There’s not much that can ruin your camping trip more than a failed electrical component. One of the most important investments you can make to protect your equipment is a surge protector. We have all been to a camp site where the electrical panel and plug were not in the greatest of shape. It’s one of the things that is easily overlooked by maintenance staff. RV surge protection and safety should be a consideration when purchasing gear for your rig.
Have you ever gotten your rig setup and you were hot and ready to get the air conditioner going? I know I surely have, and just wanted to get the camper to start cooling down so I could sleep good that first night. Well, if you have a poor electrical connection that isn’t going to happen. You could have intermittent issues, or not have power at all. Your best case scenario is that it’s something on the campground side that can be quickly repaired. An alternative is that they can get you to a new site.
What if it isn’t something on the campgrounds side of things, and it is your problem? You could have an electrical circuit board failure in your air conditioner system or refrigerator. There are some costly items that can easily get zapped if you aren’t careful, or know what to look for.
What is RV Surge Protection?
A surge protector is designed to protect your equipment from voltage spikes that occur in AC circuits. These spikes can range from a sudden large load being put on the grid or power system in the campground. Additionally, they can be the result of a thunderstorm in the area. Regardless, you need something to protect your sensitive electrical components in your rig.
One of the devices that I have personally used is made by Southwire and it is the Surge Guard Model 44260. This device has easy to read LED’s that can allow you to quickly identify a problem. Some of the issues that it detects are:
- Power On
- Open Neutral
- Open Ground
- Reverse Polarity
- No Power
Electrical Safety
One of the most important features of the Surge Protector listed above is the detection of an open ground. This is crucial to maintain a safe electrical connection from your RV to the camp site power pedestal. There are certain situations if there is an electrical fault or exposed conductor touching a metal part of your RV, it can mean big trouble.
There’s a possibility that the frame of the RV can become energized to include your steps. As you go to enter or exit the RV, you can become the path to ground and receive a terrible shock or electrocution. Of course, this is an extreme example but it’s a possibility.
The use of a surge protector can also detect an open neutral. This can cause a multitude of issues with lights getting really dim and bright, and cause your electronics to fail. There are also shock hazards associated with this as well.
RV Component Cost
The refrigerator in your RV can cost anywhere from $500 to upwards of $1,500. Your air conditioner unit(s) can range from $700-$1,200+. Additionally, this isn’t counting the labor costs associated with replacing them.
This also isn’t counting the inconvenience of having one or both of these big ticket items broken during your camping trip. I can’t sleep very well myself when there’s no air conditioner on a hot summer night. I will be willing to pay a premium to get the air conditioner fixed as soon as possible.
The combination of the replacement costs for these devices as well as the inconvenience, the insurance of a surge protector becomes very important. I highly recommend exploring your options on these devices. You can pick one up from Camping World, Amazon, and other major retailers. This is the one that I have and will continue to use. You do need to verify if you need a 30 amp or a 50 amp version.
There are many different configurations you can consider, as well as price points. The key is to make sure you get some type of surge protection for your RV.
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