This article is about the best RV surge protector that you can get for your rig. And how to choose the right one for your RV.

So how much electrical protection do you really need for your rig? And we could also ask, do you even need electrical protection at all for your RV?

Well to answer that question, let’s ask a few more questions for you to think about.

Table of Contents

• How Do You Know Whether You Need An RV Surge Protector?
• What Does The Best RV Surge Protector Do Anyway?
• The First Kind Of Surge Protector And What It Does
• The Best RV Surge Protector And What It Does
• Electricity At RV Parks And Campgrounds Is Not Consistent
• Other Power Problems That The Best RV Surge Protector Prevents
• What Happens When The Surge Protector Senses Dangerous Electricity?
• What Brands Make The Best RV Surge Protector?
• Different Versions of EMS Surge Protectors
• How Much Do Surge Protectors Cost?
• Two Different Kinds Of Surge Protectors
• Pros And Cons Of Portable Surge Protectors
• Pros And Cons Of Permanent Surge Protectors
• Conclusion

How Do You Know Whether You Need An RV Surge Protector?

For instance, do you travel frequently in your RV? And do you find yourself staying at different RV parks and campgrounds as you go?

If you do, would you say that some of those parks and campgrounds could be considered a little old and dated?

Also, do you find yourself camping in high lightning strike areas sometimes? Where thunderstorms frequently happen?

Or do you camp in RV parks during high usage seasons where there’s lots of other campers around? When you’re all using the electrical grid at the same time?

And finally, do you have expensive electronic equipment in your RV that you really want to protect?

You know, things like computers, laptops, cell phones, TVs and things along that line?

Well, if you answered yes to any of those questions, you really should have an RV surge protector!

What Does The Best RV Surge Protector Do Anyway?

So what do surge protectors really do? Well, they protect the appliances, electronics and wiring in your RV from harm.

From things that could cause harm from power spikes and irregularities in the electrical line leading into your RV.

Now the point of this article is to discuss two different kinds of RV surge protectors that you usually encounter.

And to help you understand the differences between them. That way you can identify the best RV surge protector for your RV.

Now I see a lot of people making mistakes and buying the wrong kind of surge protector for their rig.

So this will be very important information for you to understand to avoid making the wrong choice.

The First Kind Of Surge Protector And What It Does

OK, the first kind of surge protector we’re going to talk about today is a very basic one.

And what it does is it prevents electrical spikes from doing damage to your RV.

In other words, it watches for power surges on the electrical line that is providing power to your RV.

After all, that’s what a surge protector is supposed to do, right?

And when it detects a dangerous surge of electricity, it shuts the electrical power off to the RV.

Now essentially, this basic kind of surge protector is just a bigger version of those home surge protector strips that many people like to use.

Of course, it also may warn you of other electrical issues when you plug it in at the power pedestal.

For instance, it may tell you that there is reverse polarity at the power pole. Or maybe an open ground or open neutral situation.

But it won’t prevent you from going ahead and plugging in at the pedestal anyway.

It only really takes action on one thing. And that is a sudden surge of electricity on the power line going into your RV.

The Best RV Surge Protector And What It Does

Now the second kind of surge protector for RVs is often called an electrical management system or EMS for short.

And this kind of surge protector protects against more electrical threats than the basic one.

Also, the key point is that it takes action on the electrical dangers that it finds.

Yes, it certainly does handle surges of electricity, just like the basic kind does.

But it also monitors for low voltage on the power line just as it does for high voltage.

Electricity At RV Parks And Campgrounds Is Not Consistent

And a lot of RVers really don’t understand this concept. They think that all electricity is the same when they plug into it at the RV park power pole.

But it’s not! And that is especially true from campground to campground as you travel.

In fact, electricity can fluctuate widely at times. From 90 volts all the way up to 180 volts.

But the electrical management system (EMS) surge protectors are constantly monitoring the electrical line. And the power that’s coming into your RV.

If there is a problem, the EMS will shut off the power too. Not only if there’s a surge in electricity. But also if it drops into low voltage territory.

And that’s because either one of those extremes can do real damage to your RV. And to the electrical components using power in your RV.

So for instance, if the power drops down to say 103 volts, it cuts off the power at that point. Then if it goes above 130 volts, it’ll cut it off in that case as well.

And that way your RV and all of the things in it are always protected.

So it keeps items like air conditioners, microwaves and sensitive electronics, as well as your appliances safe.

It’s constantly protecting them from overload on the one hand, and from not enough power on the other hand.

And both of those things are very important!

