Joeyo67
Midwest
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Joined: 01/16/2012
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LOL! So true on the Scrooge comments. If your considering the possibility of buying one then just do it. Some things you need to decide for yourself, especially when it comes to protecting your investments. When I read comments that are based around money decisions, I see the jealousy or scroogness come out of some people.
Being smart and frugal is a good and Google helps there! There is also more than one way to skin a cat. However, being a Scrooge or expressing negativity b/c one doesn't have what your asking about - but has done without it for "years" is taking on some risky advice IMHO.
If you buy one, you knock a couple check marks off your set up procedures and don't have to think about it again. If a surge unit does fry, its not going to be a fire hazzard, b/c it shuts down everything before that event could even occur. Just remove it and replace with a new surge protector and if you want, make an insurance claim against the damaged surge unit. And yes, I own a EMS - HW30C and did a self install, took 45 min max and was very easy. I thought way to much about it and just did it. End of story!
OTeam
The Stable:
2003 Maxima
2010 370z
2011 Expedition 4x4 Limited
2012 Tracer Touring Edition 3150 with Hensley Arrow
Happily married with our two boys and two girls, plus the d.o.g. Tigger
Semper Fi
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kbroadnax
San Antonio
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Joined: 03/03/2005
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Consider that your family is depending on you to have all the basis covered as much as possible. In the slight chance something does happen and your electronics get fried then who is the not so smart guy that drove his family far away from home and now has to try and get the rv fixed because he was not prepared. It is like leaving without a spare tire. On the other hand you could be the hero and while other's are fretting about their electronics being fried you can brew up some coffee to ease their pain or let them step into your a/c to cool off for a few.
2004 F350 6.0L 4x4 Powerstroke King Ranch Diesel Dually (Have Hitch Will Tow)
2010 31ft Forest River Flagstaff 831FLSS
2001 20ft Starcraft Aurora 2009 Fish-n-Ski Deck Boat w/ 200hp Mercury
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Joeyo67
Midwest
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Joined: 01/16/2012
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X2!!
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4x4Bob
California.
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Joined: 05/17/2002
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I feel that not having a Surge Guard is like leaving home without a spare tire. I don't know how many times I have seen a rig sitting along side of the road with a flat tire and no spare.
I do know that my portable 30amp surge guard has protected my TT two times over the years. And, my friend who was traveling along with us was saved by his surge guard during one of those events. Later he thanked me for pestering him into getting one.
Bob
2001 2500 Silverado LS 4x4 6.0, 4.10
2007 Jayco Eagle 288RLS
Cocktails for 6, Dinner for 4, Sleeps 2
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End of dirt road, no signs in sight, sun going down: I am not lost, just getting ready to go camping.
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travel-lady
Apple Valley
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Joined: 11/10/2011
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We have one and use it most of the time....Just gives us peace of mind knowing it's there protecting the electrical system. Do we need it now that's the question isn't it.....We do stay in some CG's that are pretty old and the electric box's dosen't seem up to par..... So we'll keep using ours....
08 PassPort 245RB
08 Dodge Mega-cab W/Hemi
03 Jayco 10X Quest Pop up
Years of Tent Camping
Pickles the camping Papillon 
Leave nothing behind but your footsteps.
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N7SJN
SE Washington State
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Joined: 01/26/2011
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We have one and to me it is just like an insurance policy, you hope that it is never used.
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CA Traveler
The Western States
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Joined: 01/03/2004
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I agree that it's like insurance and we each make our own decisions.
However 50A rigs should give more weight to the risk. Why? An open or loose neutral (think pedestal plug) will very likely involve very large voltage swings with resulting equipment damage. My experience: One night on a 30A pedestal I got 80V (what's this about?) followed by 160V - as I ran to unplug. I knew that the problem was a bad neutral in the 240V CG power distribution. The 160V would have ruined much of the equipment including TVs that were turned off (remote electronics on). My PI HW50C disconnected the power as soon as the voltage went out of the limits. But it displayed the above voltages which is why I knew what was happening.
2009 Holiday Rambler 42 Scepter with ISL 400 Cummins
2004 Honda CR-V
Bob
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RobertL0
New York
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Joined: 01/06/2011
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I never needed insurance on my auto in 25 years...Maybe I should cancel it..
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RobertL0
New York
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Joined: 01/06/2011
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ooops, wrong board
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Cedarhill
Deep South
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Joined: 09/20/2011
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RobertL0 wrote:I never needed insurance on my auto in 25 years...Maybe I should cancel it..
If you have a wreck in which someone is seriously injured, they can sue you and take away everything you own. If lightning strikes your camper, which a flimsy surge protector will do nothing to protect you against, then you might lose as much as $2500 worth of stuff if you have a whole bunch of extras installed.
I know you will have a hard time understanding this but most folks can't afford to be without liability insurance but most folks can afford to replace a couple grand of RV electronics.
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