Valterra is now offering an RV surge protector, a new product for the company. The company’s SurgeMinder is available in 30-amp and 50-amp versions.
Valterra, a California-based supplier owned by Dometic, carries a full line of Mighty Cord electrical items in 30-amp and 50-amp sizes. Valterra Vice President Bryan Fletcher said the company’s new SurgeMinder surge protectors and Mighty Cord circuit testers were natural next steps.
“Mighty Cord electrical items have been extremely popular with dealers and RVers for many years,” Fletcher said. “As the electrical devices used on RVs continue to expand and become more sophisticated, we wanted to offer electrical system protection and detection.”
A voltage spike is a brief ramp-up in voltage or surge that lasts up to a few milliseconds. Voltage spikes can damage electronics and CPU chips if the electronics are not protected. Because modern electronic devices are getting smaller, they are more susceptible to the spikes.
Surge protectors use metal oxide varistors (MOVs) to eliminate or reduce voltage spikes.
A surge protector’s joule rating and its max current rating determine how much energy a device can absorb before failure. While the total amount of energy a device can absorb is an important metric, how the MOVs are arranged within the surge protector is equally important, Valterra said.
“Some competitors use one MOV, which limits the voltage passed through, but they may not withstand higher energy pulses or numerous small pulses,” Fletcher said. “Others use multiple parallel MOVs that absorb greater amounts of energy but allow more voltage to pass through, which may damage devices in the RV. The SurgeMinder operates in two parallel MOVs per circuit, reducing voltage levels passed through while absorbing enough energy to protect an RV.”
Designed and tested in North America and manufactured in China, the SurgeMinder is ETL-listed for safe use throughout North America.
The SurgeMinder is different from other surge protectors, Fletcher said, because it incorporates an overheating indicator, an in-use cover and anti-lock features.
Overheating can wear out connectors and cause system failures. Knowing when a connection is overheating can save an RV, the company said.
Not all RV park pedestals are enclosed. Using a surge cord with a cover prevents connections from getting wet. Covers are required for outdoor appliances to be approved by UL- or ETL-rated, Valterra said. Locking the SurgeMinder prevents tampering or theft.
The SurgeMinder will be shipped to distributors in early December.
