Hello. So I'm considering a surge protector for next year. I'm leaning towards a hard wired version, Progressive Industries HW50C. However I have read that when they fail. You lose all power in the coach. Not sure as I'm new to surge protectors. Which brings up a question. Where would be the best place to wire it in? Sounds like at the panel is where it should be wired in. But if it fails I have no power. I was thinking if I wired it in before the ATS then if it did fail I would still be able to get power from the generator. I haven't ruled out an inline protector, but have read that when they do end up protecting the RV they cannot be repaired and need to be replaced.This is all new to me, so please enlighten me!

We wired ours before the ATS back in 2010 and it has protected us a few times from bad power. I wired the input cord to the Progressive and then bought a short length of cord from Home Depot to go from the Progressive to the ATS - very simple. I have also purchased a Terminal strip that can be used to bypass the Progressive or ATS if one of them should fail.

I have that same surge protector in the Sahara. It is wired to protect from bad power from the generator as well, which has saved my butt a coupe of times when I was having generator problems.

I wired the Progressive EMS portable version into the power bay by wiring a new cord with female plug into the ATS. The EMS is plugged into that cord, and the main power cord is plugged into the EMS. If the EMS fails, I can plug the main cord into the cord from the ATS....or simply plug in a replacement. The system works for me. I always plug in the power first and check the EMS before doing any other set up i.e. water, sewer, slides, levelers, etc.

Actually I think the Progressive HW50C may be the only one that can be repaired and I have heard of them sending free replacement parts . I installed mine myself just after the elect power reel . With the same fear of being with out power if something went wrong I wired it with receptacles and plugs so I can unplug it and bypass it all together . Its been several yrs now and I have never needed to do that . It has a remote panel that reads the volts and amps on each leg that is very handy . I mounted it in the bay with my power cord so I can see if the power is ok before closing the door. Progressive HW50C is my recommendation .

Hard wired surge protector | Good Sam Community

chaffeekid
Explorer
Sep 18, 2019
I cut the big 50 amp cord and installed a male plug on the short end from the RV, so I can plug into my Generator, you guys with auto switch don't have to. Then I can plug the short end into the progressive portable, the other end has a female plug wired and the progressive is plugged into that.
The portable sits in the electric bay out of the weather, and out of sight :)
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Sep 16, 2019
Thanks again everyone. So it sounds like the best place to install it is before the ATS? And i was thinking after seeing plenty of failed RV plugs both supply cable and pedestal that I think I will keep it hard wired instead of making it easy to unplug and bypass. No need to make any more failure points than needed. At least that is my thinking.
time_to_go_now
Explorer
Sep 15, 2019
time2roll wrote:
Four large wire nuts and the box is bypassed. Just leave some slack in the wire. But there are very few posts of random failures. Far more good reports of the protector saving the RV.

Exactly. There is no need to plan "what if" it breaks! Just four wire nuts and you are good to go. And even then, the genny will still work. And maybe you have an inverter and batteries. I would just go about my trip as if I was dry camping until I could get the unit replaced.
time2roll
Nomad
Sep 14, 2019
Bumpyroad wrote:
time2roll wrote:
Four large wire nuts and the box is bypassed. Just leave some slack in the wire. But there are very few posts of random failures. Far more good reports of the protector saving the RV.

so you are recommending buying one without a built in, easy to operate,function, and plan on going out in the rain with 4 wire nuts, rather than flipping a switch?
bumpy
Not exactly. Get the bypass switch. On unit or remote is fine. I thought all PI-EMS hardwire units had the bypass.

Anyway if the fail is so catastrophic that the bypass does not work then you will have to go out in whatever the weather conditions and bypass using the wire nuts. That is if you absolutely need immediate power. House battery should hold you for a bit unless you need air conditioning. Or just roll out but you still need to unplug.

My EMS is installed behind the main electric panel and is accessed from within the RV by removing the panel. Yes I would still have to tredge through the four feet of snow while it rains to get a screw driver from an exterior compartment. ;)
pianotuna
Nomad III
Sep 14, 2019
horsedoc,

They use mov technology. Over time there is cumulative damage. The mov's eventually fail and have to be replaced.
Horsedoc
Explorer II
Sep 14, 2019
Don't know what kind of failure Dodge Guy is speaking of, but my Progressive portable has refuse to pass power a number of times due to low voltage. Perhaps a lightning strike would require a rebuild at the factory but I have yet to have a failure that would need a rebuild.
JoeH
Explorer III
Sep 14, 2019
I have the "hard wired " progressive , but went to Home Depot and bought 50 amp plug and receptacle and installed them so that it can be easily removed should it be needed. I did the same with my autoformer.
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Sep 13, 2019
time2roll wrote:
Four large wire nuts and the box is bypassed. Just leave some slack in the wire. But there are very few posts of random failures. Far more good reports of the protector saving the RV.

so you are recommending buying one without a built in, easy to operate,function, and plan on going out in the rain with 4 wire nuts, rather than flipping a switch?
bumpy
time2roll
Nomad
Sep 13, 2019
Four large wire nuts and the box is bypassed. Just leave some slack in the wire. But there are very few posts of random failures. Far more good reports of the protector saving the RV.
ScottG
Nomad
Sep 13, 2019
The unit the OP is looking at does have a bypass feature but that doesnt do much good if you have to take it out for repair.
The bypass feature is to allow you to ignore the fault present and allow power through anyway.

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