Installing Progressive EMS with Display aftermarket

[Beekeepers]

Taking delivery on a new E-19 that does not have an EMS installed. Has anyone installed the Progressive EMS w/Display aftermarket? If so, any thing to know or worry about? This trailer has solar. It was a stock trailer so could do very few modifications.

[occer]

The portable one is the easiest, just plug it into the pedestal and then plug the trailer cord into it.

I installed the hard wired (Progressive EMS) very easy job. The hardest part was finding a place to mount it. I ended up adding two 1 by 2 braces to hang it on. It gets wired before the fuse panel. With the removable cord there is not enough wire to cut the EMS. If you have the removable power cord it’s easier to remove the wire from the back of the trailer plug and add a piece of 10 guage wire to the plug. The instruction for the progressive are very clear. ETI mounts the meter display down low by the bench seat.
I ran my up higher for ease of reading.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Beekeepers

... Has anyone installed the Progressive EMS w/Display aftermarket? .....

I have, just follow the clear instructions, all will be good.

Have Fun!

[Beekeepers]

Thanks for the quick responses and great feedback!

[Jeremy Kessenich]

Here what it looks like inside, I've filed a warranty claim for replacement so I had the picture of the inside (required for claim). Looks pretty darn simple to install. Don't the the other wires fool you, it's just connecting the white and blacks as you see them, the ground wire where you see it on both ends of the box. That's it.

[Jeremy Kessenich]

Sorry, forgot to mention, the display is connected with a 4 pin wire that I'd call a telephone wire that you used to clip into hardwired telephones. Ya know, the gray wires with the clear plastic connectors on the end that look like smaller versions of CAT-5 connectors. There's a port on the box and one on the display. No mistakes to make hooking the display up.

[rubicon327]

I installed one a few years back. The hardest part was getting enough slack in the main power line. Don’t forget to put the current sensor around the hot line on the output side or your display will not read the amps.

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tml#post190082

[jack sparrow]

I installed Progressive EMS w/Display in my 21Ne. I was able to buy the unit brand new off eBay a lot cheaper than having ETI install one.


The instructions were straight forward, nothing complicating.
I have the detachable power cord on my trailer and all I did was to go under the bed and disconnect the wire from the back side of that receptacle and connect it to the out going power on the EMS. I did buy some 10/2 wire to be able to run a short piece of it from the receptacle to the power in/shore side of the EMS. I made a small mount and mounted it to the floor in the corner by the receptacle and mounted the EMS to it. I rand the display cable to the other side of the trailer by the rear hatch door and mounted it there. See photos for a visual prospective as to what I did. Photos are worth a thousand words.


Hope this is of some help. Comments are always welcome.


Cheers to ya...... and Happy Trails..... Jack

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by Beekeepers

Taking delivery on a new E-19. . .

Forgot to say, Welcome! Glad to have another Escape owner in New England (we are pretty rare), and since you're in Boston, it looks like we are practically neighbors. Good luck with the new E19, and feel free to contact if we can help with anything.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by jack sparrow

I installed Progressive EMS w/Display in my 21Ne. I was able to buy the unit brand new off eBay a lot cheaper than having ETI install one.


The instructions were straight forward, nothing complicating.
I have the detachable power cord on my trailer and all I did was to go under the bed and disconnect the wire from the back side of that receptacle and connect it to the out going power on the EMS. I did buy some 10/2 wire to be able to run a short piece of it from the receptacle to the power in/shore side of the EMS. I made a small mount and mounted it to the floor in the corner by the receptacle and mounted the EMS to it. I rand the display cable to the other side of the trailer by the rear hatch door and mounted it there. See photos for a visual prospective as to what I did. Photos are worth a thousand words.


Hope this is of some help. Comments are always welcome.


Cheers to ya...... and Happy Trails..... Jack

Is there a reason you mounted the display inside? I find the information it provides useful enough that I prefer to be in an easy to see location.

[jack sparrow]

Hi Vermilye


I placed it there cause when I set-up camp, all my set-up stuff is located in that back passenger hatch. So the first thing is to plug in to power and since that hatch is open I can look right there to see the information I need without having to go inside and since I'm working at the back of the trailer. It's just convenient for me.
I could place it inside in a fashion that I would be able to see it at the back driver side window, but then the display is always lit and would be shining out the window. I can always move it...


