SurgeGuard Installation

[Adam Hicklin]

I'll be installing a SurgeGuard Model 34560 this week.  Any tips or tricks?

[Gerald Farris]

Adam,
It is a fairly straight forward installation in most cases, but the application will vary with the location. I am not sure where you intend to mount the unit, but I mounted the one in my 2000 Marquis, next to the transfer switch on the celling of the basement. The downside to that location is that you can not see the indicators on it unless you are in the basement.

The only installation tip that I can give you for all locations is that if you use very flexible automotive type wiring for the connector cable, it is much easier than using the stiff household type wiring. However, either one will work.  

Gerald

[Lee Welbanks]

I installed one in the 5th wheel we used to have. mounted it on the wall of the front compartment to be able to see the indicator lights. Pretty easy to install just follow color code of wires and directions.

[Adam Hicklin]

Thanks guys.

[Dick Simonis]

One of the decisions you will need to make is; Do you want it to protect from shorw power only or shore power and gen set.  I choose to to put it behind both power sources.  

On other thing of note will be he increased delay between applying power and getting it into the coach since there is a delay in the transfer switch and another in the Surgeguard.

[Adam Hicklin]

Dick, does the power from the generator fluctuate much?  Mine always seems to be pretty rock solid even in high demand situations.

[Dick Simonis]

Dick, does the power from the generator fluctuate much?  Mine always seems to be pretty rock solid even in high demand situations.

No the gen set is solid but when I had a voltage problem that wiped out almost all the electronics it apparently came from a problem with the neutral leg.  Since the power from the gen set is also 4 wire I figured a neutral problem could occur from that feed as well as shore power.  This was also the recommended location by the RV service center so that's the way I went since I could see no downside except the gen set is not protected from from a problem in the pedestal.

[Adam Hicklin]

Got it.  Thanks.  

[Lee Welbanks]

No the gen set is solid but when I had a voltage problem that wiped out almost all the electronics it apparently came from a problem with the neutral leg.  Since the power from the gen set is also 4 wire I figured a neutral problem could occur from that feed as well as shore power.  This was also the recommended location by the RV service center so that's the way I went since I could see no downside except the gen set is not protected from from a problem in the pedestal.

Interesting, so your generator and shore power are connected into the front side of the surge unit? Is your generator being back energized from the shore power? This doesn't sound like a good idea. What would happen if you were to start the generator? Interesting.

[Gerald Farris]

Lee,
The proper way to wire in a Surge Guard if you want to protect the coach from issues with the generator and shore power both is to wire it in after the transfer switch. The transfer switch will isolate the generator and shore power from each other, and the Surge Guard will protect the coach from issues in either power source. I did not use this wiring approach because I did not want to wait the extra 2 1/2 minutes for the Surge Guard delay every time I started the generator.

Gerald  

[Dick Simonis]

Interesting, so your generator and shore power are connected into the front side of the surge unit? Is your generator being back energized from the shore power? This doesn't sound like a good idea. What would happen if you were to start the generator? Interesting.

I don't understand everything I know about how the gen set and shore power work together but when I had the voltage problem it also took out the inverter on the gen set.  The chap here in Tucson that finished up the repairs said that it has happened on other coaches...not often but does happen.

[Lee Welbanks]

Lee,
The proper way to wire in a Surge Guard if you want to protect the coach from issues with the generator and shore power both is to wire it in after the transfer switch. The transfer switch will isolate the generator and shore power from each other, and the Surge Guard will protect the coach from issues in either power source. I did not use this wiring approach because I did not want to wait the extra 2 1/2 minutes for the Surge Guard delay every time I started the generator.

Gerald  

Gerald,
I could see installing the surge after the transfer switch, but this sounds like its in front, so I was just putting forth the idea of what would happen if the surge was fed by both the shore and genie. I've seen some real electrical nightmares in my days. I'll have to go look up my Onion wiring schematic to see how they handle the ground and neutral legs, probably both are bonded to the frame.

[Jeff Watt]

Lee,

I know you arent planing on installing one in your coach and I may be wrong, but as you have a similar coach to mine, it likely alreqdy has the SurgeGuard 40250:

http://trci.net/products/surge-guard-rv/transfer-switches/50a-plus-hardwire-rvc

Which protects the coach from both power sources. I did have one fail on me in a previous coach (05 patriot). Gerald likely knows when and in what coaches these units were installed.

Jeff

[Lee Welbanks]

Lee,

I know you arent planing on installing one in your coach and I may be wrong, but as you have a similar coach to mine, it likely alreqdy has the SurgeGuard 40250:

http://trci.net/products/surge-guard-rv/transfer-switches/50a-plus-hardwire-rvc

Which protects the coach from both power sources. I did have one fail on me in a previous coach (05 patriot). Gerald likely knows when and in what coaches these units were installed.

Jeff

Jeff,

No not going to install any surge guard, as I already have a good one. I was just throwing up the idea of what would happen if a person was to install a surge guard in front of the transfer switch, Like I said before in my years I've seen some really weird and most of the time unsafe electrical power hookups. It is amazing what some can dream up. How would the Magnum sine wave inverter see the surge unit in the line as the inverter switches the chassis bonded neutral on a off depending on source, just brain storming.