Do You Really Need an RV Surge Protector? Tips for Protecting Your RV’s Electrical System

Do You Really Need an RV Surge Protector? Tips for Protecting Your RV’s Electrical System
Learn how to avoid costly repairs caused by power surges and electrical issues.

By: Kenny & Sabrina Phillips

When traveling by RV and staying at various campgrounds, you never know how stable or reliable the power supply will be. With so many expensive appliances on board, it's important to protect your motorhome or travel trailer from electrical issues. That’s where a quality surge protector comes in. 
 
The main idea behind a surge protector is that it absorbs the brunt of a power surge, shielding your RV’s appliances from damage. Without one, a single surge could cause damage to critical equipment like your air conditioner, microwave, air fryer, TV, and more. A good surge protector can start at under $100, which is a small price to pay compared to the thousands of dollars in potential repairs or replacements it can help you avoid. It's money well spent. 

Which RV Surge Protector is Best?

When shopping for a surge protector, you'll quickly discover that not all of them offer the same level of protection. Some are basic, while others provide monitoring and additional safeguards. 

The primary function of a surge protector is to prevent voltage and amperage spikes from reaching your RV and damaging sensitive electronics. However, there are other electrical hazards to be aware of at campground pedestals, such as reverse polarity, open ground, and open neutral. If a surge protector detects any of these conditions, it is likely there is faulty or dangerous wiring at that site. In such cases, you should either ask to be moved to a different site or ask the campground host to inspect the pedestal.

To determine which surge protector is right for you, the first thing you need to know is what power system your RV operates on so that you get a surge protector that matches your system. The two main types of RV power systems are 30-amp and 50-amp.

There are different tiers of surge protectors, and some go beyond just spike protection. Higher-end models include an EMS (Electrical Management System), which actively monitors for a range of electrical issues. These can detect low voltage (which can be just as damaging as high voltage) and automatically shut off power to your RV when unsafe conditions are detected, then resume power when it's safe. EMS surge protectors often include advanced features like digital display screens and wireless monitoring via smartphone apps.

Our Go-To Surge Protector 

To help you determine which surge protector is right for you, I’ll start by sharing what we use. Our Winnebago Vista is a 30-amp RV, and our surge protector offers features just above the basic level. It protects our RV from power surges and also detects reverse polarity, open ground, and open neutral. It uses simple LED lights to indicate these issues and does not have a digital display or smartphone connectivity.

The reason we don’t use a more advanced surge protector is because of the unique power system we installed in our 2016 Vista. After the power passes through our surge protector, the incoming power goes to a Victron Multiplus 3000-watt inverter. This unit monitors power to ensure it stays within safe parameters similar to an EMS surge protector. But our setup goes a step further, it can use our lithium house batteries to boost low voltage when needed. Like some high-end EMS units, we can also monitor our system via smartphone.

I can even adjust the settings for it to recognize when we’re plugged into 15-amp power, and it will manage our energy use accordingly by pulling from the lithium batteries and solar. This has been especially helpful while traveling in Mexico, where many campgrounds only offer 15-amp service.

Note that our RV is a 2016 model, so many newer RVs may also have some built-in protection. Be sure to review your operator’s manual to understand what your electrical system includes and how to best protect it from potential issues.

It’s also important to note that our Victron 3000 inverter is not a substitute for a surge protector. In fact, the surge protector helps protect the inverter itself from major surges and I never recommend going without one.

You can learn more about our solar and battery setup here. 

If we didn’t have our solar/battery system, I’d personally opt for a more robust surge protector that can actively shut down power to protect the RV and automatically restore it when safe. That said, Sabrina and I do travel outside the U.S. quite a bit. If we were only traveling in the United States, I would feel more comfortable with the surge protector we use now since we’ve rarely run into power issues in the U.S. that it couldn’t handle. I think it provides good protection without breaking the bank, but I wouldn’t go with anything less. 

I strongly believe it’s essential to have coverage for reverse polarity, open ground, and open neutral. If you are looking for those same features but want some added control and shutoff protection, then I would suggest an option with EMS that also allows you to change out the surge module which is located inside the surge protector. These surge protectors are more than $300, but by allowing you to replace the surge module it could save you money over time as the entire unit does not need to be replaced after taking a large power strike, only the $30-40 module would need replacing. 

The Importance of RV Power Adapters and How to Use Them

RV power adapters, also known as RV "dog-bone” adaptors, are used when your RV’s power requirements don't match what's available at a campground and are another important item to have on hand. For example, if you have a 50-amp coach but the campground only offers 30-amp service (or vice versa), you’ll need an adapter. I also carry a dog bone that allows us to connect our 30-amp RV to a standard 15-amp household outlet, which we use often while traveling in Mexico.

When using these adapters, it's important to remember that they do not increase your available power. In fact, they usually decrease it. If you have a 30-amp coach and plug into a 50-amp pedestal using an adapter, you’re still limited to 30 amps—which is not a big deal.

However, when you plug a 50-amp RV into a 30-amp power source, that’s when problems can arise. Your RV will now be limited to just 30 amps of available power. This means you won't be able to run high-power appliances like the microwave, air conditioner, and coffee maker all at once. Trying to do so will likely trip the 30-amp breaker at the pedestal.

The same applies when plugging a 30-amp RV into a 15-amp outlet, you’ll need to be cautious and usually only run one major appliance at a time to avoid blowing a breaker.

Closing Thoughts on RV Power Protection

I hope this article has helped clear up some questions and concerns you may have about RV power. I know for some of you this might be brand new territory. If you have a question, feel free to leave a comment below, and either I or someone from Winnebago will do our best to answer it. If you're shy about posting publicly, you can always follow me @MovingForwardAdventures on Instagram and send me a private message.