surge protector

KATOOM wrote:
I guess I have another seemingly obvious question.....

In all this talk about how important it is having a surge protector on your RV, I wonder how many of you have surge protectors on your house????? And I'm not talking about those extension cord surge protectors on your computers. If its this important and for some reason the breaker box is not capable of handling power surges, then you should also have a built in surge protector on your home for all those electrical components as well. Just saying.....

my electric company offered one for I think $8 a month. was going to get one but discovered that it wouldn't protect against spikes coming in thru the ground wire so didn't. as was said, my home current/service doesn't change drastically every other day like my RV one can, so in my opinion is sort of a silly analogy. but yes, in my home most expensive devices are plugged into a surge protector strip.
bumpy

Hi,

The Oops on the 30 amp would not have affected me because I always test before I connect.

An autoformer would be far more useful to me than a surge protector.

Since I've just installed the Magnum 3000 watt boost inverter, I'm even less likely to get a surge device.

Some one suggested that one in ten Rv's has a surge device. I suspect it is more nearly one in one thousand.

Folks who have the top of the line progressive actually get a useful piece of equipment. Folks who buy the bottom of the line have pretty much got "the emperor's new clothes" and are lulled into a sense of false complacency.

Because of the possibility of an open neutral, 50 amp rv's are more susceptible to over voltage on one leg. If the owner would check before they plugged in, that could be avoided, too.

Bottom line is always check before you plug in.

whitebb wrote:
I full time and have seen low/high voltage problems, I purchased a Hughes 50 amp auto-former and it works both ways low/high voltage, to regulate and give constant 125 vac, Its portable and a pain to load and unload but makes me feel better.:)

X2, power problems exist at a lot of RV parks! Most people do not know when low voltage, spikes, etc happen, but when thefridge or A/C goes out early? Would not connect without one. And yes I have surge protectors on my PC's at home!

.

......back "on topic"....

Here's a thread running currently in the "Tech Issues" forum.

Another 30amp "Electrician Oops" -

"Electrician sent 240V to my RV"

(IMO) Whether the "event" was at his home or a campground - a PI EMS would have saved a lot of grief..:(

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Mile High wrote:

KATOOM wrote:
I guess I have another seemingly obvious question.....

In all this talk about how important it is having a surge protector on your RV, I wonder how many of you have surge protectors on your house????? And I'm not talking about those extension cord surge protectors on your computers. If its this important and for some reason the breaker box is not capable of handling power surges, then you should also have a built in surge protector on your home for all those electrical components as well. Just saying.....

I don't have one on my house, but I know where my house is plugged into every night :)

Good reply......and I know where my house is plugged into every night also.....however - -..:(

No lightning storms, power lines are underground (no trees into the lines) - very reliable power supply.

Maybe "Murphy" got me??..:(

A *planned* So CA Edison power outage for 8 hours probably cost me a relatively new (but out of warranty) $350. DVR.
No way to tell - and it *was* connected to an individual surge protector, but when power came back on.....it was a goner.

Soooooo...."KATOOM" has a good point about sticks and bricks (home) whole house surge protection!..;)

And - destructive surges (over long term) may occur *inside* your home as well as from outside.

Whole House Surge Protectors - "House Logic" article

Also Google: "Whole House Surge Protection"
The potential benefits may far exceed the minimal cost (less than the price of the DVR I "lost").

May be installing one real soon.


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KATOOM wrote:
I guess I have another seemingly obvious question.....

In all this talk about how important it is having a surge protector on your RV, I wonder how many of you have surge protectors on your house????? And I'm not talking about those extension cord surge protectors on your computers. If its this important and for some reason the breaker box is not capable of handling power surges, then you should also have a built in surge protector on your home for all those electrical components as well. Just saying.....

I don't have one on my house, but I know where my house is plugged into every night :)

Like I said, been running without one in the RV for 25 years up until this last year when I put one in this new rig that should have had one from the factory, as you say. Its like bed savers and all those other after market engineering corrections to something that "might" happen. Chances are it won't happen, but to me, I don't want to lose a season getting it repaired if it just "happens" to happen :).

Would I leave home without it, sure. Is it a gift from heaven, no. It just is what it is, about $300 to avert a high cost repair, just like extended warranties that I don't use, or that bedsaver that I don't have.

KATOOM wrote:
I have to ask the most obvious question.....so no one get all emotional in response.

If surge protectors are a MUST HAVE ITEM then "why" aren't they original equipment components of the RV/trailer from the factory? I can understand why a low budget 20amp trailer wouldn't have one but most of these RV/trailers are more expensive than the trucks pulling them. Would installing surge protectors on the assembly line be that big of a problem? If its build costs then the manufacture could simply add the few hundred on the MSRP. Plus if park voltage issues and repairs costs are such as everyone here is describing then you'd think RV insurance companies would require surge protectors. :h

Actually high end MHs *ARE* equipped with Surge Protection from the factories - that take "EMS" to a whole new level.

WHY don't 5th wheel mgfgs equip trailers with *QUALITY* tires from the factory?

Is TPMS from the factory on cars/trucks insurance company inspired due to accidents caused by tire failures?

Anyway - for RVs - easy "double duh", two word answer to your statements:

*BEAN COUNTERS*!!..:S.:S

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On edit:
Excellent surge protector "DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT" posts from these forums:

The Electrician said "Oops!"

"pianotuna" note:
Both the example above & below were 30amp pedestals.
Whether it's 30 or 50 amp - bad 'stuff' still can happen.

here's another

Down time is a bummer - no matter who pays..:(


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I full time and have seen low/high voltage problems, I purchased a Hughes 50 amp auto-former and it works both ways low/high voltage, to regulate and give constant 125 vac, Its portable and a pain to load and unload but makes me feel better.:)

I guess I have another seemingly obvious question.....

In all this talk about how important it is having a surge protector on your RV, I wonder how many of you have surge protectors on your house????? And I'm not talking about those extension cord surge protectors on your computers. If its this important and for some reason the breaker box is not capable of handling power surges, then you should also have a built in surge protector on your home for all those electrical components as well. Just saying.....

Thank you all for your info .I camp for 30 years with no problem but now I will order one today.