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Old 08-04-2014, 04:12 PM   #1
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Progressive surge protector

Hello everyone Today I went to a campground and for the first time use my brand-new RV Smart surge protector made from progressive model SSP-30. Okay I have a class C 30 amp I done what the surge protector told me to do shut the power off at the power box plug surge protector in turn power switch on from the power box. There is a greenlight and two red lights and it tells you which light should be on and which light should not be on the one light by itself was on and according to the instructions that was right. Now I plugged in my house power cord into the surge protector and I heard crackling snapping not a good sound so I shut the power off. what is happening is the surge protector plug that goes into the campground box were burning. Sure enough I pulled it out and a surge protector had a burn mark on it I tried plugging in my house power cord and I've been running off that fine is it possible the surge protector is defective. Or am I doing something wrong?
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Old 08-04-2014, 04:20 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by Cola ny View Post
Hello everyone Today I went to a campground and for the first time use my brand-new RV Smart surge protector made from progressive model SSP-30. Okay I have a class C 30 amp I done what the surge protector told me to do shut the power off at the power box plug surge protector in turn power switch on from the power box. There is a greenlight and two red lights and it tells you which light should be on and which light should not be on the one light by itself was on and according to the instructions that was right. Now I plugged in my house power cord into the surge protector and I heard crackling snapping not a good sound so I shut the power off. what is happening is the surge protector plug that goes into the campground box were burning. Sure enough I pulled it out and a surge protector had a burn mark on it I tried plugging in my house power cord and I've been running off that fine is it possible the surge protector is defective. Or am I doing something wrong?
Try calling their tech support 919-462-8280. They should be able to help. It sounds like you followed the instruction to the letter. Good luck, let us know what happens.
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Old 08-05-2014, 12:28 PM   #3
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This sounds like a classic worn out 30 amp outlet in the pedestal. It is very common. You should have gotten the campground to put in a new receptacle or give you a different site.
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Old 08-05-2014, 12:35 PM   #4
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This sounds like a classic worn out 30 amp outlet in the pedestal. It is very common. You should have gotten the campground to put in a new receptacle or give you a different site.
X2, this is going to become more and more common and important , as more people with 50 amp coaches , adapt down to the 30 amp plugs and damage the plug, by running multiple A/C units. Examine the plug first thing when you get to a site. If it looks like it's in trouble, go to the office before you do anything else.
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Old 08-05-2014, 01:28 PM   #5
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Skip... Since I live in one of those 50 amp coaches (Currently on a 50 amp site) I will make one comment.

If I were designing a TT-30 plug and outlet I would design it to carry a 30 amp load.. And if I were installing one I would put a 30 amp breaker up-line of it.. So that if someone tried to draw more than 30 amps out of it (Which I gather is what you are implying by "by running multiple A/C units." It will trip the breaker, not burn out the outlet.

But I did not design the plug/outlet.

Many times I have heard the accusation about 50 amp rigs pulling more than 30 amps out of a TT-30.. Properly installed, that is simply not possible. it would trip the breaker.
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Old 08-05-2014, 02:05 PM   #6
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I'm not familiar with that model nor your RV but it doesn't make sense to plug the MH into the surge protector AFTER the SP has checked the pedestal and decided to pass power on through. Seems like it would be the same as plugging the MH directly into a live receptacle which would most likely cause sparks and things.
Check the instructions again. Are you sure your not supposed to plug the MH into the SP then plug SP into the pedestal and then turn the breaker on?
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Old 08-05-2014, 03:14 PM   #7
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Hello just an update I call Progressive for the surge protector and a lady I spoke to instantly got defensive and said it was the campground. I told her when I plug directly into the outlet without the surge protector it did not do that. the surge protector still works and I don't think there was damage to it the correct lights still light up they asked to try again at another campground or to send it into them.
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Old 08-05-2014, 03:27 PM   #8
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Progressive is a good company. For peace of mind I would send it back to them. I had the same unit for almost two years. It worked flawlessly except at one pedestal. I believe it was the CG receptacle not making good contact. I have an EMS on the coach, plugged in and all systems were ok, everything worked fine. I've since upgraded to Progressive's mobile 50 amp pedestal EMS just for extra safety. I destroyed my old surge protector by driving off with the shore cord still hooked up! fortunately the surge protector took the blunt of the punishment. . Getting old ain't no fun!
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Old 08-05-2014, 03:30 PM   #9
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Actually, I think its a combination of things [PS I am also a 50 amp RVer].... As pedestals get older, the internal contacts become weak and worn so the plugs tend to arc or create increased resistance with limited contact, as you near the upper end of the 30 max amps curve. Agree that us "50 ampers" do make the problem of old pedestals in old parks worse....Think we all could benefit from being more selective about what we stick our plugs in....practice safe RVing....
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Old 08-05-2014, 04:06 PM   #10
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On a hunch I looked up the SSP-30.. This is a Spike Supressor, it is NOT the product most folks recommend for power line protection

I have a device that perform's it's functions built in to the RV, but I also use a Power Monitor in front of it.

The SSP-30 will NOT protect you against LOW voltage, off fequency or slightly high (Say 140 volts) voltage. It might "blow up" if you plugged into 230 volts (240) Not in the "Explosion" manner but rather it would make a sound like a firecracker and the internal parts would be.. History. (Many of them) HOW do I know this.... Long story, but the power company re-connected my house (Actually whole neighborhood) wrong.

