Surge Protectors

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kilovictor
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Surge Protectors

I'm just wondering, I never read in these forums of anyone experiencing electrical damage from camp ground hook-ups. Yet I see surge protectors advertised saying the electrical system in your camper is at risk. I believe it is, but I don't see the complaints. Anyone experience any problems? I've hooked up once to a dead box and had to relocate within the grounds after setting up, so now the first thing I do is plug in and check before unhooking the tow vehicle.

KVJ 

Greg A
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Surge

Hey Kilo,

Good thoughts, I've had the same questions, but I did get this on my new trailer. I think that in the past our camping was very simple in terms of electronics but has gotten much more sophisticated. The electronics we bring camping and plug in and the appliances on modern trailers have become more advanced. Bad power at a campground which is not uncommon btw (reverse polarity being very common), could lead to an early demise on a laptop, etc and you may not even know it was the camping trip that did it.

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2015 19 Escape

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ManWithaVan
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Here is a posting I wrote

Here is a posting I wrote under "OMG Our A/C System Just quit...".

It explains some of the issues with "Park" power. These issues also apply to Overvoltage situations as well. Additionally, all the power lines run underground and if there is a lightening strike nearby the lines could easily receive a surge.

Previous Posting:

I am sure your Technician will perform a complete analysis as to why your "NEW" A/C unit failed.

However, it might be useful to examine the major cause of A/C failures on Campers / RVs.

Often, there is too little electrical energy going into the A/C unit to let it operate efficiently and correctly. This can be caused by running the A/C unit while your camper is plugged into a "too small" extension cord or an extension cord which is "too long". This causes a "Brown Out" (or low voltage) condition at the A/C unit itself and, over time, (a short period of time) the A/C unit fails. While the A/C unit is still able to operate, it is essentially being "Starved to Death".

This condition also happens at Campgrounds (especially on Hot Days) when everybody is running their Air Conditioning at MAX to keep cool and the Campground's electrical system has a hard time keeping up with demand. We experienced this on our last camping trip, whenever our A/C was running, our voltage dipped below 110 volts (not good for the longevity of our A/C unit).

So, what can be done when you are at a campground and the voltage from the power pole is too low to safely operate your Air Conditioning?

The answer is to install an "Autoformer" between the power pole and your camper. An Autoformer has the ability to boost your voltage by 10% which can protect your A/C unit from "Low Voltage" damage and premature failure. The Autoformer is simply a "Box" that you plug your camper into and then you plug the Autoformer into the power pole.

Here is the Unit we will be purchasing BEFORE, our next camping trip:

AutoFormer (link is external)

I know these aren't cheap, but they are cheaper than replacing an Air Conditioner.

PS: I just received our Autoformer from Hughes, We will be testing it out in a few weeks, we will let everyone know how it performs.

As Always,

Happy Scamping !!!

Gordon2
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re:surge

Good point about the low voltage. I spent a week this summer at a site that must have been on the end of the line and the voltage dropped to 100 volts a few times.  I know that because my EMS / Surge protector has a feature where it shuts down when the voltage gets low, specially to protect A/C units for one thing.

Current model is here:

http://www.progressiveindustries.net/#!ems-lchw50/c2z8

 

kilovictor
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They aren't cheap!

The worst part for the plug in type is they are so visible and easy to be stolen. The inexpensive ones (under $70) only let you know the pedestal is incorrectly wired and for surge protection. Thanks for the replies.

KVJ

Flyboyscamp
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Surge Protection

Yes, a campground power source ruined our converter. We had a pricey one installed that is much better now, and have the device to plug into the power pole, then we plug our trailer plug into that. No problems now.

<p>Doug Allen 2016 Ford F-150 2018 Lance 1575</p>

Flyboyscamp
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And, we have a hard plastic

And, we have a hard plastic locking cover for,our surge protector. 

<p>Doug Allen 2016 Ford F-150 2018 Lance 1575</p>