Electrical damage??

[Kahoneys]

I have read many many posts about the need for the surge guards and I agree that they could be very useful. My question is "has anyone ever had damage from electrical damage?" I have camped for 20 years and have never had or heard of anyone getting damage.

[norty1]

Yes, a lightning strike fried my microwave and the surge protector a few years back.

[dmac]

Luckily no trailer damage but last summer I fried my progressive industries EMS when a campground was creating a new site next to mine and somehow caused a surge in the power pole. The EMS did it's job and most likely saved some trailer electronics.

[nunyadamn]

I have been camping in one form or another for the past ~10 years (rentals/class C/borrowing friends trailer/my trailer now coast to coast) and have not had any issues at any campground or at home. I have read the same as you and always get nervous when I read those posts, but I have not had an issue.

[BigJohnD]

Low voltage, or brown out canned my AC in our first rig. Every rig since then has had an EMS or autoformer. I still have my Frank's autoformer / voltage booster from 2006 I think, but hadn't used it in a long time. Ems does the job and lets me know if I need the autoformer.

[Screwby]

I've had house insurance or renters insurance since moving out of my parents house 24 years ago. I've not been robbed or had a fire, or had a guest get hurt on my property yet. It's not knowing it's going to happen, it's covering yourself in case your one of the unlucky ones that get hit. My $212 Progressive EMS is worth every penny for my peace of mind.

[JPBeck]

Yup fried my converter once when I hooked up to a mis wired 30 amp plug at a KOA. We don't have EMS because we have solar now and never camp with hook ups. Our batteries get charged rain or shine.


But if you are going to stay in a camp ground get one. I've seen them on sale at rv shows for less then 100 bucks up to 300$

[jasum]

On a new 5th wheel (at the time) we were in a campground that the electric was bad. It fried our brand new tv and a few other things never worked quite right after that happened.

[sennister]

Not us but my In-laws had the TV zapped in the bedroom a few years back. I think it was in their Montana that they had.

They had a hard time finding a replacement TV that would fit (before LCDs were common) so I opened it up and replaced the capacitors on the power board that were zapped. Not something for the average person to tackle but I took electronics classes in college.

[Vicr]

Yes at Fort Stevens State Park several years ago a transformer failed and every other campsite (on one phase of AC) single phased (240v on 120 connection) and fried everything connected to 120v in every RV on that phase in that loop of the park. Our friends next to us suffered $3000 in damage to their TT. Our in laws were plugged into 50a 240v and were saved by their surge suppressor/EMS.