The good ones have an LCD display that tells you what the tribble is.
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Old 08-05-2014, 07:14 PM   #11
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No the instructions on the surge protector said to plug the surge protector in first make sure the correct lights are on and then plug in your MotorHome into the surge protector
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Old 08-05-2014, 08:28 PM   #12
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Skip... Since I live in one of those 50 amp coaches (Currently on a 50 amp site) I will make one comment.
If I were designing a TT-30 plug and outlet I would design it to carry a 30 amp load.. And if I were installing one I would put a 30 amp breaker up-line of it.. So that if someone tried to draw more than 30 amps out of it (Which I gather is what you are implying by "by running multiple A/C units." It will trip the breaker, not burn out the outlet.
But I did not design the plug/outlet.
Many times I have heard the accusation about 50 amp rigs pulling more than 30 amps out of a TT-30.. Properly installed, that is simply not possible. it would trip the breaker.
wa8yxm
I'll try not to go too far off topic , and apologise in advance to the original poster.
But I have watched this happen, and I don't have the design specs and allowable variation limits of the parts involved.
Neighbour in my winter park ( park is older so some of the wiring may be in question) 2 1/2 months in the site with no issues 50 amp coach adapted to the 30 amp pedestal , inline surge protector. End of Feb. comes around temps into the 80's and he starts running both A/Cs , I warned him and got the " the breaker will go before anything else " reply. Well 3 days later the breaker did trip, found the plug melted , adaptor melted, end of the inline surge protector melted. Defective C/B ? allowing over 30 amps to be drawn ? cant be certain. Like you say we didn't design the plug, but wouldn't it make sense to have a plug designed to handle 45amps with a 30 amp circuit breaker , instead of a C/B that may allow 34 amps , the combined start up draw of both A/Cs through a plug that will only handle a 30 amp load. Slowly applied and constant, max load will break down the components due to the heat involved. Seems they are not over engineered in any way shape or form.
With-in 48 hrs. 3 other RVs, in smelling distance, had similar issues, all with dual A/Cs . JMHO and observations.
Low park power a contributing factor , well my hardwired surge guard never shut down , so I don't think so.
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Old 08-05-2014, 08:59 PM   #13
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Hello everyone Today I went to a campground and for the first time use my brand-new RV Smart surge protector made from progressive model SSP-30. Okay I have a class C 30 amp I done what the surge protector told me to do shut the power off at the power box plug surge protector in turn power switch on from the power box. There is a greenlight and two red lights and it tells you which light should be on and which light should not be on the one light by itself was on and according to the instructions that was right. Now I plugged in my house power cord into the surge protector and I heard crackling snapping not a good sound so I shut the power off. what is happening is the surge protector plug that goes into the campground box were burning. Sure enough I pulled it out and a surge protector had a burn mark on it I tried plugging in my house power cord and I've been running off that fine is it possible the surge protector is defective. Or am I doing something wrong?
You have gotten a wide variety of responses based on what I have read so here is my analysis of what happen.

You purchased the basic 30 Progressive Industries Surge Protector SSP30 which checks to make sure the power receptacle is wired correctly for proper ground, proper neutral and proper polarity. It also has MOV's to protect you against any surge up to 825 Joules and 22,500 surge current. It only checks the power the very FIRST time you plug it in but it does NOT do anything after that if something changes with the quality of the power except change which lamps on the front of the box are lit up to indicate a problem. And since you are not watching the box 24/7 to see if anything has changed, it is ONLY good for Surge Protection and nothing else. Personally, surge protection is the very LAST thing that I would worry about when hooking up to RV Park pedestals.

The procedure you followed was correct. You plug the PI device in FIRST to check power and once you get the correct lights then you plug your RV into the SSP30 box.

What happened to you is totally the RV parks responsibility and directly points to a very worn out 30 amp receptacle. If you see a receptacle that looks worn, enlarged or black marks around where the blades of your plug go into, then I would not use it. Your plug should be a tight fit with no arcing of the power to the blades of your plug.

You can cleanup the burnt mark on your SSP30 but if that happens in the future, first remove your device and sever power to your RV. Next you should go to the office and tell them exactly what happen and request a different site.

Now I would not have recommended that particular device for complete power protection but it was your money and your choice.

The BEST protection in a portable unit would have been the Progressive Industries EMS-PT30C which monitors your power 24/7 while hooked up to the RV Park Pedestal. If for some reason the quality of the power changes which can happen in a blink, the EMS-PT30C will sever all power to your coach protecting the electrical devices in your RV.

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Old 08-06-2014, 04:33 PM   #14
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It is the arcing that causes the heat and subsequent melting. When I come upon a worn-looking receptacle, I spray a little Super Lube into the receptacle slots. The solvent quickly evaporates and leaves a dielectric (insulating) grease. Dielectric grease prevents the arcing but allows current to flow where the metal parts are in contact. And by the way, I've seen worn out 50 amp receptacles and burnt 50 amp plugs, it isn't just 30 amp receptacles where a 30 to 50 amp adapter has been used. The problem is prevalent in old, poorly maintained campgrounds.
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