Surge Protectors???

[islandmomma]

How do you know if you have one? Where do you look? I had three days of lightning and thunder this week and kept electric use to a minimum but was (perhaps naively) not worried as I have a surge protector on the laptop connection. Where does one put this gadget?

jan

[retiredhappy]

You plug the surge protector into the campground's electric box then you plug your rig into the protector so if you get a surge it blows out the protector not your rig.

[Bethers]

It's another one of those things that I read this and say, probably should have it - and don't. Kind of like I don't go into the storm centers when it's storming. I guess my rig and I will go down together if we go down. Now, don't all yell at me. At least I know when I'm being bad.

[Nasoosie]

I ordered mine Friday. Decided I didn't need to worry about blowing out all my stuff during thunderstorms any more, and wondering about the integrity of the campground electric service. Plugging in sometimes throws my main breaker, and I suspect it's something like a surge that does that? Anyway, I figure it's worth the price for the comfort it will give me. If I were retired already, I probably wouldn't have the option to spend so much money, so I'll go for it now. I didn't order the lock box for it yet, however. Want to see what the thing is like, first.

[mitch5252]

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I just ordered the 30A surge protector and lock at dyersonline.com. Here's a price breakdown:

Surge Protector........$216.98
Post Lock.................$21.15
Shipping..................$14.83

TOTAL..................$252.96



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[Bethers]

Soos, just in case you don't know it:

Always turn off the cg breaker before you plug in - then turn their breaker back on. Reverse that when unplugging and turn their breaker off before unplugging your line.

[mtngal]

Just getting back to this question. Everything I read agrees that the 'Surge Guard' and 'Universal Lock' is way to go for 30A, you gals did good. Thanks for all the great feedback! (Did see one suggestion to use a 'contractors/electricians' lock for a bit less money).

One point about the 'surge guard'.....it also protects against LOW voltage which evidently can be just as bad.

Thanks Beth for the reminder about the hook-up sequence.

[mitch5252]

Just in case anyone is going out to buy one of these - the less expensive Surge Guard model does not protect against low voltage - just high. And the less expensive one also does not reset itself. This was significant for my situation because if we left the mutt in the trailer with the air conditioning on while we were out galavanting someplace where she wasn't welcome, the one I bought would reset itself after slightly over 2 minutes (the quick on/off cycle can ruin an air conditioner). The air would come back on (AFTER 2 minutes), thus assuring the little beast was not roasting in a large oven. I figured she was worth the extra hundred bucks, although sometimes when that mouth starts yapping, I wonder...

There are other differences between the two models (30A), but resetting was most important for me. You can read about the differences here, at the manufacturer's web site:

http://www.trci.net/products/surge-guard


Michelle


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[Nasoosie]

Thanks, Beth---and yes, I always do shut off the campground power while I am plugging it in, but not always when I unplug it, I suspect! I will be more cautious in the future now!

I got the expensive type of surge protector that resets after 2.5 minutes, too, and also protects against low voltage. I went with the camping world sale price, and joined the president's club on there again. Unfortunately, they have stores in NY, so had to pay shipping and sales tax, too---total was just under 237.00---without the lock as yet.

[mitch5252]

I never knew I had to turn off the post when plugging both in and out. Here's a question from someone new to all this RVing...do all posts have on/off switches/breakers? I'm going back, picturing in my mind, and I can't recall. Guess I'm lucky I didn't blow us up! Or at minimum, all the expensive stuff in the trailer!!

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[AlmostThere]

Ok, I may have just dreamt this or am having a brain fart, but seems Zeee or someone talked about buying a special lock to prevent the surge protector from being stolen. I didn't research it so like I said, I may have dreamt the entire thing!

[mitch5252]

Yes, there is a special lock, and I bought that, too. But it would not prevent a thief from taking both the surge guard AND my power cord!

Here's a thread I started over on rv.net about How To Keep A Surge Guard From Walking Away, if anyone is interested:

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/22820725/srt/pa/pging/1/page/1.cfm



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[mtngal]

Hey mitch.....this is so funny, it was the rv.net 'B forum' that got me to first thinking about this issue and posting the question here,
that original thread was four pages, the one you posted there is up to four pages, and ours here is just about as long.....it became a much more important topic than I would have guessed!

[mitch5252]

That is funny!! Sure sounds like it's a very serious issue. I'd sure hate to lose my a/c or microwave or tv. I'm surprised the B forum on rv.net didn't get moved over to the General RVing topic. If you hadn't posted it here, I never would have seen it on the B forum. Thanks!


Michelle


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[Cedar518]

Here's a thread I started over on rv.net about How To Keep A Surge Guard From Walking Away,

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walk away?

they'd have to take my whole camper or cut the cord! Mine pulls out of the side of the camper, like every other camper I've owned. Is yours different? Now you have me wondering.....