Is RV Surge Protection Necessary?

We get asked this question all the time. You may have arrived at this question through a camping friends experience with power issues or reading about problems a fellow RV'er had in a forum. And the short answer is yes, rv surge protection is very important and here's why. Surge protectors act like an electrical gatekeeper to your RV. With high end units monitoring every aspect of power and lower end units just keeping out the most destructive. As power requirements increase and campgrounds power infrastructure doesn't, experiencing damage to your electrical and electronic components becomes much more likely. We go in-depth on what a surge protector is and how the different units can protect your RV in our article "RV Surge Protection 101".

The next question becomes "which one do you recommend" and that is not as short an answer.

We sell the top two brands of RV surge protection which are Progressive Industries and Surge Guard and have used both in our own RV's. They both work equally as well with only minor differences between the two brands. We offer a complete side by side comparison guide broken out in 30 or 50 amp and portable vs permanent units to easily see those differences. So for the most part selection between the brands comes down to brand loyalty and if you have none then price or potentially the dimensions of the units maybe determining factors.

The easier part of determining the right surge protector is first matching it up to the power requirements of your RV, either 30 or 50 amps. Having this knowledge we only have to determine which features you and your RV really need. If all your looking for is protection from lightening either by a direct strike or a surge though the power lines, then we recommend the Progressive SSP30 for 30 amp rv's which runs under $100 and SSP50 for 50 amp RV's which is just over $100. These units not only protect from lightening, but will also indicate issues with the campground power before plugging in your RV. They are both portable and very easy to use.

But with today's decked out RV's rolling off the assembly line with inverter/chargers, LED tv's, convection ovens, multiple AC units, home theatre and satellite systems, the smaller units just don't do enough. A bigger issue than lightening to today's electronic RV's is poor campground power. And more times than not it's low fluctuating voltage which can shorter or end the life of the electronics in those rv accessories. In this case we recommend the full featured units that both Surge Guard and Progressive Industries offer. With these units in place the power is cutoff to the RV when power is below 104 volts or above 132 volts and you would be surprised how often this happens if you have not monitored it in the past. These units will also protect from the wrong voltage, mis-wired power pedestals and so much more by not allowing power into the RV. These units also have voltage displays and some even include remote displays to view power issues from inside the RV. These full featured power monitors are the ultimate protection from potential power issues damaging your RV's delicate electronics.

While we are answer questions another one that comes up is "can I plug my 30 amp surge protector into a 50 amp power pedestal?" and the answer is yes. You will need a 30 amp female to 50 amp male adapter to do so. And conversely "can I plug my 50 amp surge protector into a 30 amp power pedestal?" and again the answer is yes. The unit will still offer the same protection but with only 30 amps of power. You will need a 50 amp female to 30 amp male adapter to make that connection.

For a wide selection and best advice on choosing the right rv surge protector for you, contact us today.