We were in Wisconsin and and my husband was on night shift when a severe thunderstorm came up. Our camper and the one next to us were hit by lightening, the power went out...I immediately smelled electrical burning. The one brain cell that wasn't freaking out thought "this can't be good". As hard as it was raining something burning meant internal. So I ran to fuse box. Couldn't smell anything from there. During this time my protection dog was not barking but definitely trying to get my attention...It was probably 1 and a half min before i turned to him to see what his problem was. The slide out was half way in at this point...closing down on the area he was in. I shouted for him to be free and he came to me. I Ran for the button to stop the slideout...Found the Burning Smell! Pushed it, nothing...after a number of times if finally stopped almost all the way in...husband had disengage it.
Part I really feel bad about is Kai is a great level two trained dog...but now he will only sleep and eat in his kennel. Can't leave him in it when we are gone or he panic's. But next time I check with him and see what the problem is...first!
I just wondered if this is one of those fluke things that is so rare you just can't be concerned with or is there a way to disengage it when we are gone if weather is severe.
Bill and Linda said
11:34 AM Jul 13, 2012
Installing a whole rig EMS / Surge-Voltage-Proper Wiring, etc. Protector is more than just a very good idea.This is a lot more than a “surge protector” and is required to really protect the rig. You now have first hand experience to back up that statement.
There are several threads on this subject on the Forum - Rig electrical protection - not slides coming in. Obviously the eletrical system was "hit" during the storm.
This thread is a bit long and but has various responses and will give you some background from various RV-Dreams contributors as to why you need one of these:
It does require a little knowledge of electrical wiring to install, but it is not complicated. Please note, if the device costs $100 it is not a true EMS system. These are not inexpensive, but they are worth it and they work.
The device recommended also has a small readout as an option to place in the rig to give you a lot of good information about the power situation when you are plugged in.That may be an option you might want to consider.
Hope this get’s you started. Very sorry about your problem.
Bill
-- Edited by Bill and Linda on Friday 13th of July 2012 11:36:51 AM
RVRon said
03:47 PM Jul 13, 2012
Lightning can do some really weird things. I've been reading forums for quite a while and don't ever remember someone having a slide activate from a lightning strike. Evidently there was a power surge that managed to bypass the switch for the slide and caused it to start retracting.
They say lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place but I wouldn't take any chances. If you don't already have one get a GOOD surge protector for your rig. Progressive Industries makes about the best and it's what many of us here have installed. It will shut down the power to the rig before a surge can damage anything.
As for the dog... hopefully he'll get over the feeling that the walls are closing in on him!
Kai said
08:35 AM Jul 14, 2012
Thanks for all the great info...husband cert elect so I will show him the posts & your right we will install this since the next job in couple of months is on the coast in Fla. camping right on the water... nice... I laughed out loud RV Ron when you said "They say lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place but I wouldn't take any chances."
I actually was hit by lightening around 1984ish. I was taking a business call - burned my face, inside of mouth and "fried hair". Dr said after I was able to sleep brain would naturally "rewire" itself... debatable. It was about the size of softball, translucient blue and by face and going out end of 25'room at same time. Interesting! Life is never boring.
Bill and Linda said
03:31 PM Jul 14, 2012
As your husband is well qualified for this work let me suggest he consider the following:
Wire the Progressives Industries HW-50C between the shore power cord and the input to your generator change over switch.(Assuming you have a switch already installed.)There is little need for the device to protect you from the generator.By protecting only the shore cord IF the protection device should take a hit and / or fail then you still have the generator to fall back on.Additionally important by wiring it between the shore cord feed and the change over switch you protect the change-over switch as well.
The remote readout device I commented on has a manual by-pass control as well should the HW-50C need to be by passed.When in the by-pass mode the device will still protect the rig from true surges (transient surges) but will not protect the rig from high or low voltage nor check for the proper wiring on the campground pedestal.
I know some of this may sound like gibberish, but he will understand it.
Here is a better link showing the device with the remote readout:
Lightning can do some really weird things. I've been reading forums for quite a while and don't ever remember someone having a slide activate from a lightning strike. Evidently there was a power surge that managed to bypass the switch for the slide and caused it to start retracting.
