Driving home on our vacation from Myrtle Beach to Goodyear AZ, we stopped overnight in Hoover, Alabama at Hoover Met Complex. We have stayed at this particular RV park in the past. The Hoover Met Complex is a sports facility and events venue that consists of an outdoor baseball stadium hosting the SEC Baseball Tournament (No RV camping during this event). They also have 5 other outdoor fields for baseball, softball, soccer, football and lacrosse. There is a tennis center with 16 outdoor courts. On the premises is the indoor Finley center with 11 basketball courts, 17 volleyball courts, a .21-mile indoor walking track, pickleball courts and a climbing center. Also a RV park with 170 pull-thru parking sites.
The RV Park is a giant cement parking lot with RV parking sites. There is 20/30/50-amp electric service, sewer and water hook-ups as well as wi-fi access. This is a dog friendly RV park. The RV Park does not offer cable TV, bathroom/bathing facilities, or laundry facilities. RV guests can enjoy access to the indoor walking track in the Finley Center. Reservations can be made on-line for the specific site you want. The web site states you can make reservations by calling but I have yet to ever been able to get ahold of anyone or receive a call back. You can also go to the Finley center guest services, but we always arrive in the evening time and the center has not been opened so, I can’t verify this option. They offer 10% active and retired military discount and 10% off for Good Sam but I have not been able to utilize the offer on-line. The sites are $57.00 a night per this writing with a $2.00 booking fee. There is a $25.00 cancelation fee. All sites are the same size and can accommodate up to 45 feet RV with slide-outs on both sides.
Would We Recommend this RV Park
The first time we stayed at this RV park we encountered no problems, so we stayed here again. This time was different. When we arrived at the RV park, there was someone in the spot we had reserved. It was late so we didn’t knock on their door and just picked another spot for the night. I did call the phone number that was shown on their website, but no one answered, nor did I ever receive a returned call. Since the electric pedestal was close to our electric plug we went ahead and used our 50-to-30-amp adapter (which we have done multiple times in the past) so we didn’t have to pull out our huge 50-amp cord. When we don’t need to use an air conditioner or only need to use 1 air conditioner, we will use this method if the adaptor reaches from the pedestal to the RV. Up to this point, we never used a surge protector for this application…we do, however, always use a 50-amp surge protector when we hook-up to 50-amp service. Why didn’t we think we needed a surge protector for this application is beyond me?
Big Mistake
When we went into the trailer, we had no power to the refrigerator and the puck lights in the ceiling of the living room slide out didn’t work. Looked in the fuse panel box and fuse light #4 was red, we had a blown fuse, but the breaker was still on. We had no extra fuses (another thing to add to your RV toolbox) so we took a 15-amp fuse from another appliance. It arced and fused the metal when we tried to put it in the #4 spot (refrigerator). All the outlets were working for the refrigerator and in the slide-out the refrigerator is in. We ran the refrigerator on propane overnight and called it a night.
Next Day
It was Sunday but we went ahead and called a local Mobil RV guy but had to leave a message as there was no answer. We went ahead and left the RV park and stopped at the local Walmart and bought fuses. John, the Mobil RV guy called us back, on a Sunday. He took the time and listened to what happen. He then took the time and explained to us there was either too much power coming to the trailer or not enough ground which blew the fuse and why it continued to arc. We continued on our way home and stopped overnight in Terrel, TX at Terrel RV park. We hooked up to 50-amp shore power with our 50-amp cord with our surge protector. We were able to replace the fuse without any arcing and the refrigerator was working once again…without any problems. The puck lights were still not working in the living room slide out though.
We continued on our way home the next morning and spoke to John, the mobile RV guy again regarding the puck lights in the slide out. He stated that he has had over 70 calls regarding the same issue from people who have stayed at Hoover Met Complex. Unfortunately, some RV’s entire electrical systems have been fried due to their shore power and not using a surge protector.
We arrived at Hacienda RV Park in Las Cruces, New Mexico; our last stop overnight before we got home. The puck lights continued not to work and now the plug ins in the slide out and the kitchen island didn’t work. Also, the entire entertainment center’s electric was out and the DSI light came on for the water heater. We reset the GFI, and the entertainment center’s electric and the water heater now worked but all the power continued to be out in the living room slide out and the kitchen island. All the fuses were good, and no breakers were tripped.
