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03-30-2019, 09:05 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Utah
Posts: 11
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Surge Protectors
We have never camped anywhere that had full hook-ups before but plan to do so this coming July. I think we need a surge protector but everything I read is confusing to us. I believe Progressive is a good option and what we are considering but I have a question. We know we have one blown fuze in our TT and a light that does not work but that we don't care about. Everything else in our TT works fine. Will this prevent the surge protector from working and providing power to our TT?
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03-30-2019, 09:09 AM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,350
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If you have a blown fuse for an interior light, that is 12VDC and has nothing to do with the 110VAC stuff including the converter, shore power or potential surge protector.
ANY surge protection is better than none, that said there are a few choices and features. I have a hardwired 30A with remote display form Progressive Industries. Look on line at the reviews before you decide on brand and features. in this case you really get what you pay for.
__________________
2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.
Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
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03-30-2019, 09:09 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Fairfax
Posts: 507
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If you have a blown fuse, it will only impact the attached circuit/devices. This is downstream from the trailer surge protector. The progressive industries EMS's will protect the power coming into the trailer before it even hits your Power Center - at the source.
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2019 GMC Sierra 3500HD Denali Diesel DRW (Crew Cab | 8 Ft bed | OEM Puck System | Curt Gooseneck Ball for OEM Puck)
(OLD) 2018 GMC Sierra 2500HD Denali Diesel (Crew Cab | 6.6 Ft bed)
2019 Grand Design Solitude S-Class 3740BH-R Fifth Wheel (Onan 5500W LP Generator | MORryde SRE4000 Suspension | 3x Cross Members | Sailun S637 ST | Reese GooseBox 20k 2nd Gen)
(OLD) 2018 Keystone Hideout 28RKS Travel Trailer
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03-30-2019, 10:27 AM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,695
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If you are looking at "surge protectors" look a bit further for an "EMS" (electrical management system). A true surge protector won't do much for you but the ems can/will really save your bacon. They aren't cheap but they are a bargain considering what they do for you. Here is a link to the Progressive website that gives you what the various products do. You want the EMS unit for whatever amperage your trailer is:
https://www.progressiveindustries.ne...ed-comparisons
Here is a link to a Surge Guard products:
https://rvpower.southwire.com/produc...ge-protection/
These 2 types of units are about the most popular I believe. Costs are approx. $250-300 or so. The Surge Guard EMS units start with 34xxx.
__________________
Danny and Susan, wife of 56 years
2019 Ram 3500 Laramie CC SWB SB 6.4 4x4 4.10
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
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03-30-2019, 10:56 AM
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#5
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Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Utah
Posts: 11
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After much research, I just purchased the Progressive Industries EMS-PT30X. It should meet all of our needs.
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03-30-2019, 11:35 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Kamiah
Posts: 276
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Good choice.
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Ron&Sue
2017 Montana 3720RL Legacy
14' Ram 3500 DRW
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04-02-2019, 09:25 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Okanagan, BC
Posts: 916
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Agreed it's a good choice.
Just need to remember to turn the switch on the panel off when running the generator.
__________________
2010 Cougar 30RKS
2015 GMC Sierra Max Trailer
"Drinks for 6, Dinner for 4, Sleeps 2"
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04-02-2019, 09:39 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Twin Cities
Posts: 121
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GMcKenzie
Agreed it's a good choice.
Just need to remember to turn the switch on the panel off when running the generator.
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The switch you're referring to is the "bypass" switch.
I'm sure the experts will chime in here with greater detail but you do not want to bypass your EMS for any reason other than the EMS being broken. If you bypass the EMS you lose all protection it gives you.
My understanding is many generators will cause an EMS to report a ground or neutral issue, but there is an inexpensive plug-type adapter you can install on your generator to correct this. That would allow you to use your generator with your EMS.
Here's a page on Progressive Industries' site that talks more about this. https://www.progressiveindustries.ne...oating-Neutral
__________________
crk112
“The Truck” 2013 Ford F-150 SuperCrew XLT 5.0L 4WD 157WB
“The Cabin” 2017 Hideout 242LHS - SOLD!
"The Cabin v2" 2016 Jayco Greyhawk 31DS
Fastway e2 round bar WDH
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04-02-2019, 02:41 PM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 48
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Can someone tell me why a surge protector is needed? If properly sized, the loadcenter in your RV should protect everything in the RV. I’m curious what is being damaged and by what means?
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04-02-2019, 03:18 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 1,005
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Campground power systems are notoriously bad (spikes, brownouts, etc.) - all of which can cause a great deal of damage to the electrical components of the trailer. If you search, you'll find lots of comments from folks whose components of one type of another were destroyed due to power issues.
Surge protectors will protect you from surges, but there are other things to worry about as well, so the EMS (Electrical Management System) is favored - but at a higher cost. I just installed the Progressive EMS HW30C wired-in unit which I paid around $229US for.
__________________
2022 Cedar Creek Champagne 38EL - "Big Bertha"
2019 GMC Sierra 3500 Denali HD 6.6L Duramax TD, CC, 4WD, DRW - "Mr. Beefy"
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04-02-2019, 03:54 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 2,910
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Controller23
Can someone tell me why a surge protector is needed? If properly sized, the loadcenter in your RV should protect everything in the RV. I’m curious what is being damaged and by what means?
