Electrical Surge Protection

[Robin Goffrier]

I was reading posts on the Technical thread concerning electrical issues, specifically problems encountered from plugging in to a faulty RV park source.  I could easily get depressed at the potential for problems and my lack of knowledge in this area.  I realize how little I understand about transfer switches, relays, legs, and generally, most things electrical. (Just once I'd like to learn that a Beaver's pension plan was malfunctioning.  I could chime right in.) So, my initial question on the subject is, are surge protectors that plug into the source box considered valuable to prevent some of these issues?  Thanks.

[Dan Murphy]

Robin
Buy a Progressive EMS 50 and get it hardwired into your coach.Here is the website-www.progressiveindustries.net
Money well spent! It has saved us several times from low voltage and once from an open ground. You will not regret buying the Progressive product. They also have excellent customer service.
Many times you can find a good deal at an RV show like Tampa in Jan.

[Jeremy Parrett]

After our incident last week  in Las Vegas NV we replaced the burned out original EMS Transfer switch with a Surgeguard Transfer switch that has all the protection you need built right in.  Better by far than the plug into the pedestal type as it will protect you from Generator issues as well as issues coming from the pedestal in an RV Park.   The unit cost $309 and including installation and diagnosis the RV Park was billed $606 .   
http://trci.net/products/surge-guard-rv/transfer-switches/50a-plus-hardwire-rvc-ats

[Lawrence Tarnoff]

I, too, have been thinking about surge protection.  Is there any functional protective difference between a portable unit and a hard-wired unit?  There's a price difference for the units and no install charges for a portable unit.  Of course, I don't want to be penny-wise and pound-foolish on this.

Larry

[Robin Goffrier]

Thanks guys.  I went to the Progressive site and checked out the options for 50amp. I watched their video on installing the hard wired version which was very straight forward on their demo coach.  However my Marquis does not have a basement compartment for the electrical but rather the self retracting reel., unless the forward electrical compartment has the needed access.  The simpler solution would appear to be portable unit that plugs directly into the park source.  There appears to be a metal loop on the unit to provide some amount to theft protection.  What's the downside?

[Dick Simonis]

Several years ago we came back from dinner to find the coach without power and a burnt wire odor.  Long story short, a malfunction at the pedestal fried virtually every piece of electronics in the coach including the inverter for the gen set.  Total to repair...just a shade over 10K.  Fortunately it was covered by insurance and we closed the barn door after the horse fled by installing a surge guard.

In our case we wired the surge guard downstream (electrically) of the transfer switch so the coach would be protected in the event the mishap occurred in the genset or the pedestal.  Yes, the genset can cause the same problem as a pedestal.

[Chuck Jackson]

I have this one... http://www.progressiveindustries.net/#!ems-pt50c/c1ma0 and have not had any issues and Progressive offers a lifetime warranty.

The downside of the portable is that you have to always plug it in and worry about theft (there is a lock tab on it). The upside is that you can plug in and start using it as soon as you get it and move it from coach to coach. A hardwired unit can be installed and forgotten.

Another option is to go with something like this that has the transfer switch and whole coach protection from faulty pedestals http://trci.net/products/surge-guard-rv/transfer-switches/50a-plus-hardwire-rvc-ats

[Jerry Emert]

Thanks guys.  I went to the Progressive site and checked out the options for 50amp. I watched their video on installing the hard wired version which was very straight forward on their demo coach.  However my Marquis does not have a basement compartment for the electrical but rather the self retracting reel., unless the forward electrical compartment has the needed access.  The simpler solution would appear to be portable unit that plugs directly into the park source.  There appears to be a metal loop on the unit to provide some amount to theft protection.  What's the downside?

