Thank you for reading our post, please rate this article at the end.
Last Updated on September 5, 2024 by Paul Clayton
Table of Contents
RV Surge Protector Pros And Cons
An RV surge protector is a crucial device that ensures the electrical systems in your recreational vehicle are safe from any power surges or voltage fluctuations. Knowing these pros and cons will guide you in making an informed decision when considering the safety and longevity of your RV’s electrical systems.
- Protection from Voltage Spikes: Protecting RV from unexpected voltage spikes prevents damage.
- Extended Appliance Lifespan: Eliminates power surges, extending appliance life and saving costs.
- Prevents Low Voltage Damage: Guards against brownouts, preventing low voltage damage.
- Diagnostic Capabilities: Provides diagnostic information about power source conditions.
- Cost: Quality surge protectors can be expensive but worthwhile.
- Potential Theft: Vulnerable to theft outside RV, despite locks.
Going camping in an RV is fun, but nothing is exciting about being without your onboard appliances, entertainment systems, and electronics.
For this reason, having an RV surge protector with you is essential. It can safeguard your valuable electronic devices and appliances from any unexpected electrical events you have no power over.
The appropriate surge protector for your RV can protect your devices against power surges and high or low voltages and from any electricity-related issues that could damage your RV’s power system.
Types of RV Surge Protectors
There are varying types of surge protectors for your RV, and they can be broadly segmented into portable and hardwired units.
- A portable system enables you to move it from one RV to another. This is particularly useful if you rent RVs rather than own one. However, a downside of this system is that it can get stolen or become misplaced quite quickly.
- A hardwired RV surge protector, also known as an ems, is a system that gets wired into an RV, essentially becoming a part of the RV. This means you don’t have to worry about losing or stealing it. Furthermore, it can be used in numerous weather conditions.
One of the most significant benefits associated with using a surge protector is that it is nearly impossible to envision what voltage issue a campground could have. While knowing when you have an overvoltage issue is easy, it can be difficult to recognize undervoltage.
This is where a portable surge protector comes in, as you can connect it to the different pedestals on a campground to find one that does not have any issues. This can be a time-saving tactic, as you don’t have to keep moving the RV to find a pedestal that works correctly.
It is also essential to know that RV surge protectors have different varieties corresponding to an RV’s power levels.
This means you can have a 30 amp surge protector and a 50 amp surge protector. Before you purchase a surge protector for your RV, ensure you know your RV’s power rating.
Apart from this significant benefit of helping to protect your appliances and gadgets from electrical surges and spikes, an RV surge protector has additional benefits.
Nevertheless, it has drawbacks, so weighing all these factors before deciding if a surge protector is essential for your RV is important.
Pros of an RV Surge Protector
Apart from helping you to identify any issues a shore power supply connection might have and saving you from damaging your gadget and electrical appliances, here are additional benefits of using a surge protector:
- A surge protector can help regulate electrical flows.
- It enhances the safety of your RV’s electrical systems
- It can help you discover faulty connections. It is essential to understand that there is no perfect campground, and mistakes can be made while they try to do their jobs.
- So, instead of trusting that the outlet is safe, you should take added precautions by checking the outlet before connecting your RV to it. This will ensure that your camping trip is a happy and safe one.
1. Regulating Electrical Flow
It is the role of an RV surge protector to block any surges of either high or low. It can also mediate, monitor, and buffer the flow of electricity between your RV’s electrical system and camp outlets. This ensures that damaging power issues are kept at bay.
Generally, RV surge protectors manufactured in America are only rated for 140 Volts. This means that when you get higher or less than 140 power from any source, the RV surge protector keeps it out, ensuring your electrical devices are protected.
2. RV Related Safety Issues
It might not seem like it, but there are a couple of electrically related risks on board with you in your RV while you are camping.
Fire hazards, electric shocks, and other power-related issues are possible. It is easy not to consider them when considering overall RV safety, but they do happen.
An RV surge protector can help lower the likelihood of these hazards by protecting against events such as power surges, Undervoltage, and electrical instabilities stemming from blackouts.
While rare, electricity can pass through wires when caught in a lightning storm. When this happens, your RV’s wiring systems or appliances could be damaged.
You could say this is a rare occurrence, so you don’t need an RV surge protector, but electricity, when not regulated, can get out of hand.
3. It Offers Protection from Faulty Wiring
Typically, these surge protectors come with LED indicators, while some expensive ones come with a screen that lets you know if there is a faulty connection.
When you attempt to connect your RV to an outlet that is either broken or unregulated, you will get an alert informing you.
Cons of an RV Surge Protector
While being enamored with the positives is easy, you should consider the negatives surrounding an RV surge protector. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean your RV doesn’t require a surge protector. Here are a few drawbacks associated with using an RV surge protector:
- It can cost a fair bit of money to purchase. Since you aim to protect something valuable, spending money to get adequate protection for your RV and its devices makes perfect sense.
- Your surge protector can be stolen. This might seem like a job, but it does happen. Certain people in this life go around RV parks looking for an RV surge protector to steal rather than buying their own.
- However, it would be best not to let this negative stop you. You have to ensure your surge protector is challenging to steal, and if it is stolen, you can help negate the loss by having a spare surge protector on hand.
- RV surge protectors do not last long, meaning they must be changed. While this might seem like a negative, it can be a positive. When an RV surge protector goes terrible, it has absorbed every overvoltage and low voltage that could have otherwise gone to your electronics.
- RV surge protectors tend not to last long because they absorb unsafe voltages every use. That being said, an RV surge protector’s lifespan tends to vary from brand to brand.
Monitor Your Amps
It is essential that when you purchase a surge protector for your RV, you get the appropriate one. It would be best never to buy a surge protector incompatible with your RV, as doing so could let in the wrong amp of power into the RV.
This means you should refrain from using a 50 amp rated surge protector on an RV rated for 30 amps.
You should never use a 30 amp-rated RV surge protector on an RV-rated 50 amp. Doing such can cause your RV’s electrical systems to get damaged. It is best to err on the side of caution.
How Long Do RV Surge Protectors Last?
An RV surge protector’s lifespan often depends on the frequency and intensity of the surges it encounters.
However, an RV surge protector is built to last between 3 to 5 years under typical conditions.
The internal components are engineered to divert and mitigate harmful electrical currents, safeguarding your RV’s electrical system.
Despite their robust design, these components can degrade over time, compromising their efficiency and leaving your RV vulnerable to electrical hazards.
Wrapping Up
The benefits outweigh the drawbacks in weighing the RV surge protector’s pros and cons. One of the significant advantages of an RV surge protector is its ability to shield against unexpected voltage spikes, preventing extensive damage to the RV’s electrical system.
This protection leads to extended appliance lifespan as it effectively eliminates power surges, thereby reducing cost implications from frequent repairs or replacements.
Additionally, these protectors prevent low voltage damage by guarding against brownouts, a common issue with fluctuating power supply in campgrounds. They also possess diagnostic capabilities, providing users with valuable information about the conditions of their power source.
However, despite these benefits, there are a few cons to consider. High-quality surge protectors can be pretty expensive, making them a significant investment.
While costlier options may offer more comprehensive protection and longer service life, it’s an expense that some RV owners may wish to avoid. Another potential downside is the vulnerability to theft when placed outside the RV, even with locks in place.
This risk can be mitigated with anti-theft devices or by choosing models designed for internal use.
Home page
Back to the top of the page