I have said similar for years, in fact before we had SnapPads, I used to always put down rubber patio pavers under each motorhome jack because I never forgot the lesson that one of our local big dish satellite dealers taught me during those earlier home satellite days.
When 6-12 foot C-Band satellite dishes where popular, many people would install them many times 100 to 300 feet, sometimes further, away from their home or where their receivers were installed. The dishes themselves were always grounded and of course the coax continued that ground back to the receiver itself. The problem was that the manufacturers of almost all receivers and equipment at that time used three prong properly grounded cords, but the installers and businesses that sold and supported those dishes in those days started to notice a pattern that in houses that had proper grounded receptacle wiring that there were many repeat service calls for damaged and sometimes blown satellite receivers but in older homes where the owners often were forced to use 2-prong adapters (or worse, simply broke or snipped the 3rd cord (grounding) prong) on their receiver cords rarely to never seemed to have issues unless there was a much more direct lighting strike to their system, which of course nothing can protect from.
This was in the earlier days when the electronic and microelectronic industry was becoming more aware of the damage from static sources. I used to have to wear an anti-static wrist-strap while working/building computer systems before my workplace started coating the floors with anti-static paint...and then I went to a fairly local auction at the Cray Computer plant and was lucky enough to purchase anti-static generators that I incorporated over our work area and finally we were liberated from our anti-static shackles except off-site - but I digress!
The discovered logical reason these multiple grounded system were suffering damage was simple. If we take a hypothetical example of a direct lighting strike hitting something five or ten miles away from the satellite installation, the home might momentarily have a ground potential of 100,000 volts of static that is dissipating over that distance, while the ~100-300 foot closer satellite dish might have 150,000 volts of static to dissipate. A person's body standing in either location isn't usually susceptible to feeling that charge, but because the coax ties the dish and receiver together, if the receiver was grounded too, the receiver might experience a 50,000 volt difference, which it's electronics are susceptible too.
If we apply that to the typical campground scenario, your RV is supposed to only be ground at one spot - typically the campground power post (or your home power post). Generators and inverters set up an internal closed loop system, so that's not the same thing, but your power cord to that power post should have a single ground connection at it's source (the campground power post or campground distribution box or main properly grounded electrical box if at your home location). So while obviously not usually similar distances as in the satellite example unless you are using many extension cords in a hopefully reduced amperage situation if your jacks are grounded and not on pads and if a much closer direct lighting strike occurs somewhere in the park (let say a tree a few hundred feet or maybe even a quarter mile away), it is theoretically possible that there's a difference in potential between to power post or system and your grounded jacks that could possibly blow out some of your sensitive RV electronics. Admittedly probably a rare occurrence, but it is possible, which is why I prefer to minimize that chance by using SnapPads or other insulating material (I've always encouraged my children to at least use patio pavers under their stabilizers and front jack on their travel trailer since SnapPads aren't available for their specific use yet). The argument can be made that wet muddy conditions could lessen this protective measure, but it's usually less of a ground than direct metal contact in most scenarios.
Do what works best for your specific situation, but obviously in most cases a working good quality EMS surge protector is your first line of defense against most lighting and other electrical damage possibilities (remember the old Surge Guard "beware the power pedestal" toothed electrical monster advertising?), but keeping your RV insulated with only one known electrical ground is a worthwhile precaution in my book!
My previous RV was hit by a near miss lightening strike, within 8 feet. Strike took out everything in the RV that was electrical/electronic. After many months, the repair shop gave up on repairing and producing a safe and reliable repair.
After 7 months, the insurance company wrote the RV off, and paid both the repair shop and gave me the value of the coach. Other than time, it was a fair settlement.
what's your take on the lightning-strike protection (if any) provided by a STEEL FRAME RV, like my Winnebago/Itasca Sunova (2003)? It's not a fully-conductive metal skin Faraday cage, but surely it's an easier path to ground than some other constructions. In fact, it's actually a <loose> cage of sorts.
Morning Mike WOW what a cool experiment! Hey wait a minute you don't need a 30 foot Tesla coil for your test. Thinking you could use you VW Van as its around 20-1 scale, so why not make a replica scaled down Tesla coil or transformer & your cool Van. As you can see I don't have a clue what I'm talking about, but maybe it will inspire your upcoming creation!
