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Old 12-22-2020, 06:49 PM   #1
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surge protector

Putting pre pickup kit together. Any opinions on surge protectors.
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Old 12-22-2020, 07:56 PM   #2
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If you can afford it, get it. Hard to do later. Portables are a bit of a hassle compared to the on board that you do not have to even think about.
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Old 12-22-2020, 07:59 PM   #3
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thx man !
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Old 12-22-2020, 09:11 PM   #4
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Surge protectors are expensive items. If not built in to your unit, the RV surge protector hanging on the utility pole in the camp ground is an easy target for theft.
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Old 12-22-2020, 09:36 PM   #5
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note the EMS is a bit more than a surge protector. when you plug the trailer in, it tests the power, makes sure the polarity and ground are correct, makes sure the frequency and voltage are in range, THEN it switches on the power to the trailer. anything out of spec, no ground, hot and neutral swapped, low or high voltage, it disconnects and blinks an error.

I definitely recommend the built in one. as others said, the external full EMS is a big bulky thing on your power pole thats way too easy to steal.
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Old 12-23-2020, 07:47 AM   #6
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The nice thing about the progress surge protector that Escape installs is that if it takes a hit and fails, progressive replaces free of charge. I had that happen recently when we had a severe lightning storm. It took the hit, protected the components of our 21. I called progressive and they sent us a new unit free of charge. It took about 20 mins to change out.

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Old 12-23-2020, 09:20 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldtimer View Post
The nice thing about the progress surge protector that Escape installs is that if it takes a hit and fails, progressive replaces free of charge. I had that happen recently when we had a severe lightning storm. It took the hit, protected the components of our 21. I called progressive and they sent us a new unit free of charge. It took about 20 mins to change out.
David: Just curious - after the surge did the unit indicate code E10 like the manual says?
Attached Thumbnails
surge E10.JPG  
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Old 12-23-2020, 12:59 PM   #8
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The surge killed the protecter completely. Basically Fried it but it did it’s job and protected all the components in the trailer the trouble screen also got zapped. We had a massive hit close by. It light up the area major. I thought the house was gonna shake apart lol.

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Old 12-23-2020, 04:57 PM   #9
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If you didn't get the Surge Protector from ETI..

The best 'hang from the pedestal' surge protector that I have found is from Hughes Autoformers.

My Surge Guard was toasted by a bad pedestal a couple of years ago, so I bought the cheapest 30 amp one from Hughes for about the same price as the Surge Guard.

A couple of features make it a big improvement over the original one; 1) there is bluetooth connectivity so you can monitor what current you are using, and 2) the module that is sacrificed in a power surge is replaceable (US$22).

Look here...https://hughesautoformers.com/produc...ection-module/
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Old 01-05-2021, 01:19 PM   #10
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Safety first

Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
note the EMS is a bit more than a surge protector. when you plug the trailer in, it tests the power, makes sure the polarity and ground are correct, makes sure the frequency and voltage are in range, THEN it switches on the power to the trailer. anything out of spec, no ground, hot and neutral swapped, low or high voltage, it disconnects and blinks an error. I definitely recommend the built in one. as others said, the external full EMS is a big bulky thing on your power pole thats way too easy to steal.
Highly recommend getting the ETI installed internal EMS. Two reasons:

1. ETI's option is the UL listed, Progressive Dynamics EMS-HW30C. Highly recommend that you only purchase listed (UL, CE, SGS, etc. certified) products. Some of the plug-in RV surge protectors, like the SSP-30 and some Camco, are not UL listed.

2. As John says, the ETI installed EMS is more than a surge protector. Correct wiring polarity is critical. The 2020 National Electric Code added a new requirement for all trailers: 551.40(D) - requires a visual or audible alarm when there's an ungrounded (black) conductor and grounded (white) conductor reversal.

This makes ETI's option (or similar) a new life safety requirement, if our trailers were now being built in the US and carried the RVIA certification emblem. I suspect the Canadian standard will adopt a similar requirement soon.

