Electrical Works: Protecting Your Power. Protecting Your Investment.
Deferred maintenance has long been a reality in RV parks and campgrounds. Tight margins, seasonal revenue cycles, and aging infrastructure often mean electrical repairs get postponed in favor of more visible guest-facing improvements.
That approach is becoming far riskier.
As Grounding Monitor Interrupter (GMI) technology becomes standard on newly manufactured RVs in the near future, deferred electrical maintenance will no longer stay behind the scenes. GMIs are designed to detect unsafe conditions and disconnect power automatically, which means electrical deficiencies that once went unnoticed will now surface immediately and publicly.
For park owners, deferred maintenance is no longer just a future problem. It is an operational risk.
Why Deferred Electrical Maintenance Happens
Electrical systems in RV parks are complex, buried underground, and often decades old. Unlike amenities or buildings, electrical infrastructure is easy to ignore when it appears to be “working.”
Common reasons electrical maintenance gets deferred include:
- Systems that still energize sites, even if they are not code-compliant
- Repairs that seem optional until something fails
- Infrastructure installed under older standards that was never upgraded
- Temporary fixes that quietly become permanent
- Limited downtime to perform disruptive electrical work
Most operators don’t realize that the temporary fixes deployed to address issues in the moment often create the biggest issues later on. If a property is experiencing issues with their electrical system they generally turn to their maintenance team to diagnose and fix the problem.
The average maintenance team may have the skillset to put a “band-aid” on the issue and get power restored in the moment, but when you stack those “band-aid decisions” over years or decades, the amount of liability concerns are magnified.
Without intimate knowledge of the electrical code requirements, a maintenance team may restore power in a way that could “work” for years. But now with the increased age of the system, major issues arise that can’t be band-aided. Even more commonly, some of the 30A annual residents leave a section, and new transient guests with 50A RVs are coming in, and the system just can’t maintain. With more than 20,000 sites wired, we can confidently say that the “band-aid” is generally the first thing to fail, and fail in a big way – wiring melted underground, panelboard melted, guests getting shocked, pedestals catching on fire, etc.
In the past, many parks could operate this way without IMMEDIATE consequences. GMIs change that equation. They actively look for issues and make you address those “band-aids” or risk shutting down sites.
How GMIs Expose Deferred Maintenance
GMIs continuously monitor grounding integrity, voltage levels, and power quality. They do not rely on guest complaints or visible failures.
If an RV connects to a pedestal with:
- Improper grounding
- Voltage outside acceptable ranges
- Neutral-to-ground issues
- Under-sized wiring that cannot handle load fluctuations
The GMI will disconnect power.
From the guest’s perspective, the RV is fine. The park’s power is not.
Deferred maintenance that once caused minor inconveniences can now lead to:
- Repeated site shutdowns
- Relocation of guests during peak occupancy
- Escalating complaints and negative reviews
- Immediate pressure on staff to “fix it now”
A Common Scenario We See in the Field
A park appears to be operating normally. Sites are occupied, revenue is steady, and electrical issues are manageable.
Then GMI-equipped RVs begin arriving.
Suddenly:
- Certain rows disconnect during peak load
- Sites at the end of long runs shut down repeatedly
- Temporary fixes no longer work, requiring tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs
- Problems surface during evenings, weekends, rallies, and holidays
What was once deferred maintenance becomes an urgent, guest-facing crisis.
At that point, repairs often happen:
- During peak season
- Under time pressure
- At emergency rates
- With limited flexibility
The monetary cost difference between planned upgrades and reactive repairs can be substantial, compounded by operational stress and declining guest satisfaction.
The Financial Impact of Waiting Too Long
Deferred electrical maintenance rarely stays inexpensive.
Once problems become unavoidable, park owners often face:
- Emergency service calls at premium rates
- Unplanned trenching and rewiring
- Utility coordination delays
- Guest displacement and refunds
- Lost revenue during downtime
More importantly, these issues tend to surface during peak revenue periods, when electrical systems are under the greatest strain and parks have the least flexibility to respond.
Addressing electrical deficiencies proactively allows owners to:
- Control timing and scope of repairs
- Budget upgrades realistically
- Schedule work during off-season windows
- Maintain guest satisfaction and occupancy
Deferred maintenance can also trigger involvement from utility providers or local and state inspectors, often resulting in strict compliance timelines, fines, or even temporary shutdowns.
What Proactive Electrical Maintenance Looks Like in a GMI Environment
Preparing for GMI-equipped RVs does not mean replacing everything at once. It means understanding where the real risks are.
A proactive approach includes:
- Evaluating grounding systems for continuity and compliance
- Identifying voltage drop risk areas under load
- Reviewing distribution capacity against modern RV demand
- Prioritizing upgrades based on operational impact
- Planning phased improvements rather than emergency fixes
This strategy turns maintenance from a reactive expense into a controlled investment.
How Electrical Works Helps Parks Get Ahead of the Risk
Deferred maintenance is one of the most common issues Electrical Works identifies during site evaluations nationwide.
Our team helps park owners by providing:
- Electrical system evaluations focused on real-world performance
- Identification of deferred maintenance risks
- Voltage and grounding assessments aligned with GMI behavior
- Clear upgrade priorities and budgeting guidance
- Turnkey execution of repairs and improvements
With more than 25 years of experience, over 20,000 RV and MH sites completed, and licensing in over 20 states, Electrical Works brings an unmatched perspective on how deferred maintenance impacts operations today and compliance tomorrow.
Our Vice President and Master Electrician, Tristan Ciceri, serves on National Electrical Code Code-Making Panel 7, ensuring our recommendations align with both current conditions and future standards.
Staying Ahead Instead of Catching Up
GMIs will not create new electrical problems, but they will force long-deferred ones out into the open.
Park owners who address electrical maintenance proactively will:
- Reduce emergency repairs
- Budget for Capex projects rather than drain their operating budgets
- Minimize guest disruptions
- Protect peak-season revenue
- Extend the life of their infrastructure
- Operate with confidence as standards evolve
Electrical Works remains committed to helping park owners move from reactive fixes to proactive solutions, delivering safe, reliable, and future-ready power across the outdoor hospitality industry.