Community Forums

Doug Sage · 03-01-2011, 06:47 AM

I am sort of repeating what the above posters have said. A "surge protector" will protect your coach against high and low voltage. It will also protect your coach against mis-wired power pedestals. Think about this. Does a campground ever hire an electrician to repair their pedestals? No, they put some workcamper on it. You are at the mercy of the well intentioned but inexperienced. Anyway, your electrical devices inside the rig are only able to handle power that is over or under 120 volts by a small amount. You can have lightning, power surges caused by supply switchovers due to mechanical problems or car accidents or power sags caused by too many campers using their air conditioning, etc. Any of these will harm your electrical devices. Air conditioners, for example, will run hot and burn out if run on low voltage. A surge protector will pay for itself at some time in your camping life - an may pay for itself many times over. It has saved us three times so far!

Lindsay Richards · 03-01-2011, 08:03 AM

My surge protector does a check of the pedestal and doesn't actually come on for 2 minutes and 15 seconds after plugged in. It clicks when it comes on that you can hear outside and if you are inside you can notice things like the microwave display panel come on. If you are at 30 amps, I suspect that there are a lot of used ones out there from guys who bought a newer 50 amp coach and didn't include the 30 amp surge protector with the trade in.

Wayne M · 03-01-2011, 08:40 AM

All the above posts. My PT-50C has protected me 4-5 times in the past two years. I guess I need to stay at more expensive places.

For one overnighter, where the temperatures were in the 90's, my AC kicked off. To make a long story short, the PT-50C had an error code of low voltage. That is a killer for AC's, but I was protected by the "surge protector."

As stated, workcampers came by and because of time of day and all other things considered, they changed the wiring in the box so that L1 had the good load, the bad until they could trouble shoot in the morning. We had AC all night thanks to the EMS-PT-50C.

I never leave home without it, and since it is portable it goes with me in any RV.

vegascouple · 03-01-2011, 08:53 AM

I thought I'd comment on the security issue. I been using an autoformer for years now. I have a cable lock that I used for the first year or so. However, most people have no idea what an autoformer is. I don't think I've used the lock in 5 years now even when we are in Mexico. I think that the kind of people would steal something like this have no idea of it's value and therefore leave it alone.

I like most here would not plug in without protection! I've been in parks where there have been voltage spikes that have done substantial damage.

Michael

2005 Dutch Star 40' 4 slide
2006 Ford Escape Hybrid
2005 BMW K1200LT on lift

**NLOVNIT** · 03-01-2011, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lindsay Richards

... I suspect that there are a lot of used ones out there from guys who bought a newer 50 amp coach and didn't include the 30 amp surge protector with the trade in.

There's a 50A one in our Classifieds section right now.

Lori-

akadeadeye · 03-01-2011, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NLOVNIT

Many members (us included) have EMS's (Energy Management Systems) from Progressive Industries, portable or hard-wired, in our RV's. You have to protect yourself & your RV's equipment from what can be questionable campground power. Not having protection can lead to VERY expensive repairs.

Go to THIS LINK on their website & view the videos they have. They are excellent & will help you understand the need.

Lori-

Lori,

Thanks for that link. We have EMS and SP but I need to improve my knowledge of how and why they work. I think the info in that link will do it.

Don

bigdog · 03-02-2011, 01:06 PM

For a number of years,we trailer camped and never had a surge protector and never had a problem. We bought our Tradewinds last April and everyone we know said to get a surge protector and, of course, I said that I'd never had a problem,but for some strange reason went out and bought one anyway. The second place we stayed at had a problem with low voltage and the surge thingy wouldn't click on. Told the manager about it and they found some kind of drain in the system.Late this summer,I was doing some work in the chicken coop,no chickens just storage now, and the garage and noticed the surge thingy was off. Hummmm,put a tester on the line and it said reversed ground,or something,so went thru and found where there was a line that was touching another,not even where I had been working,so moved it and refastened it and plugged the MH in and it all works.
I do carry one of those yellow plug-in testers that show shorts,etc and always have one of those voltage meters plugged into the outlet in front of the sink also.

hooverbill · 03-02-2011, 04:42 PM

If you have an EMS, you might have an ESP also...I do. The ESP (Electrical Protection System) protects against both high and low voltages. No additional surge guard is necessary.