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Old 06-14-2008, 03:46 PM   #1
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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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Old 06-14-2008, 03:46 PM   #2
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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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Old 06-14-2008, 04:34 PM   #3
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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!
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Old 06-14-2008, 08:51 PM   #4
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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?
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Old 06-15-2008, 02:24 AM   #5
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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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Old 06-15-2008, 03:08 AM   #6
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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.
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Old 06-15-2008, 06:39 AM   #7
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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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Old 06-15-2008, 03:53 PM   #8
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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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Old 06-15-2008, 04:15 PM   #9
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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.
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Old 06-15-2008, 04:17 PM   #10
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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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Old 06-15-2008, 06:16 PM   #11
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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
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Old 06-16-2008, 01:00 AM   #12
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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.
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Old 06-16-2008, 05:18 AM   #13
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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.
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Old 06-16-2008, 09:25 AM   #14
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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
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