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The only thing the main breaker in your rig will do is trip due to excessive load (amperage). It will not protect from over or under voltage, over or under frequency (Hz or cycles), missing ground or neutral, reverse polarity (your neutral and hotleg backwards), and of course the surge or lightning protection.
Prior to installing our 50 Amp hardwired unit, we lost satellite electronics and a couple other things. We had a broken ground prong in our shore cord, and the unit would not allow power to the rig until the plug was replaced. We were at another park that had a new pedestal, and the guy that installed it forgot to connect the neutral wire and the EMS again would not power up the rig until that was repaired.
When dry camping with our Honda generators, we just use a three prong plug with a wire connected to the ground terminal and the neutral terminal, and plugged into one of the 120 volt outlets on the generator, and the generator works with the EMS. A lot of the inverter type generators do not have the ground and neutral tied together, and this simple plug solves that problem.
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Bob & Becky
2012 3402 Montana
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC
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04-02-2019, 06:43 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Brisbane Australia
Posts: 708
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Also, an EMS will protect you against miswired power outlets.
I learned this the hard way.
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04-04-2019, 10:47 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Okanagan, BC
Posts: 916
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Quote:
Originally Posted by crk112
The switch you're referring to is the "bypass" switch.
I'm sure the experts will chime in here with greater detail but you do not want to bypass your EMS for any reason other than the EMS being broken. If you bypass the EMS you lose all protection it gives you.
My understanding is many generators will cause an EMS to report a ground or neutral issue, but there is an inexpensive plug-type adapter you can install on your generator to correct this. That would allow you to use your generator with your EMS.
Here's a page on Progressive Industries' site that talks more about this. https://www.progressiveindustries.ne...oating-Neutral
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I get that it bypasses, but I'm a lot less worried about my generator than I am trailer park power. I can't run the AC on mine, so I just run it to top up batteries when I'm dry camping.
__________________
2010 Cougar 30RKS
2015 GMC Sierra Max Trailer
"Drinks for 6, Dinner for 4, Sleeps 2"
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04-04-2019, 10:56 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Kamiah
Posts: 276
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I run my genny with my EMS all the time. I would not bypass the ems to run the generator. Generators can go bad too.
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Ron&Sue
2017 Montana 3720RL Legacy
14' Ram 3500 DRW
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04-08-2019, 06:15 AM
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#15
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Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Utah
Posts: 11
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Why would you need to run your generator at all if you are plugged into shore power?
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04-08-2019, 12:06 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Twin Cities
Posts: 121
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BoondockingBakers
Why would you need to run your generator at all if you are plugged into shore power?
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Sorry if we took the thread a little off track there with the generator speak... to answer your question, you wouldn't. You might only camp at sites with electric hookups and thus not need a generator.
We were just making the point that if you hard-wire an EMS into your RV shore power cable, there will be additional considerations if and when you ever need to plug your shore power into a generator for electricity.
__________________
crk112
“The Truck” 2013 Ford F-150 SuperCrew XLT 5.0L 4WD 157WB
“The Cabin” 2017 Hideout 242LHS - SOLD!
"The Cabin v2" 2016 Jayco Greyhawk 31DS
Fastway e2 round bar WDH
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04-11-2019, 09:33 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Green Valley
Posts: 124
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BoondockingBakers
After much research, I just purchased the Progressive Industries EMS-PT30X. It should meet all of our needs.
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EMS is best, because it tells you the condition of the power source you are connecting to, as well as giving surge protection. Power sources aren't as common a problem as they used to be, but we have had a couple instances of voltage dropping too low (which can burn up a motor), and one of voltage too high (which can damage electronics). Cheap insurance.
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04-11-2019, 09:51 AM
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#18
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Mesa, AZ
Posts: 58
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Buy an electrical management system (EMS). They are expensive ($300 - $500) but here's why. We were in SC when the neutral opened up on the main feeder to about 8 RV's. That means that 220 volts goes where the 110 volts should be. The other RV's did not have an EMS and lost their TV's, radios, power management systems, and other 110 volt equipment. I had no damage. This have happened again to us in AZ. Same result for us: no damage.
The EMS shuts down your system if the voltage gets too low, or too high. This protects all of your electrical equipment especially your AC. It is also a surge protector. It is cheap insurance.
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04-11-2019, 12:50 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: prophetstown
Posts: 318
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I bought one because I lost a converter and all satellite TV equipment
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04-11-2019, 03:20 PM
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#20
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Rockland
Posts: 3
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I have used both the EMS-HW30C in my Class B and the EMS-HW50C in my new Cougar
TT. More expensive than the others but you get a full Electrical Management System not
just a surge protector. The Hard wired is a bit more complicated to install but it's the best thing you will do to protect your second home from low voltage, high voltage and other
electrical issues. Look at it as insurance against electrical problem that would cost you more if there is an issue. Lightning is also a very serious problem, so protect yourself.
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