and another in Yucatan due to crappy power. The voltage was going from 60 to 150 V. Son Cary and family were coming down (six years ago)and he brought battery chargers. He is a licensed master electrician and has been a licensed alternative energy contractor since 1991. We have only plugged in via battery chargers since then . The usable voltages are as discussed in one of the postings. Good chargers are expensive but well worth the
Expense.

wolfe10
Explorer
Explorer
Recall the old-style house type outlets in the U.S. Just two vertical prongs, no ground. That is what most of the older outlets in Mexico are wired with.

So, reverse polarity is really easy to get.

When we travel in Mexico, I have a 15 amp male to 30 amp female adapter with a cut off ground prong that I can turn over to get correct polarity. And, a 6' ground wire carefully wired to the ground lug of the adapter with last 9" bare copper. Wrap it around a metal pipe or attach to rod driven into ground.

Never a problem in 50,000 plus miles south of the border. Ya, still have to monitor voltage. Have seen both too high and too low-- sometimes in the same CG at different parts of the day.
Brett Wolfe
Ex: 2003 Alpine 38'FDDS
Ex: 1997 Safari 35'
Ex: 1993 Foretravel U240

Diesel RV Club:http://www.dieselrvclub.org/

time2roll
Explorer II
Explorer II
Why no polarity check? I would far prefer to do a hot swap vs pound a ground rod everywhere I go.

+1 to just plug in an independent battery charger if the situation cannot be corrected. Get a charger that accepts 90 to 250 volts 50/60 Hz 10 amps minimum.

daveB110
Explorer
Explorer
We got a free night in a park in Rincon de Guayabitos for shocking our rig. The problem was later discovered and reported to be the aftermaket electrode placed into our neighbour's hot water tank. I have no idea how that would work to create shocking.

moisheh
Explorer
Explorer
Often the problem is someone's RV is having electrical problems. John and Angela have the solution. Get yourself a good battery charger that can handle a wide range of voltages. DISCONNECT your RV from the pedestal'. Plug in your battery charger. Unless your RV is more than 30 years old there are lots of electronic devices: fridge has a computer board and needs 12 volts even when running on propane, units with multiple air conditioners have a stat that is electronic, slide outs may have an electronic controller. I would sooner run a genset for a few hours a day than burn out expensive and hard to replace electronics.

Moisheh