Best RV Surge Protector In 2023 (Reviews and Comparison)

The SSP-50XL from Progressive Industries is one of the best choices if you are looking for a portable 50amp surge protector.

This baby has it all – it can detect open neutral, open ground, and reversed polarity connections. It can also detect if your pedestal is not wired correctly and warn you before your devices become fried.

But perhaps the best features of the product are those that recognize the challenges that people face with a portable surge protector. This device is weather-resistant, and UL certified, so you have complete surety that your product will last. In addition, it’s got a cover to protect your RV’s cable and a locking bracket to lock your surge protector onto the pedestal.

All of this comes at a fairly reasonable price, which makes it the best overall choice in our list of products.

What We Liked

This surge protector is durable. It is weather-resistant and UL-certified, so it will last in any weather conditions. In addition, the Lexan housing and strong pull handle to ensure that the device works for a long time.

We also love that the product has a locking bracket to insert your cable lock. So many surge protector manufacturers miss out on this tiny detail which makes a lot of sense when you are out on the campground.

The product comes with a lifetime warranty as well. It works in a wide range of temperatures and weighs very little.

What We Didn’t Like

The Joule rating of the SSP-50XL is lower than that of other surge protectors in our review (1,650 J). Therefore, if you camp at places where the campground power is poorly managed, this product will not last as long as others.

This unit will not protect you from other common electrical problems, such as accidentally plugging into a 240V outlet or frequency surges. Neither will it protect you from over and under-voltage.

If you are looking for a 50amp surge protector that does all the basics and still comes at a reasonable price, the Surge Guard 44290 should be your go-to product.

Its five-point multi-mode surge suppression offers you all the essential protection you need for your RV. It covers open ground, open neutral, reverse polarity, and plug overheating. It also tells whether the legs are missing voltage or reversed with the ground by mistake.

This device will also tell you if the shore power pedestal is faulty and protects you from instant damage. This product also has excellent user-friendly features, such as a T-shaped handle to pull the plug from the campground pedestal and a lock ring to keep your surge protector safe.

What We Liked

• It gets all the basics right – more than some other products. Apart from open neutral, open ground, and reverse polarity indicators, it also has an overheat indicator, L1 or L2 voltage missing, and faulty pedestal wiring indicators.
• This is easily one of the least expensive surge protectors in the 50amp variety, providing all the essential functions you need. And it’s durable, too.
• It has a Joules rating of 4,550, one of the highest in its category. In fact, this is the highest Joules rating in our list among all 50amp surge protectors that we reviewed.
• It is incredibly lightweight (just 1 pound)

What We Didn’t Like

• This model is not UL listed. The UL-listed variant of this model is the Surge Guard 44390, which is more expensive than this one.
• The product is not weather resistant. You might need to buy a cap or cover from your local electrical store to keep the unit protected if you expect rain at your campground.
• While the product has a limited lifetime warranty, it is only eligible if you buy it from authorized resellers.

The EMS-PT50X is the second product from Progressive Industries on our list. In fact, six out of the ten we have reviewed are products from them, and there is a good reason why. Their products are high in quality and always very durable.

Coming to the product, the first thing to understand is that this is an EMS, not just a surge protector. It offers a full range of features to protect your RV from damage. Features include high or low voltage protection, frequency surge protection, protection against accidentally plugging into a 240V plug, and all the essential functions of a surge protector like open neutral, open ground, and reversed polarity.

Like the SSP-50XL, this product is weatherproof and comes with a casing to protect it from rainwater and other elements. It also has a locking bracket and a handle at the plug point to pull it out easily.

What We Liked

• If you live in your RV full-time, you need something more than a surge protector to keep all your devices, such as satellite equipment, microwaves, TVs, etc., safe. This device will do that for you. It does not just indicate issues; it protects your RV against open ground, open neutral, or reversed polarity issues.
• All Progressive Industries products have user-friendly features such as a pull handle, a locking bracket, and a protective cover. We love this about their products, which is true for this one.

What We Didn’t Like

• This particular unit is not UL certified, so you don’t get the extra guarantee of safety.
• Despite a higher Joule rating (3,580 joules) than the SSP-50XL, it is still lower than other surge protectors.

The HWC50 is the only hardwired 50 amp surge protector on our list. This one is equivalent to the PT50-X in its capabilities (which means it can keep your RV safe from everything). The only difference is that it is hardwired, so you don’t have to worry about thieves stealing it or the EMS getting damaged due to weather.

Of course, that also means that the product costs more than most other options on our list. But when you think about the level of protection it provides, I am sure most will agree that this product is well worth the money. 

Apart from the open neutral, open ground, and reverse polarity problems, you are also safe from accidental plugging into 240V pedestals, miswired pedestals, and frequency fluctuations.

It has a nice little scrolling LED panel that gives you all the information about the electric current going into your trailer or RV. The display can be placed anywhere in the RV, and it is not a part of the unit itself.

What We Liked

• The sheer number of things it protects you from. When your RV is your home, you need to make it safe and secure because all your gadgets are inside the vehicle. This EMS will give you that peace of mind.
• The remote scrolling display – lets you look at all the specs and know if there is any problem.
• It is UL certified and comes with a lifetime warranty.

What We Didn’t Like

• The Joule rating is lower than other similar products on the market. This unit has a 3,580 joules rating.
• The instructions for wiring the remote displays to the main unit are unclear. 
• You need to get it installed by an RV technician (otherwise, the warranty is voided), which will probably cost.