Robin, first let me say I sympathize with you.  As a Law Enforcement Lieutenant, I could help everyone here edit police reports, I could critique their uses of force and take command of any critical incident and coordinate several different law enforcement and rescue agencies without breaking a sweat.  After almost two years I'm finally able to start to understand a lot about these awesome machines.
2nd, Surge protectors are an absolute necessity.  I fried the electronics in mine when it was a month old (to me.)  An expensive lesson.  On my Port side bay just forward of the water by is where my inverter and transfer switch is.  That is where I installed my surge protector.  Pretty easy as long as you remember that the "trons" in there can kill you if you touch the wrong thing at the wrong time!  I also also use a portable surge protector to protect the installed surge protector.  When I learn a lesson it is learned forever!  Redundancy is a good thing.  Good luck.
Jerry

[Wayne Tull]

Just for clarity whether it's a Surge Guard or Progressive brand it's the following features you want.    Power Protection devices that shut off power if the voltage drops below 102V or rises above 132V.  Once the voltage resumes within these parameters, power is restored to the RV with a time delay to account for AC head pressure bleed off.   Monitor for faulty wiring from the power pedestal and protect from reverse polarity and the dangers of open neutral and ground conditions.  To protect from pedestal wiring problems or severe voltage drop or peak.  Surge protectors provide protection from voltage spikes (ie. induced voltage from a near by lighting strike, but won't stand up to a lighting strike.)  As noted just checking pedestal condition before connecting does not mean it stays that way.  These devices are a cheap insurance policy with one time cost (for the most part).

[Larry Fritz]

Robin: The advice from Wayne is "dead on".  Please listen to him.  I cannot even begin to describe a situation that I encountered last year in San Jose in under a page and a half of details.

I will call this a "FUZZY NEUTRAL" connection. Without the Surgegard, I would have lost a lot of electrical and electronic things that some of the members have according the many recent posts.  I would be happy to discuss this with anyone who would like to call me. I'm in the BAC directory and can give you more info on how I finally isolated this very occasional event.

The bottom line was that the main neutral to the RV park off of the meter that went to all sites had never had the neutral wire screw terminal tightened. This was after a major park rewire several years ago.  The neutral would never be GONE but it would (depending on the power being pulled in the total park) would cause L1 and L2 to vary from a low of 89V to a high of 142V.  Yes, you heard it right. I measured these voltages one day even with my motorhome disconnected from the park power.  During 5 weeks of strange power troubleshooting, I would use my generator even to run only a microwave oven. This condition would only happen on some days and at various times of the day or night.The Surgeguard saved the day for sure for me. The park people did not believe me (typical). I had several voltmeters on various lines and positively proved it was the park power coming to the pedestal that I had been using.  Finally, the park personnel called the power company manager for that area. He talked to me first, verified that the power into the park was ok then he found the loose neutral screw and tightened it. I was there another 3 weeks and the L1/L2 line voltages were between 117 and 123 volts and rock solid and steady.

I remain baffled as to why a few other motorhomes did not burn up stuff. Maybe they did and I just did not find out about it. This park only has a handful of motorhome spaces so that may be the answer. I walked the park and almost everyone was using a 30A plug and not the 50A plugs on the pedestals. Still, their line voltage had to vary a whole lot.

Use protection. You never know.

Larry Fritz

[Robin Goffrier]

Wow guys, what a great resource you provide. I can't thank you enough.

[Joel Weiss]

However my Marquis does not have a basement compartment for the electrical but rather the self retracting reel., unless the forward electrical compartment has the needed access. 

The power cord coming from the reel connects to a transfer switch in one of the basement bays.  It should be pretty straightforward to install the power management system (they should not be called surge protectors) in that bay; that's where mine is.

[Joel Ashley]

If Robin's not sure where his transfer switch is, he may already have a SurgeGard or similar unit and not realize it.  Buying a portable would be a waste of his money.

He should look for something in his bays like the trc industries unit that Chuck linked to above, which many later model coaches got straight from the factory.

Joel

[Roy Warren Co-Admin]

Robin,
I know what Joel is saying, but I have a portable installed in my coach in-line with by wiring and prior to the original surge protector/transfer switch.  This portable one saved me when a park had a problem, not their own and a electric company's transformer blew.  It damaged quite a few units in the park but my portable surge protector gave me the protection.
Roy Warren

[Gerald Farris]

Robin,
Your transfer switch is located between the frame rails on the basement celling just to the rear of your water tank. There is adequate room to install a Surge Guard in that location with easy access to the incoming wiring.

Gerald