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06-14-2008, 03:46 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 100
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I was just reading about an individual whose Class A was struck by lightening and the subsequent damage that this caused. Has anyone investigated the positive or negative merit of driving a grounding rod and grounding the chassis while parked (campground or home).
Randy
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06-14-2008, 03:46 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 100
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I was just reading about an individual whose Class A was struck by lightening and the subsequent damage that this caused. Has anyone investigated the positive or negative merit of driving a grounding rod and grounding the chassis while parked (campground or home).
Randy
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06-14-2008, 04:34 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 683
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In essence,the coach is grounded through the neutral if hooked up to an electrical service in a campground.A ground rod would probably be redundant.I feel very vulnerable in my plastic shack on wheels when the thunder cracks!
__________________
04 Southwind 37C W22
DIY Rear Panhard Rod
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06-14-2008, 08:51 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 100
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What I am curious about, Would the ground rod protect the electronics by giving the lightening induced voltage spike a cleaner path to ground or would it turn the MH into a lightening rod and attract stikes?
Randy
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06-15-2008, 02:24 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: st.charles mo.
Posts: 1,482
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I realy don't think it would protect The apliances in your MH. Lightning hit a house a block away from ours and I lost 1 TV and a garagedoor opener and several other people lost electrical items and every house here has an 8ft. grounding rod.
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06-15-2008, 03:08 AM
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#6
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Administrator in Memoriam
Newmar Owners Club Retired Fire Service RVer's Spartan Chassis
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Newark, DE
Posts: 25,898
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The ground rod question comes up from time to time, and the consensus is, it's not going to help.
The more serious issue is the chance of hitting the buried utilities at a campsite when driving the rod in.
__________________
Adios, Dirk - '84 Real Lite Truck Camper, '86 Wilderness Cimarron TT, previously 4 years as a fulltimer in a '07 DSDP
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06-15-2008, 06:39 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Appalachian Campers
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Dixie !! (north Georgia) USA
Posts: 4,113
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The more serious issue is the chance of hitting the buried utilities at a campsite when driving the rod in. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Now THAT would be a pain in the backside, or worse, to find it with a high dollare tire as you pull in.
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06-15-2008, 03:53 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 355
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The elec. system has multiple grounds that are, if properly installed, a much better ground than any single rod you could put in. Driving the rod into the various underground utilities would make you liable for damages. Also how would you get it back out of the earth? Just forget it.
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06-15-2008, 04:15 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Posts: 5,173
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The more serious issue is the chance of hitting the buried utilities at a campsite when driving the rod in. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
That should light up your life.
Lightning will most likely strike the tallest object. Try to park in the vicinity of a nice tall utility pole or tree (pines work well) but not so close as to have them fall on you.
If none are available, try to get a golfer to stand outside well away from your MH and wave off the storm with a couple of his irons. Try to pick a golfer that you don't particularly like.
__________________
Travel well, travel safe,
Jim
2006 Tiffin Phaeton - 2011 Cadillac SRX
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06-15-2008, 04:17 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Blairsville,GA
Posts: 257
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The MH is not grounded thru the neutral, there is a seperate wire in the cord just for equiptment grounding (though the neutral and ground are connected together at the utility service). With a direct strike not much of anything is going to save it. Most damage is done by a strike in close proximity traveling through utility lines. If you have a surge guard or simular, it will help. A single driven ground rod is about the worst ground you can get. Metal cold water lines buried for more than 10', re-bar in concrete footers and others are far superior. Though ground rods are easier to add later. You can drive multiple ground rods at your home tied to your utility service. Having a better ground does not necessacarily draw lighting, it just gives it a better path to ground instead of running through your house and motor home. If you own or lease a MH lot, install extra ground rods at that meter. Call the utilities protection line to have them mark the utilities, it is free and is much better than driving an 8' copper rod through a 240 volt electric line or gas line.
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06-15-2008, 06:16 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 1,264
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by historyljc:
[QUOTE]object. Try to park in the vicinity of a nice tall utility pole or tree (pines work well) but not so close as to have them fall on you.
If none are available, try to get a golfer to stand outside well away from your MH and wave off the storm with a couple of his irons. Try to pick a golfer that you don't particularly like. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I think I know a few
__________________
Dawn and Mark
06 HR Endeavor 40 PET
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06-16-2008, 01:00 AM
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#12
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Moderator Emeritus
Country Coach Owners Club Appalachian Campers Gulf Streamers Club
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Chattanooga, Tn.
Posts: 12,060
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In a bad electrical storm, I would rather be insulated, jacks up, power and water diconnected; just sitting on the rubber tires. Electrcity; in this case lightening will take the path of least resistance. I want to be high resistance.
__________________
Mike, RVIA & RVSA Certified Master RV Technician
Amy, Dr. Assistant - Roxie & Mei Ling, four legs each
2000 Gulf Stream Scenic Cruiser 450 hp & 1330# torque
06 Saturn Vue, 06 Chevy Z71 4x4 & 2014 Corvette Z51 M7
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06-16-2008, 05:18 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Mid Atlantic Campers Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,611
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RV Wizard:
In a bad electrical storm, I would rather be insulated, jacks up, power and water diconnected; just sitting on the rubber tires. Electrcity; in this case lightening will take the path of least resistance. I want to be high resistance. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
RV Wizard is right on !!
At a recent local MH rally we had a well known local meterologist as a speaker. I asked him a question about lightning strikes on motorhomes. His response was that at the early sign of a bad thunderstorm, put jacks up, disconnect electric line and water. He added if you hear thunder or see a lightning flash you are close enough to be struck.
__________________
04 Winnebago Sightseer, 35N, W22 Chassis
Amateur Radio - WB2LOU
Education is the only legal cure for Ignorance. The Stupidity of many is incurable.
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06-16-2008, 09:25 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Pond Piggies Club Appalachian Campers Mid Atlantic Campers
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sarver, PA/Crystal River, FL/Shelocta, PA
Posts: 4,671
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During a lightning storm you want to be un-grounded.
Think wearing a pair of golf shoes in a lightning storm. Not good.
-Tom
__________________
Sarver, PA/Crystal River, FL/Shelocta, PA · FMCA 335149 · W3TLN 2005 Suncruiser 38R · W24, no chassis mods needed · 2013 Honda Accord EX-L · 2008 Honda Odyssey EX-L
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