Electrical damage to 5th wheel at Campground

wa8yxm wrote:
With a hard wired one if it fries. I can still bypass it.

With a portable there is too much temptation to forget it for a one night stand and if you are not home.. It may not be when you return.

that is why I kept/used mine while it was in a basement compartment. I would not want a permanently mounted one without a bypass feature. even my old 30 amp portable had such a switch.
bumpy

With a hard wired one if it fries. I can still bypass it.

With a portable there is too much temptation to forget it for a one night stand and if you are not home.. It may not be when you return.

I have a surge protector on my TT. I chose to go with the portable kind because if it "Fries" the surge protector and it a hard wired one the rest of my stay will be shot.
I wish i had some pics to show you all how i installed it in my back storage compartment. It still plugs in but inside the compartment where no one knows its there. I did this as a theft deterrent though I've not heard of any being stolen. I like it out of site there fore no temptation.
Im glad i read this post because it reminded me that the CG we are going to in Sept. was having electrical issues last Sept. and they said they were going to address the in the off season. So this has reminded me that I wanted to call and make sure they did.

My opinion is it's never too late to buy a surge protector if you don't have one.
And yes mine has "tripped" a few times.

Bumpyroad wrote:

dons2346 wrote:

TucsonJim wrote:
These cost less than most insurance deductibles, and will protect your sensitive electronic devices when there is a malfunction:

Electrical Management System

I think that is a little late now.

a little late for him. not for those reading it and who always say when a surge protector thread starts, "well I have RV'ed without one for 40 years and blah, blah, blah,"
bumpy

I read about the EMS on here this spring. Bought one and just last week the power flickered on and off at the campground I was at. The EMS shut the power down to the coach for about 3 min and then restarted everything. Good advise to pass along to any and all

Did the OP state they did not have an EMS in their RV? Mine cane factory equipped with an EMS in the main breaker panel and there have been a few times I have plugged into a low current facility and the EMS drops the rear A/C first and will continue to drop various scheduled appliances until it reaches the supplied current level to prevent harming them.

By shutting off the house batteries for a few minutes and then turning them back on it will reset the relays in the EMS system if the proper current has been restored.

Works for me.

Seems to me that how it is pursued depends on exactly what type of electrical problem caused damage. Was it high or low voltage? Or perhaps a surge or spike in which case could be no ones fault? Was it an open ground, open neutral or reverse polarity. Or a combination thereof? What did the hold harmless clause say?

Low voltage is common in CGs, especially in the summer time due to all the AC units that are running and it's unlikely the CG's fault providing it was built to the NEC in effect at the time. Low voltage (below 105 volts) will cause permanent and cumulative damage to AC units. The voltage delivered by a poco can sometimes drop as well in the summertime which adds to voltage issues at a CG but they are usually not liable due to their fine print. CGs often have a handyman/non-licensed staff person do electrical work or inspect it and the existing or new work may not be to code.

The problem would be having evidence if you wanted to pursue this in a legal fashion. It could have been a one-time momentary occurrence or the negligence of the CG but you'd probably need a qualified witness to prove what happened.

I've read of numerous case where a CG or power company has just stepped up and paid for the cost of repairs without any argument. If a CG already knew about a problem, there should be no hesitation on their part.

EMS units are highly recommended for all RV-ers, especially if you travel around to unfamiliar CGs that you know nothing about. An EMS may not shut power off very often, but a damaging electrical issue only has to happen once and may cost thousands of $$ in repairs.

You need to check everything in the 5er which is AC powered. You said the microwave and the fridge were dead. Is the fridge an RV gas/electric or a residential type? If its an RV fridge a low "strength" (voltage) event should not have harmed it. Be sure to check the TV, both A/Cs, and the converter. Use a volt meter on the battery, not the little indicator lights that show "Full", two-thirds, etc. They aren't very accurate. Connected to shore power, it should read above 13 volts. This almost sounds like a high voltage event, not a low one and means everything which runs on AC and anything which was plugged into an outlet may be damaged. Make a list for your insurance company of what doesn't work.

Good luck and I hope you get everything fixed or replaced and you can continue to enjoy camping.

Ken

Nana7204 wrote:
The campground was Blue Heron In Gothenburg, Nebraska. A Good Sam's - and I have tried to contact Good Sam, but to no avail. No return calls. The electrician told us that he told them they needed to relay the wiring because of damage from previous flooding. That from site to site the electrical strength would drop off and he even helped us move to another site.

That changes the view. Its now probably gross negligence as there is evidence they knew there was an issue and set you up for damage knowingly.

Unfortunately, it's probably not worth getting lawyers involved even if you would win unless you just want to stick it to them at an additional cost to you to cover the lawyer fees.

Bumpyroad wrote:

dons2346 wrote:

TucsonJim wrote:
These cost less than most insurance deductibles, and will protect your sensitive electronic devices when there is a malfunction:

Electrical Management System

I think that is a little late now.

a little late for him. not for those reading it and who always say when a surge protector thread starts, "well I have RV'ed without one for 40 years and blah, blah, blah,"
bumpy

Agreed. And for others reading, here is a break down of which Progressive Industries EMS they might need:

http://learntorv.com/what-surge-protector-is-best-for-my-rv/

DownTheAvenue wrote:
I am not familiar with Texas law. However, as a general rule, making claims that they are not responsible for any occurrence before it occurs is nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

Thanks DTA... I should have read your reply before making mine (I said he needs Professional help... YOUR Profession)

Though I am not a lawyer (I leave that job to my sister and her husband, McCormick and McCormick (S. Orleans, MA) I do have some understanding of that same issue. It is nice when a professional confirms my understanding.

Sadly Texas is not strong on consumer protections.. But like you I do not know the law in this case.