Browntrout73 wrote: So I have a surge gaurd on order but it will not be here until next week. We are on the city grid and want to plug the fiver in from home power to keep the batteries topped off. Is it safe to do so without a surge gaurd, especially if we are not using any electronics?
Chances are you won't have a problem for a few days.
But to be super safe just unplug the rig and if you are concerned about the batteries then remove the negative battery cable. If you do have significant discharge in a few days of non use you might want to resolve that problem.
The vast majority of all RV owners don't use a surge suppressor at all and have never had any problems plugging in at hundreds of different RV parks, much less their own back yard. I don't say surge protection is not a good idea, but sustaining damage from voltage spikes at home is about the same probability as getting lightning damage. Besides that, the electrical devices in your trailer are probably more robust than those in your home. Do you use a whole house surge protector?
2oldman wrote: Surge 'gaurds' are mainly for protection in RV parks where the power is flaky. At home, not to worry. Ever had a home appliance destroyed by a surge?
Au contraire. Surge guards also typically protect against over & under voltage.
After electric company serviced the power pedestal in my last house, they apparently didn't fasten/tighten all the wires correctly.
My RV was connected to my house via surge guard & it kept tripping over and over.
When my house thermostat started acting goofy, I called the electric company & they discovered their fault.
I don't think you'll RV surge guard will save your house very often, but it can happen.
Cedarhill wrote: The vast majority of all RV owners don't use a surge suppressor at all and have never had any problems plugging in at hundreds of different RV parks, much less their own back yard. I don't say surge protection is not a good idea, but sustaining damage from voltage spikes at home is about the same probability as getting lightning damage. Besides that, the electrical devices in your trailer are probably more robust than those in your home. Do you use a whole house surge protector?
I had never uses protection up until now. My first RV was a Class A in 1988 and the only thing electrical I had go was a board in the Norcold. I now have a 2012 5er and I did install a surge/EMS in it. Reason: LCD TV, Microwave, fridge, jacks, etc. I disagree that all RV applicances are more robust. It is cheap insurance. As mentioned, you can always remove the battery to keep it charged. I did for years, and still do it in the Winter. Another thing you could do when traveling that would also help protect your appliances is to install a 1X surge protector at each outlet used by the computer, TV etc. I have one of those analog voltage devices that you plug into an outlet and can see the voltage of the RV. You will be surprised how it fluctuates. Also, one time, I went to plug in and when I checked the post I found it wired wrong. If I had plugged in the RV, I could have lost some appliances.
We keep our TT plugged in most of the time when parked at home and use a Progressive Industries portable EMS, even when at home. We are located in the country and will get power outages from time to time or even worse, power flickers or brown outs. If your EMS resets after a power outage with a slight delay (some do not), it is your best protection from these types of conditions. It also prevents me from running out and unplugging in the middle of a storm and adds a little "piece of mind".
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As I already mentioned, using a surge suppressor in a situation where you can't predict the behavior of the voltage coming out of the pedestal may be a good idea, although only a small percentage of campers actually do it. The original question was about protecting your RV plugged in to power at the owner's house. I would reply that the risk is no greater of losing appliances in the RV than it is of losing appliances inside the house. I would bet the OP doesn't use whole-house spike and surge suppression for his home. Why should it be such an issue in his house? Of course, if you already own the device you might as well use it but I think it would be foolish to rush out and get one just for the purpose at home.
The appliance I was thinking about when I mentioned it being more robust is the converter. I would not be surprised to find that good manufacturers design them to function over a wider range of voltage and to survive voltage surges and spikes better than say a home clock radio.
joelc wrote:
Cedarhill wrote: The vast majority of all RV owners don't use a surge suppressor at all and have never had any problems plugging in at hundreds of different RV parks, much less their own back yard. I don't say surge protection is not a good idea, but sustaining damage from voltage spikes at home is about the same probability as getting lightning damage. Besides that, the electrical devices in your trailer are probably more robust than those in your home. Do you use a whole house surge protector?
I had never uses protection up until now. My first RV was a Class A in 1988 and the only thing electrical I had go was a board in the Norcold. I now have a 2012 5er and I did install a surge/EMS in it. Reason: LCD TV, Microwave, fridge, jacks, etc. I disagree that all RV applicances are more robust. It is cheap insurance. As mentioned, you can always remove the battery to keep it charged. I did for years, and still do it in the Winter. Another thing you could do when traveling that would also help protect your appliances is to install a 1X surge protector at each outlet used by the computer, TV etc. I have one of those analog voltage devices that you plug into an outlet and can see the voltage of the RV. You will be surprised how it fluctuates. Also, one time, I went to plug in and when I checked the post I found it wired wrong. If I had plugged in the RV, I could have lost some appliances.
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