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Background

The National Electrical Code (NEC) governs electrical installations in the United States and is updated and published by the National Fire Protection Association every three years. Article 551 of the NEC contains electrical requirements that provide safety for RV owners, campground operators, and guests.

Over the past six years, the NEC has received several public inputs to Article 551 addressing “hot skin” conditions. The 2023 edition of the National Electrical Code, updated language replacing “reverse polarity devices” to “loss-of-ground device.” However, because no loss-of-ground device was commercially available at that time, enforcement of this requirement was delayed.

Loss-of-ground devices were further defined as Grounding Monitor Interrupters, or GMI, per the 2026 edition of the National Electrical Code.

All RVs with 30-amp or 50-amp electrical services, beginning with model year 2028 will be required to install a GMI. Before electrical current can pass into the RV, the GMI checks the receptacle/electrical pedestal for a proper ground connection. A GMI also monitors the ground connection to the RV and, if that connection is lost, disconnects power to the RV. It is essential that RV parks and campgrounds do their part to help provide for the safety of park and campground users and ensure that electrical service to guests is not interrupted.

What is a “Hot Skin” Condition?

"Hot skin" is a term used to describe when an RV’s metal exterior, metal frame, or other metal items become electrified, which is a serious electrical safety hazard caused by improper grounding or electrical faults. The National Electrical Code and the RV industry continue to improve the electrical safety of RVs for consumers through new requirements like the GMI.

What is a Grounding Monitor Interrupter?

A GMI tests the receptacle it is plugged into to ensure it is wired correctly and has a proper ground connection. If incorrect wiring or a loss of ground connection is detected, the GMI will not allow electricity to pass through or will disconnect power if the loss of ground occurs during operation. 

What Issues Will a GMI Address?

For RVs, the GMI will address damage to a power cord, which the National Electrical Code refers to as a “feeder assembly.” Damage to a power cord and the use of dog-bone adapters (common terminology for a type of power cable cord adapter) causing a compromised electrical supply, were the most common reasons for including this update in the National Electrical Code.

For Campgrounds and RV Parks, the GMI will address a loss of ground at the RV pedestal or the presence of electrical current on the grounding conductor (wire). Under certain conditions, either of these two items can result in “hot skin.” 

When Will this New Requirement Take Effect?

The RV Industry Association adopted the 2026 Edition of the NEC, published in late September 2025, with an effective date for the GMI requirement of January 1, 2027, and mandatory enforcement at the start of each manufacturer’s respective model year 2028 production. At that point, all new RVs must have a grounding monitor interrupter installed. 

How Can Campgrounds and RV Parks Prepare for this New Requirement?

GMIs will be required on new 30-amp and 50-amp RV electrical systems under NEC Article 551, beginning with Model Year 2028 which will be available in mid-2027. GMIs will make reliable campground grounding more critical because they check the pedestal ground before allowing power to the RV and can interrupt power if the ground is compromised, high-resistance, or incorrectly wired.

As previously mentioned, this protects RV owners from “hot skin” conditions, where the RV frame or exterior becomes energized due to grounding or wiring faults. A pedestal that appears to work today may prevent a GMI-equipped RV from connecting tomorrow.

NEC Article 250, Grounding and Bonding, applies to campground grounding systems through NEC Article 551.76 and provides the safety rules needed to clear faults quickly instead of energizing metal equipment.

The first step you can take is to have a licensed electrician evaluate your entire electrical system, from the main service through the distribution equipment to every pedestal, rather than addressing sites one at a time. Grounding problems are usually systemic, and a property-wide evaluation tells you where you stand before GMI-equipped RVs begin arriving.

Considerations and Actions for Campgrounds and RV Parks to Discuss with a Licensed Electrician

Campground and RV Park owners and operators should ensure that each pedestal has a sound grounding path back to the main system, without opening the enclosure. This includes both the initial verification as well as ongoing maintenance. Campground and RV Park owners and operators should ensure that persons performing work on their systems (inspections, testing, troubleshooting, maintenance, and repairs) are properly trained, qualified, equipped, and otherwise in compliance with applicable laws, standards, and regulations such as state/local licensing requirements and OSHA electrical safety requirements.

