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Old 01-28-2015, 08:44 PM   #1
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Surge Protector

Is it essential/recommended/not really needed to have a surge protector at the electrical hookup connection? Have not seen them in use, as I recall, but see them prominently advertised at RV supply stores.
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Old 01-28-2015, 09:24 PM   #2
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Absolutely need one IMO. A lot of people have hard wired them in. I use the Progressive plug in that retails about $230.
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Old 01-28-2015, 09:29 PM   #3
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I 'added' the surge protectors on the critical items.. Microwave, Converter, etc...
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Old 01-28-2015, 10:16 PM   #4
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And I have never owned one, or had any damage on any Airstream used since 1978.
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Old 01-29-2015, 04:33 AM   #5
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And I have always owned one for the Airstream I never had any damage to, and not owned one for the Airstream I did.

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Old 01-29-2015, 05:49 AM   #6
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I've never had a surge...but it has protected me from low park voltages twice that I recall. That's moe common and more important feature, IMO.
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Old 01-29-2015, 06:13 AM   #7
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Use one outside as well as on several appliances inside. Never did until lightning hit a campground the day before we arrived and in most units any electrical item that was on was dead after the strike, I was told. So, we bought one, have had one in the home for years.
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Old 01-29-2015, 07:50 AM   #8
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It's like insurance. It's always too expensive until you wish you'd had it!



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Old 01-29-2015, 08:12 AM   #9
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I use one and hopefully will never have to know if it works or not.
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Old 01-29-2015, 10:07 AM   #10
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We use a quality unit to protect against a variety of power faults. Low voltage is the most common problem I have seen.
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Old 01-29-2015, 10:09 AM   #11
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Quote:
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I use one and hopefully will never have to know if it works or not.
Yep; it costs too much for that one time repair if you don't have a surge protector ...
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Old 01-29-2015, 10:46 AM   #12
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Was plugged into campground power and in middle of night the MOVs in our wired in surge protector blew due to a dropped ground somewhere on the grid that sent a surge down the line. Campground office lost their FAX machine, copier and microwave but we never lost a thing because the MOVs took the surge. Cost less than five dollars to replace the MOVs. In ten years of full timing, we were also protected many times from low voltage situations and a couple of times from high voltages particularly at fairgrounds. Our unit paid for itself several times over.

Completely agree with those who encourage you to have one.
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Old 01-31-2015, 10:00 AM   #13
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We use one because it was recommended to us by a full timer. About our third campground experience the surge protector indicated reverse polarity. Not exactly sure how that adversely affects the AI but it seemed like a good idea to find another spot.


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Old 01-31-2015, 10:27 AM   #14
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I researched this much as you are doing now and came to the conclusion that an ounce of prevention is worth ten pounds of cure. Since leaving Vt in Oct we have travelled over 2500 miles and stayed in probably 10 different RV parks. I like the assurance that our surge protector provides us. Just looking around in Parks we've stayed at, I see that I am not alone in this thinking. We bought ours at Camping World.
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Old 02-01-2015, 10:22 PM   #15
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Thank you everyone for your responses. My surge protector is on its way from Camping World.
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Old 02-02-2015, 01:02 PM   #16
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I am glad you posted this thread. I have surge protectors on my TV's, amps and computers at home but had not considered one for the motor home. I found the Progressive one on eBay and it is on the way.
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Old 02-02-2015, 02:26 PM   #17
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The main problems I've had is low voltages in campgrounds. My Progressive EMS protects me but then there is no power. Has anyone used a Hughes Autofomer to supplement low voltage conditions? Info at this web site.
https://www.hughesautoformers.com
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Old 02-02-2015, 02:44 PM   #18
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I am a power line troubleshooter and have seen all manners of electrical mischief. When I first got our rig I checked out all of the electrical/electronic devices and determined that they were way too expensive not to at least try to protect them. I hard wired ours in. It may not protect against every type of fault but it's better than nothing. At home I use them on all devices and at the service entrance. When we leave for extended periods of time I unplug everything including the cable/phone line. Have not lost a single appliance or device. I'm the ultimate cheapskate but sometimes you have to spend money to save money.


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Old 03-01-2015, 07:29 PM   #19
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This topic was also discussed... I believe it was on the WDYGFYTT? thread where some actual surge protector models were cited by a few posters.

But the cited units were all in-line portable devices and so the obvious next question was, how do you prevent someone from getting a five-finger discount on your two or three hundred dollar surge protector (!) if you just leave it out there with your shore cable plugged into it?

Some folks gave me information on creative locking hacks and strategies to keep the thing a bit secure, but ultimately, my husband decided that he wanted a permanent unit mounted inside the Interstate rather than one that the line plugs into outdoors. That way the use of it would be automatic and we could just forget about it.

So I've attached the resulting money shot (literally; this one is about $180); it is mounted on the interior port side wall under the jack-knife couch between the furnace and the sub-woofer / wheel well.

Fair warning to anyone who goes the route of an interior unit - this particular product does make a faint humming sound. I don't think it will be very noticeable once the vehicle is packed with stuff, and it sure as hell won't be audible if we are running the a/c or even the furnace, but that hum might be a potential consideration for some folks. And also when the relay closes after its start-up wait period, it makes a one-time clunk sound.
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Old 03-01-2015, 10:10 PM   #20
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Quote:
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my husband decided that he wanted a permanent unit mounted inside the Interstate rather than one that the line plugs into outdoors. That way the use of it would be automatic and we could just forget about it
It's axiomatic that no surge protector is permanent. A surge protector stops damage from ONE surge and then needs to be either replaced (most) or serviced (some), depending on the make and model. That means you can't just forget about it. Check the owner's manual to find out how to tell if it's working properly and get in the habit of checking it every time you hook up and after every storm in your area.
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