7 Best RV Surge Protectors for 30 & 50 Amp Campers

A motor home surge protector is a device that protects your RV from power fluctuations and the potential damage they could cause.

The device continually monitors your power supply. If it detects any issues, it turns off the power before those issues cause significant damage to your RV, its electrical system, or internal appliances.

Picking the best RV surge protector goes a long way in minimizing overload and ensures that your RV is safe for you and your family.

Though choosing the right surge protector for campers depends on your needs, the three options above promise to offer you the best possible service.

Let’s take a more in-depth look at these and other surge protectors, informing you about some of the advantages and disadvantages of each model.

However, before we get to that, you might be wondering whether your RV even needs a surge protector in the first place.

Do I Need an RV Surge Protector?

When cruising around the country in your RV, you will have to plug it into a different power source every few days. It is almost impossible for you to test the quality of all the various power sources to determine which ones are safe and which ones aren’t.

These scenarios are where a surge protector for your camper comes in handy. The device will protect your RV from faulty power sources, shielding you from several potentially damaging issues.

A Surge Protector Protects You from These Three Things

An RV surge protector shields you from power surges, incorrect wiring, and low voltage. Let’s quickly go over each one below.

1. Power Surge

When too much power courses through wires, it can damage your wiring and electronics if it reaches your RV. Though various reasons cause power surges, one of the most well-known causes is lightning.

When lightning strikes, it causes a massive spike in voltage, which most surge protectors can handle. However, in some cases, the large voltage spike could damage your surge protector, forcing you to purchase a replacement.

Buying another surge protector would be a slight inconvenience but compared to having to replace the several burnt-out appliances had your RV been unprotected is much worse.

2. Incorrect Wiring

A connection can have several potential faults, from disintegrated wires and loose connections to an unqualified electrician setting up or modifying the wiring incorrectly.

Additionally, by the time you detect a connection with incorrect wiring, the damage to your RV’s electrical appliances could already be done. This damage would force you to spend thousands of dollars repairing or replacing things. Avoid such headaches by opting for a quality RV surge protector.

3. Low Voltage

Voltage is an electrical unit that is constantly changing, either dropping or surging at any time. Unless you have a device monitoring it at all times, you and your RV will always be vulnerable.

Though most people are well aware of the damage that high voltages can cause, low voltages can be just as harmful.

If you’re in a campground packed with RVs, with each of them using the campground’s electrical supply, it can lower the camp’s power supply and lead to a brownout. This low voltage is especially common in older campgrounds whose wiring has yet to be updated.

The lower the power supply, the less amount of voltage your RV gets. If your RV doesn’t get adequate voltage, your electric system can be significantly damaged.

Even if your RV model has a feature that shuts off power during low voltage, having a surge protector is still essential to your RV’s electrical health.

Surge Protector vs. Electrical Management System (EMS)

There are several differences between a surge protector and an electrical management system. Generally, an RV surge protector mainly protects your RV from large spikes of electrical activity.

On the other hand, an EMS protects your RV from a wider variety of potentially harmful electrical issues such as low or high voltages, smaller power spikes, reverse polarity, open neutrals, and open grounds.

If an EMS detects any issues that can potentially lead to more significant problems for your RV and the appliances inside, it immediately shuts off power.

While most people opt for surge protectors because of their lower prices, we highly recommend getting yourself both a surge protector and an EMS if you can afford it.

Doing so provides your RV’s electrical system and appliances with complete protection from any possible electrical defaults that your RV might come across.

Is My RV a 30 Amp Or 50 Amp?

Different RVs have different power needs, and it is these power needs that help you determine the right motorhome surge protector to get for your respective RV.

One electrical difference RVs have deals with the type of connection with which they are fitted. Your RV could either have a 30-amp or 50-amp connection.

One way to tell the type of connection your RV has is by looking at the number of prongs on the connector at your power cord’s end.

If you have a 30-amp connection, the connector will have three prongs. On the other hand, if your RV has a 50-amp connection, the connector will have four prongs.

Once you know your RV’s electrical connection’s size, you can proceed to match it with the properly rated surge protector.

One important thing to note when doing this test, however, is the presence of an aftermarket adapter, which is sometimes called a ‘dogbone.’

If you bought your RV used, the previous owner could have installed an aftermarket adapter at the end of the power cord. Such an adapter can give you false readings, leading you to purchase a surge protector that is incompatible with your connection.

Portable vs. Permanent Surge Protectors

Besides the difference in amp rating, you also have the option of getting portable or permanent surge protectors for your RV.

Portable RV Surge Protector

With a portable surge protector, you plug it into the available power base’s female outlet, then connect your RV’s power cord. When leaving the campground, you simply unplug it and pack it up, ready to use at the next stop.

Here are some of the benefits of a portable surge protector:

• Easy to use
• Requires no installation
• You can test the outlet
• Easy to replace if damaged

Though portable surge protectors offer the best ‘plug and play’ options, they have a few drawbacks as well. These drawbacks include:

• You can easily forget them
• If an electrical base is low to the ground, you’d have to put the protector on possibly wet ground
• They can be easily stolen if not locked up
• You might have to purchase a lock separately

Permanent RV Surge Protector

Alternatively, you could get a permanent surge protector. A permanent or hardwired surge protector is directly and permanently hardwired into your RV.

It is usually installed underneath your rig, in the same compartment that you typically use to access your rig’s power cord. When connecting it, you place it between the power base and your camper’s electronics.

Here are some of the pros of a permanent surge protector:

• Optional digital display inside your RV to monitor your surge protector
• No need to worry about rain or other harsh weather conditions
• It cannot be stolen
• Installation is once and done
• Usually smaller than portable units

Some of the disadvantages with these types of surge protectors include:

• You often need to hire a professional to install them
• It is challenging to remove and keep them should you sell your RV

Despite such drawbacks, permanent surge protectors are easily the more durable and reliable option.

Best RV Surge Protectors Compared

Whether you are in the market for portable or hardwired surge protectors, or electrical management systems, you will not find a more comprehensive list of the best options available than the one we have created below.

Second-Best Surge Protectors

Though the above options are the best electrical management systems and surge protectors on the market, their prices might make them unobtainable for some.

While the following options will not offer you the same quality as the ones we’ve mentioned above, they still make it possible for you to provide your RV’s electrical system with the protection it deserves at lower prices.

FAQs

With numerous products available, becoming familiar with their features and functions can be overwhelming and confusing, especially if you are a new RV owner.

To offer you a bit of help, here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we here at The Wandering RV come across.

Conclusion

Whether you opt for a surge protector for campers or an electrical management system, having this device for your RV is necessary. Without it, you run the risk of damaging multiple appliances such as your air conditioner, refrigerator, and television.

What’s worse, the damages to your RV caused by a power surge will end up costing you many times more than the price of a surge protector or EMS.

While getting a quality device doesn’t come cheap, there is no telling the considerable amounts of money it can save you in the long run by shielding your RV’s electrical system and appliances from damage.

Give yourself the peace of mind of knowing that no matter where you plug it in, no electrical damage will happen to your RV and cut your vacation short.

Visit our website to find out about all the fantastic possibilities the RV lifestyle can offer you. Whether you need travel guides, campground reviews, or RV rentals, we have you covered at The Wandering RV.