Surge Guard - Need Vs. Cost

dougrainer wrote:

DSDP Don wrote:

obiwancanoli wrote:
Having read posts on the advisability of having a 50A Surge Guard for my MH, Amazon has a variety ranging in price from around $90 to $400 +/-...

Lacking sufficient knowledge to make an informed decision, What exactly am I paying for when comparing similar items with a huge distance between low cost/high cost? What features make the more expensive models a better choice?

Somewhere around the time that your coach was built, by Newmar, they started offering combination transfer switch/surge guard units, made by SurgeGuard.

You need to look in your power bay and see if you have a straight transfer switch or combo unit. The combo unit made by SurgeGuard is actually a pretty good model. I have it in my coach. It protects against all the things the other quality unit, Progressive Industries does. The only drawback is that if there is an electrical spike and the SurgeGaurd takes a hit, you lose the SurgeGuard and the transfer switch. For that reason, I and others with this system, bought a $100.00 SurgeGurd portable unit that plugs in at the pedestal. If I take an electrical hit, only the $100 unit is lost.

If you don't have the combo unit, Progressive Industries makes a quality unit that protects from high and low voltage. In your coach, you have a lot of systems that can be damaged by both low and high voltage. If you're at a campground, running your air conditioning, the units can be damaged if the voltage drops below 100 volts. Both units described above, will shut down the power to your coach and protect the appliances.

If you have a trailer with a single A/C unit and a microwave, you probably don't need a high end surge protector. In your situation, it's worth the investment. They come in portable and hardwired. I prefer hardwired as it's one less thing to do and you don't have to worry about theft.

OEM's use the cheaper $300 Surgeguard Combo. Retail is $425. If you think it is more than adequate, why does Surgeguard sell a better unit(also Combo) for $800? I state my comments on 42 years of working on Motorhomes and the fact that I have replaced at least 100 Surgeguard combo units that came OEM. Most also had interior 120 appliance failures due to the Hit. My customers that have had the $500 stand alone in front of the Transfer box Surge Guard, I have never seen back because of a Electrical problem. BTW, the Biggest seller of the $500 Surgeguard is AFTER I have replaced the original Transfer or the Combo and the customer realized it is best to have a stand alone. Doug

Doug, I have no issue with your expertise and always trusted your advice, but my coach came, from Newmar, with the SurgeGuard 40350 $706.00 retail. It has all the features the Progressive unit I've owned in past had. I agree that a stand alone is a better idea, so I run a cheap SurgeGuard at the pedestal to take the hit. Before you lit me up, maybe you should have asked what I had in my coach.