surge protector

[pipeliner798]

Are the 50amp surge protectors a necessity, and is there a certain one thats better than others? I see they range from 100 to 400.

[Blenhardt]

I am certainly not an expert on the subject but at the rally this year the RV Professer, presented a very informative seminar in the subject. He may be along here later to help with the question. Until hearing his presentation, I had not thought I needed one. I now have one. He gave examples of why to have one. One is low voltage, another is high voltage, and another is loss of neutral at the power post that can cause damage to appliances in the RV.

This is the one I just purchased through Amazon. It cost $350.

Progressive-Industries-PT50CEdited by: Blenhardt

[pipeliner798]

Yea , I would like if someone explained that.

[travelin' texans]

Correction, RV professor not me, but I do have the pig tailed one on my cord. Already burned one up, never knew what happened, but figured I saved my coach.

[atom ant]

I have never had one in prior RVs, but we didn't not venture out of our circles much as far as campgrounds and the electronics were generally limited to over the counter stuff from Walmart. However, with this Redwood, everywhere I look there is some little box with a bunch of wires that is beeping and blinking little red lights I broke down and got the Progressive Industries EMSLCHW50.

Now that I see what all it does, I actually wish I spent a little more and got the one with the remote readout and I would have put it in the cupboard with the other stuff. For now I have to open the front and look up above the generator sheild.

You get what you pay for - check out the specs on what each will do. They range from nothing more than a circuit monitor to a true power conditioner system. I picked somewhere in the middle.

Do you have to have one? I survived without one for years. However I'm surprised that they aren't standard equipment now given the relatively low cost of the device and the increasingly higher cost of on board electronics.

[Blenhardt]

Originally Posted by travelin' texans

Correction, RV professor not me, but I do have the pig tailed one on my cord. Already burned one up, never knew what happened, but figured I saved my coach.

Sorry, I realized my mistake and by the time I got back to the computer you had caught it. Thanks. I have corrected my post.

[johnboytoo]

Atom Ant, as usually you piqued my interest and making me spend money

How hard was it to install and where did you install it ?

got pics ?

[atom ant]

Here are some pics -

Assuming you got the generator prep - or this is all null and void.....

I installed mine upstream of the transfer switch so my Generator can bypass it. Essentially, pulled the power wire from the shore line out of the transfer switch and installed on the surge suppressor line side, then ran a new wire from the load side of the surge suppressor back into the transfer switch.

The bulkhead above the generator shield is a soft tyvex type stuff over metal studs. I spanned the studs with one of the knockouts I took from the generator cabinet to install the generator, and used it for the the backplate shown. It can be anything you want.





Edited by: atom ant

[johnboytoo]

Great - thanks !


Going to Order one, is there a wireless monitor panel or just the wired one as shown here:

[rcflame]

Like many, I rode the fence on whether to spend the money on a electrical management system along with the surge protector. I used a cheap tester to check the connection before I hooked up, but I was only testing one leg, and I had a plug in voltmeter in the camper that would alarm on low voltage, but I was only doing a half assed job. I ordered the Progressive Industries 50A portable. I had listened to the spiel before but it was usually somebody trying to sell them. After listening to the professor where he had no interest in if and what you bought, I broke down and ordered one.Edited by: rcflame

[almcc]

I've actually got two, a 30 amp and a 50 amp, both types that you plug in at the pedestal. I'm sure that I could rig the 50 amp guard to work in campgrounds with only 30 amp but I have a Marinco 50 to 30 amp cable that plugs into the RW, saves playing with adapters.

I like the idea that with the portable unit I can run without the surge guard. You folks probably won't spend any time in Mexico with your units but the voltage in some campgrounds there is just above the high limit cutoff on the surge guard (by about 1 volt). When I was down there I sometimes ran without the surge guard (after careful voltage measurements!!), faced with power or no power for extended periods it's an easy decision. I was careful to check the voltage for stability. It was annoying running the surge guard in some parks, the guard would shut off the power then bring it back on when teh voltage dropped to below the limit, the voltage was that close to the upper limit

I'm not sure if with some built ins you can run without them without some additional wiring.

In the last years we spent in Mexico I bought a voltage conditioner/surge guard (generally used with computers), it brought whatever voltage the pedestal supplied up or down to 120V.

[marandjwr]

we went with the plug into the pole type, $350.00, because we have the front living and rear bedroom so I can look out the window and see what's going on... I like to see things work and not just hope that they are. Just me

Pipeliner798, were are you on a pipeline? We are IUOE currently working in PA.

[johnboytoo]

My, oh my, why didn't youse guys tell me this ems-pt50c was so huge !!!

From all the pics I had seen I thought it was 4" wide x 8" tall and maybe 2" deep

This thing is 15" tall and maybe 6" thick and wide !!!!!!!!!!!!

Not that it's a problem - but that almost borders on NOT portable


let see...
it's easy-peasie to connect @ the campgrounds, but at the storage location from 50 to 20 amp to pre-cool the residential fridge ?!??? there will be a lot of sex considerations for the adapters

already have 50 amp (RV) to 30 amp (male) pigtail that I used to run into 30 amp cord,
but since I got the 50 amp version, now I need to figure out all the adapters .... will have a bit of southern engineering going before I finish !



Edited by: johnboytoo

[pipeliner798]

Working in Nashville , spent a long 7 or 8 months in Tioga pa a year or so ago. Pick my redwood up in Memphis on Friday. What part of PA are you in?

[rcflame]

The size is listed, •5’ W x 161/2" L x 5" H, one year warranty along with the weight, 5lb. As long as you already have the 50-30, all you need is the 30-20 which isn't very expensive or big.Edited by: rcflame

[lwg]

Why doesn't anyone just install the hard mounted Progressive Surge Protector? Then you never have to worry about it being stolen, are always protected and have the option of bypassing it at any time using the remote (eg When in Mexico).

[rcflame]

REASONS FOR PORTABLE UNIT
1. I'm not overly concerned about it being stolen. A person can lock it to the post, and in the 12 years we've been full time, and the numerous years weekend and vacation, we haven't had anything stolen, and we've been East Coast, West Coast and Mexico.
2. When we change RV's, we've had three in the last 12 years, I don't have to worry about taking it out, connecting the wiring back up, and installing it in a different unit.
3. I don't have to be concerned about where I'm going to mount it.
4. If something goes wrong with it, and I have to send it in, don't have to take it out, and hook things up so I have power.
5. And best of all, it's easier.

[atom ant]

Kind of like generators, some folks like them with a handle, some like them out of sight.

[Oriana]

Originally Posted by lwg

Why doesn't anyone just install the hard mounted Progressive Surge Protector? Then you never have to worry about it being stolen, are always protected and have the option of bypassing it at any time using the remote (eg When in Mexico).

We installed a hard wired 50 amp Surge Guard, rather than the Progressive. It is located in the fwd compartment above the batteries.