Depending on the qualifications of a campground’s or RV park’s maintenance staff, they may be able to routinely perform the following checks at each pedestal without opening the enclosure. Anything beyond these checks should be referred to a licensed electrician.

Inspections and Tests to Consider

For Campground Owners

Best practice is to have a licensed and insured electrician perform a complete inspection and routine maintenance on all pedestals at least annually to prevent "hot skin" hazards and costly system failures

GMIs are complex and can search for and detect several different conditions beyond just testing for grounding. Although there are 30-amp and 50-amp circuit testers (also called “plug-in testers”) that you can use as referenced in the table above, they will not test for every potential condition that a GMI device will detect. Therefore, it is recommended that official UL-listed testing equipment specific to GMI devices be used once available. Remember, solely relying on a plug-in tester will only give you a partial answer as to the electrical system. A licensed electrician should be able to make reasonable assumptions about your susceptibility based on reviewing the entirety of the electrical system.

 All RV parks and campgrounds should take steps to address their electrical system, especially if it's been a while since the last full system evaluation, there have been unexplained outages or guest complaints, or the condition of the electrical system is unknown. If there is concern about the infrastructure, don't wait too long to get the system checked out. Rectifying issues could take months of planning; especially for a seasonal park, it could mean several unhappy RVers next summer before being able to address the issues in the off-season. It should be noted that the GMI device is simply raising the flag on issues that may have existed at the RV park for decades. This device isn't going to punish parks that don't have issues — it's just going to make the issues that do exist impossible to ignore. 

Finding a Qualified Electrician

Use a licensed and insured commercial electrical contractor with experience in campground or RV park electrical systems, not only residential service work. 

Start by contacting your national or state campground association. These organizations may be able to recommend contractors with direct experience working on campground and RV park electrical systems.

Consider using state license lookup tools and professional directories to confirm the contractor is properly licensed, insured, bonded, and familiar with current NEC requirements. 

• Verify an active Master Electrician or Electrical Contractor license.
• Consider reviewing professional association directories, such as NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association) or IEC (Independent Electrical Contractors), for commercial electrical contractors.

Helpful Questions to Ask Before Securing Services

Ask whether the contractor:

• Is familiar with NEC Article 551 for RV parks and campgrounds and applicable OSHA electrical safety requirements, including Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) requirements.
• Has experience working in Campgrounds and RV Parks and is familiar with their electrical systems.
• Can evaluate pedestal grounding, neutral-to-ground isolation, wiring condition, lug torque, and generate a comprehensive inspection report.
• Has test equipment needed to measure pedestal ground continuity and neutral loop resistance.

Services to Consider Obtaining from a Qualified Electrician

• Visual Inspection: Verify good inspection of the receptacle for physical damage, burns, overheating, tight connection points, and are free from any corrosion.
• Pedestal ground continuity: Verify a low-impedance equipment grounding conductor path from each pedestal back to the source.
• Neutral-to-ground isolation: Confirm neutral and safety ground are separated inside each pedestal and identify downstream bonding faults that may trip RV GMIs.
• Neutral loop continuity: Measure the resistance of the grounding conductor path from each pedestal receptacle ground to neutral. Requires an earth ground tester or a GMI-specific tester available from GMI suppliers.
• Mechanical lug re-torque: Inspect for wiring defects, heat stress, arcing, and tighten connections to manufacturer specifications.

Disclaimer: This document was created in partnership with [insert organizations], and is for informational purposes only. The RV Industry Association and all partnering organizations assume no responsibility for the use of this information. You assume all risks and responsibility related to the use of the information covered in this document. Electrical work must comply with the National Electrical Code (NEC) and all applicable local building codes and ordinances. Improper installation or use of electrical products can result in fire, electric shock, serious injury, or death. Have a licensed electrician perform any electrical work.