RV park electrical outlet tester

[Richard Cooper]

A guy I'm parked next to has a device that I think is pretty clever -- called a 50 Amp Power Pal.

Here's the website with info about it:  http://www.got50amps.com/

I was asking earlier here about something like this because it just makea a lot of sense that after you have registered at a campground for a stay, you drive your coach over to the site.  Normally I guess you would go ahead and back in or pull through and proceed to hook everything up.  But that's a time consuming task.  Why not instead --- drive to the site, stop, put your coach in park, get out and stick this tester into the 50 amp outlet and see what is there?  What a time saver.  Know ahead before you make the mistake of getting parked and setup only to find out you've got to move to another spot.

Does anyone else have one of these and how do you like it?  Effective?  Is there another device on the market for sale that does the same thing?

[Joel Weiss]

I believe my Surgeguard tests for all the conditions that this device does.

[Richard Cooper]

The surgeguard takes 2-1/4 minutes to scan it.  This device took less than 10 seconds.

[Joel Weiss]

The delay on the Surgeguard is built in for other reasons; it has nothing to do with how long the scan takes.  In fact, I think the status lights indicate the connection situation even as the timer counts down the delay.  I doubt that 2 minutes is going to make a difference in my life.

[Gerald Farris]

Richard,
The Surge Guard gives you the same protection as well as protection against low voltage caused by high resistance in the line that the device that you mentioned can not detect. Therefore I do not see the need in purchasing redundant equipment that I would probably never use,have to carry, and use up valuable storage space with. So I would rather move spaces the once every three or four years that I run across the necessity as a fulltimer.

Gerald

[Richard Cooper]

As usual you are wise and I'm learning lots from you.  If I didn't run things across this forum first, I would waste all kinds of money.

What I should do is go to the site and not yet park the rig on the site.  Plug in my portable surge guard and wait the 135 seconds it takes to scan the circuit/outlet connections.

I have my new guard connected right now at my campsite having received it last Thursday from Amazon.  We've had some thunderstorms passing through and was on pins and needles prior to receiving the guard.

[Keith Cooper]

Richard,
It doesn't take 135 seconds to check the shore power pedistel.  It only takes a few seconds, if even that. The 135 seconds is a timed interval before returning full power to the coach.  The delay is intended to protect your A/C units.  In truth, the delay is redundant (power transfer relay also has a delay circuit), but better safe than sorry.

[Richard Cooper]

Thanks Keith.  

Yesterday afternoon I had some guests over, and I think when one of them entered the coach she accidentally hit the power kill switch (which is one of several switches above the front entry stairs).  But I didn't know it, and after they left the whole coach began to lose power.  Even my CMP went off.  The frig went out and did not convert to gas like I thought it would have.  Perhaps it requires electricity to even make the switch to gas automatically.  I went to get a friend down the way in his motorhome and he came over with his Power Pal and tested the line --- all was ok.  My SurgeGuard says it was ok.  The problem was inside my coach, and we checked the breaker boxes and they were ok.  I just happened to think of the kill switch and pressed it up ---- and voila!  Everything came back to life.  I was so stressed from that because getting an RV tech on Friday evening would be next to impossible --- even though I thought about calling Gerald.  LOL  We checked the inverter box too.

I was sort of noticing that the lights inside my coach were dimmer than usual, but everything was working.  A/C, fan, lights that were needed, CMP panel.  Power was connected at the pedestal.  

So I should ask --- the kill switch is for use when you leave your coach for an extended period of time and don't want anything using up house batteries, etc.   However, when you are connected to the pedestal with full 50 amp service there would be no point to pressing the kill switch, correct?  But in fact, my guest did do it.  What then?  Can that be damaging to anything?  All my equipment (AC) seems to be working fine now.  Especially, all my interior lights are much much brighter than yesterday.

[Bill Sprague]

.....So I should ask --- the kill switch is for use when you leave your coach for an extended period of time and don't want anything using up house batteries, etc.   However, when you are connected to the pedestal with full 50 amp service there would be no point to pressing the kill switch, correct?  But in fact, my guest did do it.  What then?  Can that be damaging to anything?  All my equipment (AC) seems to be working fine now.  Especially, all my interior lights are much much brighter than yesterday.

The front door kill switch turns off the 12v DC circuits that would draw down the house batteries.  The best use for it is if you are a salesman with a lot full of motorhomes.  If you are touring a prospective buyer through a series of motorhomes you want the lights to come on.  So, Beaver equipped motorhomes with solar panels and kill switches so that the batteries can conviently stay charged.  

As an owner, it is useless to me because it turns off the fridge.  In many Monacos, it does not turn off the fridge and is somewhat useful, but not most Beavers.  But, for me, it is easier to look around and see if I left lights on.  

I have disabled it in my motorhome so that someone won't accidentally turn off the fridge.  The switch is wired to a relay back near the batteries and it is easy to remove one of the switch wires so that the relay can't operate.

[Richard Cooper]

I need a label maker to mark the direction to press those series of switches because at times I've accidentally hit it thinking I was unlocking the basements.  It's a bad design.  I cannot ever seem to remember which way to press the lock or unlock for the basements.  I think pressing up is lock and down is  unlock.  I pressed the kill switch up and everything came on.

I'm sure everyone has experienced a guest on their coach -- who presses every switch until they get a light come on.  Kids are particularly bad about this.  I tell everyone before them come aboard not to press any switches and I always show them the bathroom light switch.