Of all the life safety issues we consider in RVs, the Hot Skin Condition is one of the most feared. While it is a serious issue, it’s easy to identify and address.
A hot skin condition happens when there is “stray” voltage from the electrical system in the RV. This “stray” voltage can cause electrical shock to anyone who grounds the RV, such as holding the grab handle to walk up the entry steps or a dog with its front paws on the entry step and rear paws on the ground.
Hot Skin Conditions are caused by a number of electrical mishaps and mistakes like reversed polarity at your shore power plug or a pierced electrical line from adding an aftermarket product to the RV exterior.
A potential hot skin condition is also one of the top reasons we advise anyone buying or selling an RV to have it inspected by a professional RV inspector prior to occupation. An NRVIA Level 2 Inspector like our gal, Adrienne, has the education and experience to perform a hot skin test to determine if there is a life safety issue.