They say lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place but I wouldn't take any chances. If you don't already have one get a GOOD surge protector for your rig. Progressive Industries makes about the best and it's what many of us here have installed. It will shut down the power to the rig before a surge can damage anything.
As for the dog... hopefully he'll get over the feeling that the walls are closing in on him!
Contrary to belief lightning does strike twice. Often quick in sucession when it does.
Kai said
03:21 AM Aug 24, 2012
Thanks for the great information. Your right...lol..I didn't get it all but husband did and liked it. We do not have a surge protector on now. We are packing as fast as we can heading for a job on the east coast of Florida for the next several months. When I woke up and saw the storm possibilities .. then your post.
As far my dog having residual problems from the lightening strike and almost getting trapped. A dog trainer (for hunting dogs suggested I move his cage and everything I could to make it different for him. So I took his cage out of the deep slideout area and put it by the door, which means also he can see me when i'm sleeping....makes for a calmer protection dog if they can see you. However we can still not leave him in his cage if we go off.... also are trying the Thunder Shirt. Thanks for caring.
Elizabeth
PIEERE said
04:39 PM Aug 24, 2012
Elizabeth: I would be checking the Natl' Weather Service as Isacc is suppose to come up part of Florida starting this weekend. The NE side of the storm is usually the worst and can spawn tornadoes (I know just what you wanted to hear) depends if it comes more easterly than predicted. Best to you and hope all goes well! Happy trails! Pieere
Kai said
08:49 PM Aug 24, 2012
Pieere, lol I am soo covered on the weather thing. My parents live in So. Florida...(went through Andrew) so they keep me up to date. We haven't been home in quite a while but must to renew my husbands drivers license (its commercial so can't be done through mail) and we are close enough the the coast in So Alab that we will be watching for which way it swings.
My husband says I'm one of those people that if something good is going to happen to one person it will me ...yeah... but it something bad or crazy, yup it is me also.
I woke my parents up at 3 am one time when i was on a power plant job So of Dallas. I had my 6 # dog tucked under my knees and stomach and had pulled the mattress and all the covers over us. A tornado was near and all I could hear was a train sound and rocks and hail hitting my camper. Threw my new grill across park. It moved the camper off the blocks and pushed it around a little. What woke me up was the doors in the cabinets over my head flew open and clothes started falling down...from the pressure building up. It was a year before we didn't shake when a storm came. 2 hours later I left for work... they put me in a room wrapping tools with safety sissors and bubble wrap instead of my regular job...still laughing over how I must have looked.
I think it is partly do to the fact if your out there living life...instead of watching others on TV things are bound to happen.
We were in Wisconsin and and my husband was on night shift when a severe thunderstorm came up. Our camper and the one next to us were hit by lightening, the power went out...I immediately smelled electrical burning. The one brain cell that wasn't freaking out thought "this can't be good". As hard as it was raining something burning meant internal. So I ran to fuse box. Couldn't smell anything from there. During this time my protection dog was not barking but definitely trying to get my attention...It was probably 1 and a half min before i turned to him to see what his problem was. The slide out was half way in at this point...closing down on the area he was in. I shouted for him to be free and he came to me. I Ran for the button to stop the slideout...Found the Burning Smell! Pushed it, nothing...after a number of times if finally stopped almost all the way in...husband had disengage it.
Part I really feel bad about is Kai is a great level two trained dog...but now he will only sleep and eat in his kennel. Can't leave him in it when we are gone or he panic's. But next time I check with him and see what the problem is...first!
I just wondered if this is one of those fluke things that is so rare you just can't be concerned with or is there a way to disengage it when we are gone if weather is severe.
Installing a whole rig EMS / Surge-Voltage-Proper Wiring, etc. Protector is more than just a very good idea. This is a lot more than a “surge protector” and is required to really protect the rig. You now have first hand experience to back up that statement.
There are several threads on this subject on the Forum - Rig electrical protection - not slides coming in. Obviously the eletrical system was "hit" during the storm.
This thread is a bit long and but has various responses and will give you some background from various RV-Dreams contributors as to why you need one of these:
http://rv-dreams.activeboard.com/t35365124/surge-protector/?page=1#lastPostAnchor
Howard has a nice write up in this thread as well.
Regardless, in almost all people’s opinion that have experience with these devices you need a good electrical protection system for the rig.