Once Back Home
One we returned home we plugged our RV into the house, like we always do, and the house outlet tripped. We then turned on our generator and we had no power to anything in the RV. We had Vision Mobile RV Repair out of Buckeye, AZ come to our RV storage unit to figure out what the heck was going on. After their assessment it was determined the surge fried our power converter and the GFI outlet. After replacing those two items we had power to everything except the living room slide out area. Vision Mobile removed the underbelly to see if it was a wiring issue.
Coincidence
All the wiring to the living room slide out was wrapped around the slide out bar. We had a new underbelly and some other work done a few months prior to this mishap, so the wiring was probably not secured as well as it should have been along with the many miles driven on crappy roads of the Interstate systems. The slide out ended up being OK. Strange how this all happened at the exact same time as the power surge issue.
Expensive Lesson Learned
Yes, you do need a power surge protector every single time you hook up to shore power. Even after years of RV’ing, we learned the expensive way. Don’t be us.
What is a Surge Protector
Surge protectors are a connection between your RV’s electrical system and the shore power you are going to connect to that forms a protection barrier for your RV’s electrical system. Your RV is a moving home, so you will not always know where your source of power is coming from or what problem(s) you may face with that power source. A surge protector “protects” power transfers by acting as a filter for your electrical system.
How Does a Surge Protector Work
A surge protector blocks the surges pathway to your RV’s electrical equipment so appliances within your RV’s system doesn’t get damaged. Surge protectors protect by recognizing power failures and protect your RV from too high or too low voltage and weather-related power surges.
What to look for in a Surge Protector
- Amount of joule surge protection: The amount of protection needed depends on the type and how many electronics/appliances you have and will be using in your RV.
- Circuit analyzer: A surge protector that doubles as a circuit analyzer to verify the power source you are plugging into is correctly wired prior to you actually plugging in your RV. Ensure there are clear LED indicator lights, so the analyzer is easy to understand.
- Material construction: constructed of flame-retardant material, has a waterproof cover/case to keep connections dry and protected from rain, wind, sand, and sun.
How Many Joules Does my surge Protector Need to be?
A joule is a unit of energy. For a surge protector, the joule rating measures its energy absorption capacity before failure. So, a surge protector with a higher joule rating will provide better protection than one with a lower joule rating.
How Many Joules is Enough?
Surge protectors are rated for a certain number of joules. The higher the joule rating the more energy the surge protector can handle. Not only do you have your standard RV appliances: air conditioner(s), microwave, water heater, refrigerator, TV(s), vacuum system, lights; but also any other electronics and appliances you bring and use: coffee maker, fans, dehumidifiers, laptops, gaming systems, cell phones, radio, crock pot, blender, and anything else that needs to be charged. All these devices you plan on using in your RV require power. Power, measured in watts is the rate at which energy is transferred or used, and is equal to one joule per second: 1 watt= 1 joule. The wattage for appliances is usually located on the cord. Once you know the wattage of each device, you can calculate the total wattage being used by your RV. Add the wattage of all your devices being used: 1 watt=1 joule/sec. Once you know the approximate total wattage/joules you will need on a trip, you can find a surge protector with a high enough joule rating to protect all your devices.
What is a RV Circuit Analyzer
A RV circuit analyzer is a complete surge protection device that tests the shore power you are plugging into in one unit. It checks the quality of power before you plug your RV in. Once your RV is plugged in, it continues to monitor the quality of power while your RV is connected. Using a surge protector before connecting your RV into shore power will ensure there are no problems to the power supply or detect a faulty wiring problem to the power supply you are plugging into. The circuit analyzer will show causes of the fault with diagnostic led lights: open ground, open neutral, reverse polarity, reverse heat/ground, and no power. Some models show high temperature also. The idea is to ensure there are no problems with the power source you are plugging into before you actually plug your RV into it…prevention saves $$$$.
Simple Steps to use a Surge Protector
- Plug the surge protector into shore power/charging station
- Turn the pedestal power on
- Check indicator lights on surge protector to make sure the wiring condition is correct
- Turn off the power on pedestal
- Plug your RV power cord into the surge protector
- Turn power back on, on pedestal
Pro-tip
Check the electrical pedestal with your surge protector before unhooking and setting up your RV. If something is wrong with the pedestal, it will save you the headache of re-hooking up your RV and moving.
Yes, you do Need a Surge Protector
Learn from our expensive mistake and save yourself money, time and headaches and invest in surge protectors for your RV cords.