One of the best features of the Camco 50amp Power Defender is that it automatically cuts off from a bad circuit and does not restore power until the wiring is corrected. 

It analyzes the circuit for electrical problems such as open ground, open neutral, open ground, reverse polarity, over or under voltage, etc. This is a weatherproof product, and when installed upright, it can withstand harsh weather conditions.

What We Liked

• It protects against electrical problems rather than just detecting them by cutting off the supply proactively.
• It is weatherproof and has a nice handle for inserting and removing the plug from the pedestal.
• It has a 4,200 Joules rating, the highest for all the products in our review.

What We Didn’t Like

• The locking bracket for installing a wire lock is relatively small and may not work for most locks.
• It is pretty heavy (6.8 pounds)

The EMS-HW30C is the 30 amp version of the EMS-HW50C that we reviewed above. This is a complete solution for all electrical problems: open neutral, open ground, reverse polarity, frequency fluctuations, over and under voltage, and miswired pedestal. 

This is a hardwired unit with a remote scrolling display that shows you all the stats from the comfort of your RV. The device is UL certified and easy to install and use. It also comes with a lifetime warranty.

What We Liked

• It can protect your RV from various electrical problems, giving you complete peace of mind.
• The remote scrolling display gives easy access to all information from inside the RV
• It comes with a lifetime warranty and has a UL certification.

What We Didn’t Like

• The remote display is slightly complicated to install
• It has a lower Joules rating than other products in the market.

Like the 44290, Surge Guards 30amp product 44280 is reasonably priced and can do all the basic things, such as detecting open neutral, open ground, and reversed polarity in your shore power pedestal.

It also lets you know if either leg 1 or leg 2 in your 50amp plug is missing voltage or is reversed with the ground by mistake. It lets you detect a faulty pedestal too. It has a nice T-shaped handle to help you pull out the plug and a locking bracket to help you lock it in place against the campground pedestal.

What We Liked

• It’s a reasonably priced product. It can protect you from most electrical problems at a bare minimum price.
• It has a superb Joules rating of 2,100 J, one of the highest among its peers. The higher the Joules rating, the longer will the surge protector be able to last against electrical surges.
• It has a few user-friendly features, such as a T handle to pull out the plug and a locking bracket. This makes it easy to install and use.

What We Didn’t Like

• It is not UL certified. The UL-certified version of this product is more expensive.
• It is not weather-resistant, so you might have to buy a separate cover for it.

The SSP-30XL is an excellent choice for portable 30amp surge protectors. It can detect open neutral, open ground and reversed polarity, miswired pedestals, etc.

It has a UL certification and is weather-resistant as well. It’s got a cover to protect it from weather and a locking bracket which you can use to lock it to the pedestal. It’s also priced reasonably.

What We Liked

• It has a lifetime warranty and is UL certified, unlike many other products available in this category.
• It is weather-resistant and is made with sturdy materials. The protective cover on top is something you don’t find on most other products.
• Protects against almost all major electrical faults and problems from shore power.

What We Didn’t Like

• It has a lower Joules rating than its competitors (825J). It will last less if you frequently get power surges in your area.
• It does not protect against frequency increase or decrease and over or under voltage.

This is an EMS, not just a surge protector. It can protect your camper from Open Neutral, Open Ground, Reverse Polarity problems, accidental plugging in 240V pedestals, miswired pedestals, and frequency fluctuations.

This product comes with a waterproof casing and a locking bracket to lock the EMS onto the campground pedestal. In addition, it has a LED panel at the top that gives you all the information about the quality of the power supply from the shore pedestal. 

It also has features like a protective cover on top for protection from the weather and a locking bracket to tie a lock around it.

What We Liked

• This is much more than just a surge protector. It keeps all your devices, such as satellite equipment, microwaves, TVs, etc., safe. It does not just indicate issues; it protects against them.
• It has user-friendly features such as a locking bracket, a pull handle, and a protective cover, making it easy to operate.
• It is not priced excessively high considering that it is an EMS. You get a good combination of features for the price at which it is offered.

What We Didn’t Like

• The unit is not UL certified. It is weather-resistant but not weatherproof – so you cannot depend 100% on its weather protection.
• It has a lower Joules rating than some of its peers, so it may not last as long.

The Surge Guard 35530 is our choice for the best 30amp hardwired surge protector. This product can protect your camper against:

• power surges,
• under and over voltage,
• miswired pedestal,
• open neutral,
• open ground, and
• reverse polarity.

This hardwired surge protector has an optional (paid) remote monitor that you can install anywhere in your camper. It does not have a scrolling display, but there is an easy-to-use joystick to scroll through the entries and see all the information yourself.

The best part about this surge protector is that it shuts off on power surges and resets automatically when power is restored. In addition, it does not let high voltage current pass onto your devices.

What We Liked

• It offers protection against a wide variety of problems related to the electric current coming into your RV. More importantly, it shuts off automatically and resets when power is brought back on if there is a surge or other problems in the current.
• It is UL certified, and since it is hardwired, it does not get damaged by weather.
• It has a very high Joules rating, in fact, the highest for products that we have reviewed in the 30 amps segment.

What We Didn’t Like

• Like all hardwired units, this requires a fair bit of understanding of circuitry before installation; otherwise, a technician might charge you extra money.
• The remote monitor is optional and paid for separately. We feel that the remote monitor should have been part of the product for a hardwired surge protector instead of being sold separately.