Several of us prefer this product as it has the best specifications:
http://www.progressiveindustries.net/ems_lchw50.htm
It does require a little knowledge of electrical wiring to install, but it is not complicated. Please note, if the device costs $100 it is not a true EMS system. These are not inexpensive, but they are worth it and they work.
The device recommended also has a small readout as an option to place in the rig to give you a lot of good information about the power situation when you are plugged in. That may be an option you might want to consider.
Hope this get’s you started. Very sorry about your problem.
Bill
-- Edited by Bill and Linda on Friday 13th of July 2012 11:36:51 AM
Lightning can do some really weird things. I've been reading forums for quite a while and don't ever remember someone having a slide activate from a lightning strike. Evidently there was a power surge that managed to bypass the switch for the slide and caused it to start retracting.
They say lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place but I wouldn't take any chances. If you don't already have one get a GOOD surge protector for your rig. Progressive Industries makes about the best and it's what many of us here have installed. It will shut down the power to the rig before a surge can damage anything.
As for the dog... hopefully he'll get over the feeling that the walls are closing in on him!
Thanks for all the great info...husband cert elect so I will show him the posts & your right we will install this since the next job in couple of months is on the coast in Fla. camping right on the water... nice... I laughed out loud RV Ron when you said "They say lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place but I wouldn't take any chances."
I actually was hit by lightening around 1984ish. I was taking a business call - burned my face, inside of mouth and "fried hair". Dr said after I was able to sleep brain would naturally "rewire" itself... debatable. It was about the size of softball, translucient blue and by face and going out end of 25'room at same time. Interesting! Life is never boring.
As your husband is well qualified for this work let me suggest he consider the following:
Wire the Progressives Industries HW-50C between the shore power cord and the input to your generator change over switch. (Assuming you have a switch already installed.) There is little need for the device to protect you from the generator. By protecting only the shore cord IF the protection device should take a hit and / or fail then you still have the generator to fall back on. Additionally important by wiring it between the shore cord feed and the change over switch you protect the change-over switch as well.
The remote readout device I commented on has a manual by-pass control as well should the HW-50C need to be by passed. When in the by-pass mode the device will still protect the rig from true surges (transient surges) but will not protect the rig from high or low voltage nor check for the proper wiring on the campground pedestal.
I know some of this may sound like gibberish, but he will understand it.
Here is a better link showing the device with the remote readout:
http://www.progressiveindustries.net/ems_hw50c.htm
The manual for the device may be downloaded here:
http://www.progressiveindustries.net/manuals/HW50C.pdf
I hope this helps and safe travels
Bill
Thanks for the great information. Your right...lol..I didn't get it all but husband did and liked it. We do not have a surge protector on now. We are packing as fast as we can heading for a job on the east coast of Florida for the next several months. When I woke up and saw the storm possibilities .. then your post.
As far my dog having residual problems from the lightening strike and almost getting trapped. A dog trainer (for hunting dogs
suggested I move his cage and everything I could to make it different for him. So I took his cage out of the deep slideout area and put it by the door, which means also he can see me when i'm sleeping....makes for a calmer protection dog if they can see you. However we can still not leave him in his cage if we go off.... also are trying the Thunder Shirt. Thanks for caring.
Elizabeth
Pieere, lol I am soo covered on the weather thing. My parents live in So. Florida...(went through Andrew) so they keep me up to date. We haven't been home in quite a while but must to renew my husbands drivers license (its commercial so can't be done through mail) and we are close enough the the coast in So Alab that we will be watching for which way it swings.
My husband says I'm one of those people that if something good is going to happen to one person it will me ...yeah... but it something bad or crazy, yup it is me also.
I woke my parents up at 3 am one time when i was on a power plant job So of Dallas. I had my 6 # dog tucked under my knees and stomach and had pulled the mattress and all the covers over us. A tornado was near and all I could hear was a train sound and rocks and hail hitting my camper. Threw my new grill across park. It moved the camper off the blocks and pushed it around a little. What woke me up was the doors in the cabinets over my head flew open and clothes started falling down...from the pressure building up. It was a year before we didn't shake when a storm came. 2 hours later I left for work... they put me in a room wrapping tools with safety sissors and bubble wrap instead of my regular job...still laughing over how I must have looked.
I think it is partly do to the fact if your out there living life...instead of watching others on TV things are bound to happen.