Ok so I took everyone's advice and bought a progressive industries voltage monitor for our new 5th wheel. The guy who was helping me put stuff together gave me a 30 amp one. My trailer has a 50 amp cord and while they say I wont need 50 amp could I exchange the 30 amp for a 50 amp monitor and use it for both when I dont have a 50 amp connection? if I am only plugged into a 30 amp connection my electronics knowledge says no issue with a 50 amp monitor but not knowing these particular units will the 50 amp think the voltage is to low when only plugged into 30 amp. I would think plugging into 50 amp when I have it is the best option. sorry if the question seems silly but i am still trying to learn here. Thanks for the replies in advance

Since you have a 50 amp rig it only makes sense to also have a 50 amp Progressive EMS ... if at times you want to plug into 30 amp service just also have on hand a 30 amp Male > 50 amp Female Dogbone.

SoundGuy wrote:Since you have a 50 amp rig it only makes sense to also have a 50 amp Progressive EMS ... if at times you want to plug into 30 amp service just also have on hand a 30 amp Male > 50 amp Female Dogbone.X2

I think the guy that assisted you was trying to sell 30 amp units, If yours is 50 Amp then that is what you should use, you can pick up an adapter as described above..

SoundGuy wrote:Since you have a 50 amp rig it only makes sense to also have a 50 amp Progressive EMS ... if at times you want to plug into 30 amp service just also have on hand a 30 amp Male > 50 amp Female Dogbone.In fact unless you are ALWAYS going to be on 30 amp sites.. YOU really need a unit that matches your 50 amp RVIf you had a 30 amp RV you could use either size (I'd recommend a 50 cause you may wish to upgrade some day) but with a 50 amp rig you must use a 50, on 50 amp sites as well as 30 (With an adapter, Same adapter you need now) it will work.

Thank you for all the replies. It makes sense to me and that confirms what I was thinking. I think the fact that they had it hooked to 30 amp at the dealer using the 50 to 30 adapter which they gave me is probably why they sold me a 30. since I have a 50 amp hookup on the 5th wheel I figured I would hook 50 on all chances I can and having a 50 amp surge protector makes sense

Question on voltage monitors | Good Sam Community

18 Replies

SoundGuy
Explorer
Jan 26, 2017
djgodden wrote:
What's better? The installed model or the plug in? I'm wondering from a failure perspective. If the installed model fails, are you out of power? If the plug in fails, just unplug it.

I'm looking to put in a EMS-HW50C.

The portable versions can be "bypassed" by simply removing them from the circuit, the hard wire versions have a bypass switch which when in bypass leaves the surge protection part of the unit active but disables the rest. Obviously, if the unit has been severely damaged there's no guarantee that bypass would work. If this is a concern for you simply install the hard wire version using standard RV connectors as I've done, in your case using 50 amp versions. Pics are in my gallery starting here.
djgodden
Explorer
Jan 26, 2017
What's better? The installed model or the plug in? I'm wondering from a failure perspective. If the installed model fails, are you out of power? If the plug in fails, just unplug it.

I'm looking to put in a EMS-HW50C.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Jan 16, 2017
TJames1974 wrote:
they gave me full credit of the 30 to exchange it for a 50X and discounted the price difference even.

Great outcome, and despite claims to the contrary by naysayers just an honest mistake originally selling you the 30 amp version.
TJames1974
Explorer
Jan 16, 2017
OK quick follow-up to this little issue with having the wrong EMS. I took it back on friday and asked why if I had a 50 amp trailer they sold me a 30 amp ems. honest mistake the guy thought I had bought a 30 amp unit. they gave me full credit of the 30 to exchange it for a 50X and discounted the price difference even. I am happy with that and the dealer I feel was fair. Thanks for all the info
Walaby
Explorer II
Jan 10, 2017
SoundGuy wrote:
Allworth wrote:
They sold you a 30Amp unit because you didn't know any better and they had one in stock that they wanted to get rid of. Bad customer service and worse ethics.

Maybe, maybe not, but since you weren't there you don't really know the true facts of the matter. Not a lot of dealership parts departments even stock surge protectors / EMS units and often if a customer wants one the dealer would have to order one in. It's entirely possible this particular person assisting the OP wasn't as familiar with these EMS units as perhaps he should have been ... that may qualify as not the best service but it's hardly "worse ethics". :R

I agree, and there should be some amount of responsibility on the consumer that they make/made the ultimate decision. While the consumer, in this case, may have received bad information or bad advice to consider that 'worse ethics', and warranting a BBB report, well, Im thinking that's a bit of an over reach.

Mike
SoundGuy
Explorer
Jan 10, 2017
Allworth wrote:
They sold you a 30Amp unit because you didn't know any better and they had one in stock that they wanted to get rid of. Bad customer service and worse ethics.

Maybe, maybe not, but since you weren't there you don't really know the true facts of the matter. Not a lot of dealership parts departments even stock surge protectors / EMS units and often if a customer wants one the dealer would have to order one in. It's entirely possible this particular person assisting the OP wasn't as familiar with these EMS units as perhaps he should have been ... that may qualify as not the best service but it's hardly "worse ethics". :R
FLY_4_FUN
Explorer
Jan 10, 2017
I have a 50A rig, yet we have never had 50a service however I still got the hardwired 50A ems unit. Costly, but for sure worth it to me. If I ever travel to somewhere with 50a available im covered. Hope you can get the right setup for your rig.

Daryll
Allworth
Explorer II
Jan 09, 2017
They sold you a 30Amp unit because you didn't know any better and they had one in stock that they wanted to get rid of. Bad customer service and worse ethics.

They should give you full purchase price credit toward the purchase of a 50Amp Progressive EMS. If they don't see it that way, you might want to discuss it with the BBB and or the consumer watchdog at your local TV station. It is amazing what a little bad press can do. BUT only if really necessary!
spike99
Explorer
Jan 09, 2017
If I had a 50 AMP trailer, I'd buy a 50 AMP EMS / Surge protector system.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Jan 09, 2017
TJames1974 wrote:
They sold me the one that plugs in to the power box at the campground. I asked about the one that measures high and low and all the other problems people have talked about.

So what you have is a Progressive Industries EMS-PT30C but what you should have been supplied with is an EMS-PT50C. Since the EMS-PT30C and EMS-PT50C series has been discontinued and is being replaced by the EMS-PT30X and EMS-PT50X you might want to negotiate to get the newer EMS-PT50X instead of the previous EMS-PT50C.