RV power is an important requirement for today’s RV. We all have sensitive electronics on-board like computers, home theater and sound systems that are very susceptible to power problems. Power problems such as a simple surge to faulty wiring and bad or improper grounding can cause a failure of most any type of electronic device or appliance such as microwaves, refrigerators.
RV Power Protection
Many people think RV power can be protected with a UPS or battery backup. But they would only be half right! Most UPS systems have built in surge protection which is perfect for the home or office perfect for surge and battery backup protection. You can get UPS battery backup for both electronic devices and appliances. You will find that the UPS for electronic devices like computers require a better quality of output than the UPS for light and many appliances.
The RV requires a different level of protection to go along with the UPS that the home and office can do without. The RV moves from place to place and must get their AC power from a pedestal in an RV park. This is where the additional problems need to be addressed. You will find surge and low voltage conditions that are more severe than the home or office. And more importantly, they can be wired wrong and have bad or no proper grounding. Just plug your UPS into a power outlet with problems of this nature and you will be repairing or replacing some equipment.
The RV requires total protection from reverse polarity damaging miss wiring conditions of the power pedestals you plug into. The UPS does not have that capability.
Here is a great video that goes into a little more detail of the requirements and they recommend the TRC Surge Guard add-on protectors. There are many excellent reviews of cases where these add-on devices have saved the RV owners from costly damage to their electronic equipment not to mention air conditioners.
RV Power Has Different Requirements
When you buy a new RV, it will most likely have an energy management system. All it does is monitor the energy you are consuming. It helps you to budget your power usage to keep from tripping your RV breaker of the campground pedestal breakers. Some will handle the load that gets too high and automatically shut down some of the heavier loads.
The important type to have for RV power is the add-on or wired in surge protector. They are available with different capabilities and prices but follow along and what is important to have will be clear. The RV power surge protector monitors the voltage entering your RV. It will cut the power before voltages that are too high or too low can enter and damage your electronic equipment. This is a very common capability of an RV surge protector.
The important capability for the RV surge protector to be able to do is identify wiring faults like open neutral, or ground. With wiring conditions like that on a standard 50 amp pedestal, the results can be devastating to your RV. There is no real protection for a direct lightning strike but the RV power surge protector does a great job protecting your electronic equipment from the surge.