When lightning is headed your way, and the weather service is predicting it will be a significant event, do you unhook your power pedestal to play it safe? And in case you’re interested, after you vote, watch the short video below for advice from our RV electricity expert Mike Sokol whether unhooking matters or not.
It may take a few moment for the poll to load. So stand by.
And now Mike’s advice. . .
I just never think about it. Only unplugged once in several decades and that was sort of by accident.
I know I should unplug, but always wait too long. Certainly won’t go out when the storm is about to hit. I have a surge protector, but it’s not top-of-the-line, and I’m not sure if it would protect the electrical system from a lightning strike.
On the poll about unplugging, I have only used shore power twice in 40+ years of camping.
After disconnecting from shore power, would it be safe to run the onboard generator? Doing so, I’d be able to run an air conditioner, microwave or other 120VAC appliance.
From my discussions with NOAA that should be perfectly safe.
Wouldn’t it be just as effective to flip the circuit breaker inside RV?
That is why I have Insurance on the coach. If I get struck, they can fix it.
Very true. But a good Surge Protector is additional insurance that can help protect your RV’s electrical system in the event of a nearby lightning strike. Also, if your RV’s electrical system is “fried” then your vacation is likely cut short. And most of us have a limited time window for family vacations, such as grandkids on school vacation, campgrounds that have been booked months or even a year in advance, etc… An insurance company cannot replace the time lost with your family.
I think Mike is off base here, and he should have added a VERY important caveat:
If a lightning storm is ANYWHERE nearby, you have NO BUSINESS going outside and fiddling with your RV connection. If you wish to protect your precious RV, you should ONLY unplug your shore power BEFORE any storm activity occurs. TV warns of impending storm? THEN is the time to unplug, NOT when a storm finally shows up. Your LIFE is worth MUCH MORE than the electronics in your RV.
That’s a good point. I didn’t mean to imply that you should unplug your RV from shore power DURING a lightning storm. You really want to unplug BEFORE the lightning storm gets close to you. If it’s lightning anywhere close to your campground, DO NOT go outside to unplug from shore power.