Electrical Question

Hi DutchmenSport,

In my understanding, surge is about over voltage. Brown out is about low voltage. Amps have almost nothing to do with it. I.E. a 15 amp shore power that suddenly is switched from 120 volts to 240 volts will cause any (decent) surge device to cut out.

RV's are far more often damaged by low voltage. My comfort range is nothing below 109 volts. (that's when I turn off the air conditioner). Currently available surge devices do not cut power until 104 volts. Therefore I'm not interested in such a unit.

DutchmenSport wrote:
If you are using a 50 amp surge protector, you could potentially pull more than 30 amps from your camper, up to 50 before the protector would shut off. So, in a sense, the protector will not protect against 30 amp max usage.

It will protect against surges, but there again, up to 50 amps, which is more than your camper is capable of handling.

Either way, the main breaker in your camper will pop if you're pulling more than 30 amps, and the surge protector will do nothing. So, basically, a 50 amp will not afford you the protection you're wanting.

Get a 30 amp protector for a 30 amp trailer. Get the right equipment for the right job.

Now, if you're thinking changing campers some day, and you're looking at a 50 amp trailer, and you're looking to purchase one surge protector so you don't have to buy another one later ... don't. Get the one you need now if you want the protection now. You may never get the other camper.