Value of Surge Protectors

Don’t Skip the Surge Protector

This past camping season, I was amazed at how many RVs I saw plugged into shore power without a surge protector. Granted, some owners may have had one permanently installed inside their rig, but I suspect that number was fairly small.

I recently read a post in an RV Facebook group that perfectly illustrates why every RV owner should use a quality surge protector.

Think about how much you’ve invested in your RV. Then consider that a single faulty campground electrical pedestal can damage expensive electronics throughout your rig, potentially ending your trip while you wait for repairs. I’m not here to recommend a particular brand, only to stress the importance of using a good surge protector.

The following story was shared by Justin Jones in the Facebook group RVing Tips. I’m paraphrasing his experience.

After arriving at a campground, Justin connected his surge protector to the 50 amp pedestal before plugging in his RV. As it tested the incoming power, it refused to allow electricity to pass through. The display showed that one leg of the 50 amp service was delivering 141 volts. It should have been in the 115 to 120 volt range. (For those unfamiliar with 50 amp service, it consists of two separate 120 volt legs.)

Justin checked several nearby sites and found similar problems. One pedestal even had only 100 volts on one leg. Both high and low voltage can seriously damage air conditioners, refrigerators, converters, microwaves, televisions, and other electronic equipment in your RV. Fortunately, his surge protector did exactly what it was designed to do and protected his coach from potentially costly damage.

When he reported the issue to the campground staff, they admitted they were aware that several pedestals had electrical problems following heavy rains but had not yet repaired them. They were able to move him to another site where the power tested correctly.

What concerns me most is that the campground knew about the problem and didn’t warn him before assigning the site.

Justin ended his post with a simple recommendation, and I couldn’t agree more:

“Invest in a quality surge protector.”

We paid just under $400 for our Surge Guard unit. Considering what we have invested in our RV, and what it could cost to replace damaged electronics, it has proven to be money well spent.