That's my reason and thinking as to where it is located for now.


Cheers to ya........ and Happy Trails....... Jack

[CharlesinGA]

My thinking when I installed mine in the motor home, was that I wanted to see it when I was inside, operating appliances. Outside, plugging it up, I had no real concern, the unit will not turn on power until it determines its good. Inside I can see the exact voltage, amps and hertz. If I spotted a trend, I could do something about it.

My trailer, I bought a portable unit, not going to buy another one then sell the RV, and it gives me the chance to easily remove it if the EMS is causing a problem. On the built in one, you need to premake some jumper wires you can install inside to jumper over the relay should the circuit card or the relay fail. Open the cover with a #1 phillips and then install the jumper across the relay and close it back up.

As the terminals have spades sticking out from them, you might make the jumper from stranded #10 THHN wire and put some spade connectors on the ends. Not the best for current carrying, but would be easy and get you by in a pinch. Easier than trying to fish a wire in the connector with the existing wires.

Also, the stranded wires, especially the fine stranded wire on the RH side in the pic, don't take well to those big screws in the terminals on them, It breaks strands and there are probably a few that are not captured tight. Ferrules are the way to go on fine stranded wire in cord. Even if you crush the ferrule, you have a better connection than a bunch of individual strands that may not be making as good a contact.

Charles

[HABBERDABBER]

After plugging into a pedestal or 120V AC line the EMS takes about 90 seconds to evaluate the power source until it cycles ON and supplies 120V AC to the trailer.
My EMS display was loosely placed in the drivers side dinette seat locker, unmounted and I mounted it on the exterior wall of that seat/locker. Not a super convenient location for getting a reading, but good enough.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by CharlesinGA

On the built in one, you need to premake some jumper wires you can install inside to jumper over the relay should the circuit card or the relay fail.

Isn’t that what the bypass function is for?

[Centex]

Originally Posted by jack sparrow

...... So the first thing is to plug in to power and since that hatch is open I can look right there to see the information I need without having to go inside .....

There's some understandable logic to that.

Personally, before even pulling into a site I check the pedestal power with a hand-held Progressive Industries 30A tester because I want to know the essential quality of the shore power before even beginning to park / set up.

I like having the EMS display inside to aid in monitoring / troubleshooting other issues after set up (the first question when I mysteriously lose function of any 120VAC item is "Did we lose shore power?").

But hey, everyone has different preferences and practices, no worries!

[YakRV]

For a quick check of the power pedestal before I do anything else (including connecting the power chord, leveling, or even unhitching), I use a simple plug-in tester like the one below to make sure we won’t have to move from the site because of a faulty power source.

Edit: I just saw that Centex said the same thing in the post above (only more intelligently) with a different brand tester. Just mark me down as seconding his motion then.

[CharlesinGA]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Isn’t that what the bypass function is for?

You'd like to think so, but what happens if the relay itself fails, or the circuit board goes wacko? All the bypass does is power the relay closed even if the circuit board says NO. It cannot fix broken.

Charles

[CharlesinGA]

Originally Posted by Centex

There's some understandable logic to that.

Personally, before even pulling into a site I check the pedestal power with a hand-held Progressive Industries 30A tester because I want to know the essential quality of the shore power before even beginning to park / set up.

Much cheaper is a standard tester, such as the one from Harbor Freight for about $5 and a cheap puck style 30 to 15 adapter from Walmart for $8 in the store. Or Pay $10 and get the Harbor Freight dogbone.







Charles

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by CharlesinGA

You'd like to think so, but what happens if the relay itself fails, or the circuit board goes wacko? All the bypass does is power the relay closed even if the circuit board says NO. It cannot fix broken.

Charles

Gotcha. They make the bypass sound great but you are right that it still relies on working electronics. In some cases a manual bypass may be the only solution.

[marant]

Thought about an installed unit when we ordered The QShip (2022 21C), but decided to go with the portable plugin. Very happy we did so. Less money and a lot less hassle.


I always plug it into the power post to check the power, the turn the breaker off and plug in the trailer. Has shown bad power a few times, then just boondock.



Only downside I see is possibility of theft, but it comes with the ability to lock it down.