I have said similar for years, in fact before we had SnapPads, I used to always put down rubber patio pavers under each motorhome jack because I never forgot the lesson that one of our local big dish satellite dealers taught me during those earlier home satellite days.
When 6-12 foot C-Band satellite dishes where popular, many people would install them many times 100 to 300 feet, sometimes further, away from their home or where their receivers were installed. The dishes themselves were always grounded and of course the coax continued that ground back to the receiver itself. The problem was that the manufacturers of almost all receivers and equipment at that time used three prong properly grounded cords, but the installers and businesses that sold and supported those dishes in those days started to notice a pattern that in houses that had proper grounded receptacle wiring that there were many repeat service calls for damaged and sometimes blown satellite receivers but in older homes where the owners often were forced to use 2-prong adapters (or worse, simply broke or snipped the 3rd cord (grounding) prong) on their receiver cords rarely to never seemed to have issues unless there was a much more direct lighting strike to their system, which of course nothing can protect from.
This was in the earlier days when the electronic and microelectronic industry was becoming more aware of the damage from static sources. I used to have to wear an anti-static wrist-strap while working/building computer systems before my workplace started coating the floors with anti-static paint...and then I went to a fairly local auction at the Cray Computer plant and was lucky enough to purchase anti-static generators that I incorporated over our work area and finally we were liberated from our anti-static shackles except off-site - but I digress!
The discovered logical reason these multiple grounded system were suffering damage was simple. If we take a hypothetical example of a direct lighting strike hitting something five or ten miles away from the satellite installation, the home might momentarily have a ground potential of 100,000 volts of static that is dissipating over that distance, while the ~100-300 foot closer satellite dish might have 150,000 volts of static to dissipate. A person's body standing in either location isn't usually susceptible to feeling that charge, but because the coax ties the dish and receiver together, if the receiver was grounded too, the receiver might experience a 50,000 volt difference, which it's electronics are susceptible too.
If we apply that to the typical campground scenario, your RV is supposed to only be ground at one spot - typically the campground power post (or your home power post). Generators and inverters set up an internal closed loop system, so that's not the same thing, but your power cord to that power post should have a single ground connection at it's source (the campground power post or campground distribution box or main properly grounded electrical box if at your home location). So while obviously not usually similar distances as in the satellite example unless you are using many extension cords in a hopefully reduced amperage situation if your jacks are grounded and not on pads and if a much closer direct lighting strike occurs somewhere in the park (let say a tree a few hundred feet or maybe even a quarter mile away), it is theoretically possible that there's a difference in potential between to power post or system and your grounded jacks that could possibly blow out some of your sensitive RV electronics. Admittedly probably a rare occurrence, but it is possible, which is why I prefer to minimize that chance by using SnapPads or other insulating material (I've always encouraged my children to at least use patio pavers under their stabilizers and front jack on their travel trailer since SnapPads aren't available for their specific use yet). The argument can be made that wet muddy conditions could lessen this protective measure, but it's usually less of a ground than direct metal contact in most scenarios.
Do what works best for your specific situation, but obviously in most cases a working good quality EMS surge protector is your first line of defense against most lighting and other electrical damage possibilities (remember the old Surge Guard "beware the power pedestal" toothed electrical monster advertising?), but keeping your RV insulated with only one known electrical ground is a worthwhile precaution in my book!
Mike, you should be able to find a junker RV with which to test the results of a lightning strike. As to that Tesla coil...
My previous RV was hit by a near miss lightening strike, within 8 feet. Strike took out everything in the RV that was electrical/electronic. After many months, the repair shop gave up on repairing and producing a safe and reliable repair.
After 7 months, the insurance company wrote the RV off, and paid both the repair shop and gave me the value of the coach. Other than time, it was a fair settlement.
Mike,
what's your take on the lightning-strike protection (if any) provided by a STEEL FRAME RV, like my Winnebago/Itasca Sunova (2003)? It's not a fully-conductive metal skin Faraday cage, but surely it's an easier path to ground than some other constructions. In fact, it's actually a <loose> cage of sorts.
Morning Mike WOW what a cool experiment! Hey wait a minute you don't need a 30 foot Tesla coil for your test. Thinking you could use you VW Van as its around 20-1 scale, so why not make a replica scaled down Tesla coil or transformer & your cool Van. As you can see I don't have a clue what I'm talking about, but maybe it will inspire your upcoming creation!
Thanks
Snoopy