Other Power Problems That The Best RV Surge Protector Prevents

Now at the same time, an EMS surge protector will be looking for those other problems we mentioned earlier too.

Like reverse polarity, open ground, open neutral, and so on.

But the difference is how it handles those issues when you plug the EMS surge protector into the power pole.

Because if it senses those issues, it will not allow you to connect to the RV. Not until those dangerous situations are fixed.

Also, let’s say you that you plug in and everything is fine at first. But at some point while you’re camping things change in that power pedestal.

Well. in that case it will shut off the power until those things are fixed. And it happens automatically and fast enough to protect your RV.

What Happens When The Surge Protector Senses Dangerous Electricity?

OK, now let’s talk about what it does once it shuts power off to protect your RV.

Does that mean that you have to go out there and keep fiddling with it to figure out when things return to normal? Not at all!

Because again, after it shuts the power off to your RV, it continues to monitor the line.

And when it senses that the power situation has stabilized, after a minute or two it will restart and reconnect to the RV.

All of this happens without your having to work with it at all.

So it really takes a lot of the work out of electrical management for you. And makes protecting your RV at all times a very simple thing.

What Brands Make The Best RV Surge Protector?

Now there’s lots of brands of surge protectors out there on the market.

And many of them may be just fine. But I’m going to suggest three brands that I have either personally used or know quite a bit about.

And these brands are- Hughes Autoformers, Progressive Industries, and Southwire.

Now let me show you some examples of basic surge protectors made by these three companies.

Different Versions of EMS Surge Protectors

And you’ll note that they come in either 30 amp or 50 amp versions.

So what that means is that when you buy a surge protector you need to match it to your RV.

If you have a 30 amp service RV, you need a 30 amp RV surge protector. And if it’s 50 amp RV, you need a 50 amp protector.

How Much Do Surge Protectors Cost?

But when we look at these basic surge protectors notice that the cost is very inexpensive. Usually somewhere between $80 – $110 or so.

And that’s what you can expect to pay for a good quality basic surge protector.

But now let’s take a look at examples of 30 to 50 EMS surge protectors instead.

And all from these come from the same three well-known companies.

And when we do, notice that the price changes. It goes to somewhere between $200 – $275 dollars instead.

At least, these are the latest prices on Amazon at the point this article is being written.

And of course, you can get more expensive EMS surge protectors.

But usually when you’re paying more, it’s just for extra features. It’s not really for better actual protection itself. So what do we learn by all of this?

Well, what we learn is that an EMS surge protector is probably going to cost you 2 1/2 – 3 times what you would pay for a basic surge protector.

One that just prevents electrical spikes and doesn’t really do much else.

But in my opinion, the extra cost is well worth the added protection that they offer.

Two Different Kinds Of Surge Protectors

And there is another thing you need to know about EMS surge protectors too.

And that is that they can come in two different kinds. They come in portable versions. And they come in hardwired versions too.

Pros And Cons Of Portable Surge Protectors

Now the portable version simply means that you can take it with you wherever you go.

So you just plug it into the power pedestal when you set up at each campsite. And then you plug your RV’s power cord into it.

That makes the portable kind very easy to use. It’s just plug it in and go.

Also it can be moved to other RVs if you like. And that’s a big advantage. Because you can use it with any RV at any time.

But the disadvantage is that because it is portable, it is also easily stolen.

So it’s a good idea to have a way to secure a portable surge protector when it’s in use.

Pros And Cons Of Permanent Surge Protectors

Now the hardwired version makes plugging in at campgrounds super simple.

In fact, you don’t even have to think about it. Because it’s just part of the RV’s electrical system.

But to get that convenience, you have to install it on a permanent basis in your RV.

And you need to do it right so that you don’t do harm to your RV when you install it.

Also if you move to a different RV for some reason it can be difficult to move the surge protector as well.

Conclusion

So then, let’s ask this question. Are RV surge protectors really worth the money that you spend on them?

Well let me say this. Just one major electrical incident can cost you very dearly.

In terms of appliances, electrical wiring, your electronic gadgets and so on.

Yes, just one major incident can cost you several times the cost of an RV surge protector.

Of course, we wish that everywhere we went electricity was the same. And that it was always safe to use.

But when you’re an RVer, that is just not the way things really are.

So ultimately whether you choose to use a surge protector or not, and what kind of surge protector you choose to use, is really totally up to you.

But hopefully this article has helped you be able to make a more educated decision on the subject.

On what you feel will be best for you and your RV.

Have safe and happy RV travels!