Going with a EMS is the safety-first way forward.

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Old 01-05-2021, 02:08 PM   #11
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Highly recommend getting the ETI installed internal EMS.
Agreed. It is also very handy if you are managing your total amp draw (say if you are plugged into a 15A service) or are curious as to what different appliances draw. It was interesting the other night to watch my mini-split heat pump start at 1A and then slowly ramp up to 11A and then back down to 1A once set point was met.
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Old 03-20-2021, 03:32 AM   #12
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So, if you have the ETI's installed surge protector, you don't need to get any other electrical protector that you connect to the posts at a campground. I m new and haven't taken my (2020) 19 out camping yet. I have the surge protector installed by ETI and was ready to buy another outside protector because I don't really understand how it works and wanted to be sure my electrical system is protected. Then the outside Portable EMS-PT30X RV Surge Protector IS NOT NEEDED? Thanks for any help.
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Old 03-20-2021, 05:05 AM   #13
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So, if you have the ETI's installed surge protector, you don't need to get any other electrical protector that you connect to the posts at a campground.
You are correct. Make sure your installed EMS is not in bypass (switch on indicator panel). You should see the error code “E0” each time you plug into shore power.

73/gus
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Old 03-20-2021, 05:48 AM   #14
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GKLOTT Thank you so much!!! I just cancelled my amazon order for the post surge protector and you have saved me so much money. There are so many things that I need to learn. I have a solar panel also installed because I want to camp at farms and not really be in a lot of camp grounds if I can help it. So when the battery is charged by the solar panel does it matter if the battery disconnect is off or on? I haven't used the monitor panel yet. Thanks
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Old 03-20-2021, 06:24 AM   #15
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You are correct. Make sure your installed EMS is not in bypass (switch on indicator panel). You should see the error code “E0” each time you plug into shore power.
Bear in mind that if the EMS is in bypass you still have surge protection but you lose all other functions.
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Old 03-20-2021, 06:29 AM   #16
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So when the battery is charged by the solar panel does it matter if the battery disconnect is off or on? I haven't used the monitor panel yet.Thanks
On the trailers I have seen it shouldn’t matter. The solar controller is wired direct to the battery. You need a good reason to even mess with the battery disconnect. Most users shouldn’t need to.
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Old 03-20-2021, 07:12 AM   #17
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Even tho we have the surge protector, I still check the power pedestal for proper voltage with my volt meter before plugging in or setting up anything in case I need to move to another space. Just my 2 cents. Our surge protector has save us once already.

David
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Old 03-20-2021, 08:54 AM   #18
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On the trailers I have seen it shouldn’t matter. The solar controller is wired direct to the battery. You need a good reason to even mess with the battery disconnect. Most users shouldn’t need to.
Rubicon327 makes an excellent point. We have not turned off our battery disconnect in our 22 months of ownership. I do not recommend turning off the battery disconnect except for long term storage or when working on portions of your DC power system.

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Old 03-20-2021, 09:15 AM   #19
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Thanks gkLott and Rubicon327 for this information. I will turn my disconnect back on and let let it stay on. Oldtimer, I need more information on this volt meter, what type or make should I get. Now remember I don't know anything about this electrical stuff. I'm learning. Thanks all
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Old 03-20-2021, 10:14 AM   #20
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I don't know if the current model is the same, but on mine, there's a blinking red dot in the lower right corner that goes for a couple of minutes. when that stops blinking it's ok to start up the refrigerator. I think that's a "testing" mode, but what do I know?

Once at my dad's I was plugged into his outdoor outlet and got an error message. the outlet (house built 1913 and apparently some electric still ancient) there was no ground. It took me a while to notice because I didn't check the EMS monitor, and "running" the refrigerator on electric (really battery at that point) , there was a precipitous drop in battery charge. Ran a cord to inside, and all was well.
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