Portable surge protection - worth the money? Did forum search and read some on subject. And for proponents, do I need 50 amp for my '92 Breakway? Some final thoughts would be greatly appreciated. And finally, should I make certain all appliances are turned off when I initially plug into land power, and once plugged in then turn on appliances individually?

Straight answer: It depends...

Most RV parks have underground wiring, which, contrary to popular opinion, is as susceptible to surges caused by lightning, as above ground.

Only one Barthmobiler has suffered surge damage, AFAIK. I don't use a surge protector, but I do unplug if lightning is nearby, running the reefer and water heater on propane and the entertainment system on inverter.

All appliances should be turned off when plugging in because there will be a small arc if there's a load present and the power is on. Over time, this can damage the plug.

I have an older version of this:
http://www.campingworld.com/sh...tectors-30-amp/73993
think you have 30A shore power, not 50A.
Such a device might not protect from low voltage or brown outs. But, if you go without and ever do have a spike, repairs of practically any system or appliance will cost more than the protection would.
The kind that supplement low voltage are terribly expensive and usually hard wired.

As for load, many of the ATS (Automatic Transfer Switch) relays have a thermal load delay. My PARALLAX 100 does. Thus, your 110V lights, microwave, etc. might not work for a few minutes after you connect shore power.

Our late friends Lenny and Judy took a lightning strike at a campground and received very little damage thanks to the unit, as opposed to 3 or 4 RVs on either side of them who didn't have one, and sustained catastrophic wiring and electrical damage. If I remember correctly, the strike destroyed the unit but Lenny was happy to go out and spend another 300 bucks on a replacement.
Sure wish Lenny was here to tell the story himself.

I know of 3 campers here our park that took lightning last year. The two that did not have protection ended up replacing control boards in AC's and refers as well as replacing microwaves and tv's. The one with surge protection only had to replace the surge protector.

We have surge protection, the lightning here is too frequent and sporadic to count on being able to unplug when it comes.

Thanks all. Can anyone suggest how I can determine if my '92 Breakway is 30 or 50 amp?

A quick way is to look at your plug, if it has 3 prongs/blades it is 30 amp. If it has 4 it is 50 amp.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadow man:
A quick way is to look at your plug, if it has 3 prongs/blades it is 30 amp. If it has 4 it is 50 amp.

in case you have 50A, you'll need a 50/30 adapter because many campgrounds have many sites w 30 and none w 50.

I'm certain your 92 Breakaway is a 50 service. As far as Surge Protection goes it's not a bad idea, it will pay for itself if you get a power surge and the device works correctly.

However if I were to buy one I would buy one that has low voltage protection. Low voltage will make a electric motor run hot (loss of efficiency). For me that would only be my AC units the rest of my coach's power goes through my inverter which has it's own protection.

I would buy the hard wired unit and add the additional remote display panel. That would be a cool upgrade, however I have six tires to buy so maybe next year or not!

Indeed, it is 50 amp service as ascertained via prior advice (not to mention also the sticker on the power cord access lid, duh). Also, I found a 50 to 30 adapter in the bin. By the way, as you probably have ascertained, I am no electrician - and so I ask, is there an advantage to having 50 amp. In other words, if and when 50 and 30 is available, should I plug in to the 50? I understand the low voltage issue and yes, hardwired would be "cool". Installation would be beyond my capabilities. Looking for a local, knowledgeable RV mechanic. Reality is I'll need one sooner rather than later.

The 50 amp circuit uses both legs of the 220volt ( 110volts each ).... 50 amps per leg 100 amps total .... The 30 amp circuit uses one leg of the 220volt circuit ...30amps total.... The advantage is you can draw much more power and can run both roof ac units without any trouble... 220v is single phase... 110v is same phase just with neutral tapped off the middle...hot to hot is 220v ....either hot to neutral is 110v... 220 volts is not normally used in the rv unless you have a dryer or electric stove ...

I can only read English. Even if that were English I would only understand a little. So can I surmise that if only 30A is available I should try to avoid simultaneously running both ac's, or if running both is necessary, possibly run the fridge on gas and don't drink coffee?

That would it in English...

My heavy cable has a 50 amp plug on it, and the door says 50 amp service, but while at Nicks a few years ago I tried connecting to his 50 and kept blowing circuits, so I put on the 50-30 pigtail and all was well. Never tried the 50 again. I only have 1 AC and have never had a problem running all we need.

I would suggest you check your circuits. If you have blown circuit breakers at Nick's then you have a problem that could bite you. If your wiring has the neutral swapped with what should be a hot you are risking damage.