Surge Protector

[Jack65K]

Which unit would be best for you depends on whether you have a 30 or 50 amp service and whether or not you are comfortable hard wiring one into your TT (I am not electrically inclined).
Jack

[StormPOD]

I had TRC external. I am so glad I went with the Progressive Industries permanent install.

Have had it less than a year and it saved us from a low voltage event, lightening strike in a State Park, others i our loop lost converters, tv's, microwaves.

At a "RV Resort" we had overvoltage event, the park was going arounf shutting off breakers to all RV's. We found out when we returned from a walk. No Damage but had a Over Voltage error on display.

A surge protector would not have saved us.

Progressive Industries made in USA and my experience with customer service was excellent.

StormPOD: MOD - Electrical Management Systems (EMS)

[norty1]

My only complaint with the hard wired one is what is plan B if it gets fried? Are you out of luck if you are on the road.



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[DragonflyChick]

Thanks Jack and everyone! I am going to check into getting one. I am get it hard wired. I will see how that works out. But I definitely want to be protected. Thanks.

[Marcm157]

Originally Posted by norty1

My only complaint with the hard wired one is what is plan B if it gets fried? Are you out of luck if you are on the road.



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It has an "Override" feature that let's you run with surge only protection until it can be replaced.

[RAurand]

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

Just about pulled the trigger on the pi ems pt30C today. Available on Amazon for $227 with free shipping. Not planning a trip for a couple months so didn't push the order now button. Have camped for 30 years without one of these things. The older pop ups and first TT didn't have much in the way of digital equipment so never worried about power management. My White Hawk has more than its share of digital sat / tv equipment and the normal stuff in a modern TT. I have read the testimonials on this thread and the saves that are mentioned. My waffling is that on my trips over the last couple years I just don't see that many of these devices. I understand the high end Mhomes and other RVs come with or owners have installed permanent ems devices so I'm just talking about not seeing many of the portable post units. If this is so much of an issue, why don't I see my neighbors going up in smoke?

BECAUSE..... Everyone thinks IT WONT HAPPEN TO THEM!
until it is too late, as my neighbors found out. (See my post above)

[RAurand]

Originally Posted by norty1

My only complaint with the hard wired one is what is plan B if it gets fried? Are you out of luck if you are on the road.



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AGREE! Portable is much quicker and easier to replace.

[Marcm157]

Originally Posted by RAurand

AGREE! Portable is much quicker and easier to replace.

But it's also one more thing to setup, take down and possibly be left behind or stolen. I guess there are positives and negatives to both units.

[edatlanta]

[QUOTE=norty1;449850]My only complaint with the hard wired one is what is plan B if it gets fried? Are you out of luck if you are on the road.

My thought exactly and 2 weeks ago I would have been out of luck. My PT50C saved me from something that wiped out one 50 amp leg on a line of sites and sacrificed itself in the process. If it had been an internal hard wired unit my only option would have been to bypass it and roll the dice. Since I have a spare PT50C I just swapped out the dead one with the new one and I was back in business in minutes. The dead one was returned to PI where they ruled it "damaged beyond repair" and sent me a new one.

I was never on shore power without protection during the warranty service. Yes a spare EMS is expensive, but as someone said in an earlier post it is 1/3 the cost of a new a/c, not to mention all of the other electronic items that can be fried.

[norty1]

Well it happened to me on a trip and we finished the trip without the protection. All we had damaged from the lightning strike was the microwave and the surge protector.

Now that was "roughing it". I mean the microwave not the surgeguard.

[RAurand]

Originally Posted by Marcm157

But it's also one more thing to setup, take down and possibly be left behind or stolen. I guess there are positives and negatives to both units.

I use a chain with a rubber coating on it and wrap the chain around where the trailer power plug plugs into the Surge protector. Only way to steal it is if you are carrying bolt cutters.

[3'senough]

I will just add my 2 cents on this. My unit is hardwired PI 50A.

In the last 10 years trailers have grown in size as well as draw overall. Think about how many of us now have 5'ers and 50A TT's. Many of the CG's still have electrical systems from 20 years ago and the increased draw is what is stressing them.

All my "saves" have come in the way of low voltage. Think also about your phones, laptops, pads or any other small electrical devices that are plugged into your unit charging. These are all at risk as well. At any given point you could have over 3K of electronics plugged in between TV's and this personal equipment.

If I can change the odds to favor me, I do.

[Jopopsy]

I'm admittedly a bit of a freak when it comes to my power management. I've assembled this setup over the course of 3 years to take the sting out of the money. But w/ all the electronics in my rig, I just didn't want to chance it.

Pedestal --> PI Surge Protector --> 12' 30AMP wire --> Hughes Autoformer --> 12' 30AMP wire --> PI PT30C (not hardwired) --> 3' pigtail 30AMP wire --> Coach

My reasoning:

If its a surge, the cheap surge protector on the pedestal takes the hit.
If I have low voltage, the Autoformer will try to correct it and keep me running
If the voltage is so out of whack or the surge is so great that its more then the Pedestal Surge or Autoformer can handle, the EMS is there for mop up duty.

Its pricey, and probably overkill. But I don't worry at all about my electronics. Slide motors, awning motors, leveling jacks, fridge, furnace, etc. blah blah blah. I'm covered.

I didn't get the hardwired EMS b/c if the EMS fails for whatever reason, I just unplug it. I leave the pedestal surge unprotected (not chained or anything), I chain the autoformer to my leaf springs at the rear of the coach (and keep the autoformer under the coach sitting on 2 Lynx levelers to keep it dry), and I leave the EMS in the electrical compartment (locked).

[TWP723]

Originally Posted by RAurand

I use a chain with a rubber coating on it and wrap the chain around where the trailer power plug plugs into the Surge protector. Only way to steal it is if you are carrying bolt cutters.

I do the same thing with mine. Bright yellow so it's obvious.