Elepent

There’s a hidden danger to your RV lurking at every campground.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a seedy, unkempt trailer park or the best-tended motorhome resort; the chance of doing thousands of dollars of damage to the electronic equipment in your rig is there, and there’s a chance you don’t even know about the game of roulette you’re playing.

The danger is in the vital link to shore power.  Computers, televisions, microwaves and other electronic appliances are susceptible to power surges and drops–and so is your recreational vehicle.   Every time you plug your RV into an external power source, its electronics are at risk.  An unexpected power surge or voltage drop can fry all of the electronic devices in your RV, from entertainment equipment to kitchen appliances.
You might assume that lightning strikes are the primary cause of fried circuitboards in RVs.  This is not true.  Even considering the affinity that thunderstorms and tornadoes seem to have for RV parks, the real threat is much more common than lightning; it’s the power pedestal that provides electricity to each RV site.
The pedestal can zap your RV in a number of ways.  Power surges can provide too much power–or not enough.   On hot days, when everyone in the RV park turns on the air conditioning at the same time, the voltage drops, creating a “brown-out.”   Any voltage that’s above or below the UL standard of 102 to 132 volts can damage your electronics.
Poorly-maintained power outlets can also cause damage.  A post’s polarity may be reversed, allowing unchecked voltage to flow through your coach before reaching the circuit breakers.    This can result in overheated circuits, cooked appliances and fire.   Reversed polarity poses a danger to you and your family as well; if the post’s circuit breaker trips, there will still be power flowing through the umbilical, waiting to shock an unsuspecting RVer.  If a power pedestal has been miswired and the ground or neutral circuit has been left open, the RV’s chassis can build up a dangerous electrical charge that will zap the first person unfortunate enough to step out the door and create a circuit with the earth.  Without testing equipment, there’s no way to be sure if a power pole is properly wired or not.   “Open neutral” situations are the number-one cause of power pedestal related electrical fires, and the results can be catastrophic.
The way to avoid these hidden dangers?  Surge protection.  In most cases, it’s up to the new owner to protect his or her investment.   Built-in whole-coach surge protectors are available, but they’re only installed on two to three percent of new RVs, according to engineer Steve Antman at the Technology Research Corporation (TRC).  The Incorrigible  definitely lacks a built-in surge protector, so we checked into the options.  TRC offers a full range of aftermarket electrical protection for RVs under its Surge Guard brand.

To save the cost of having a surge protector hardwired, we chose a TRC Surge Guard 34730 30-amp portable unit, which attaches to the 30-amp power cord between the RV and the power pole.  This $289, weather-resistant unit offers 1050 joules of power surge protection, as well as an automatic shutoff in the event of severe voltage drops or spikes.  When plugged into the power pedestal, the Surge Guard can automatically detect a reversed-polarity situation, causing it to cut power and illuminate a warning light.  Open-ground dangers are also indicated by a warning light.  During operation, if power drops below 102 volts or jumps higher than 132 volts for more than eight seconds, power is cut.   A 50-amp unit is also available.

Our unit has been easy to use, and has performed seamlessly at several hookup sites.  Our unit has popped and cut power three times this season–one during a thunderstorm–so we know it’s doing its job.  After cutting power, the Surge Guard automatically turns back on when it’s safe.  If you’re still worried about lightning, we saw a local RV shop that had a used 30-amp Surge Guard on display.  The unit had been struck by lightning, taking a catastrophic blast that melted the case and caused it to explode.  The coach that it was attached to suffered no significant electrical damage.

If you’re concerned about your Surge Guard unit going missing while you’re camping, TRC offers a lock hasp to which a padlock can be affixed.  That said, of the RV owners we’ve talked to, nobody has ever reported having an external surge protector stolen.
TRC’s portable and hard-wired surge protectors are available from many RV supply outlets, including Camping World.