Surge Protector

I will definitely be getting one. I'm concerned about theft with a plug-in at the power source and was thinking of going with a hardwired unit. At the same time I'm installing the surge protector,convert the power cable with a Marinco conversion kit and avoid stuffing the cord into the cord storage.

Any advantage with a plug-in vs a hardwired?

Any advantages with converting the power cable with the Marinco conversion kit?

Thanks.

For a late model RV I believe a good surge protector is necessary insurance.

Years ago I had a nearby lightning strike fry most of my house. Near as I can tell if came in on my phone wire though... Killed my phones, television, ham radios, garage door opener, the low voltage lighting in my front yard, and my personal computer.

With that experience in mind I decided to get one, as well as for reasons stated above (brand new camper with lots and lots of electronics everyplace.) The entertainment system, microwave, furnace, fridge, AC, converter, you name it, and it seems to have a chip in it nowadays. I won't say I bought the absolute top of the line unit out there but not the cheapest either... I know much of this runs on the 12v system but still...

If we are talking about a much older unit with less electronics then you might be ok to skip it... Maybe.

I know lots of campers out there do not have one and never had an issue. For myself I figured the way my luck runs I'd better get one. ;)

Get a good EMS from someone like Progressive Industries. We have this one hardwired in the compartment where we store the power cord.

Plug it in, the box does it's tests and connects in less than 30 seconds with an audible click. You can watch it cycle through each leg and see the voltage and the draw from your rig.

Ours has found at least three mis-wired posts that I recall over the last 7 years, also has tripped for power surges or low voltage.

Last year we had a neighbor lost his flat screen TV and had other damage simply because the 30 amp post was worn and caused his power cord to overheat and short out. An EMS would have saved them from the damage.

"One thing that we recommend is to plug the unit into the pedestal and let it go through it's checks BEFORE plugging your rig in and turning on the power."

Not necessary to wait. The unit will NOT apply power to your RV until all checks are made and everything is a go. There is about a 2 minute delay. You can hear the contactor pull in if you listen carefully.

That two minute delay is to protect your AC from starting under load if power is lost momentarily.

Jerry

Hi rockhill,

Your story is not the first time I've heard of faulty workmanship. It behooves the rv owner to check every time before plugging in. It is more important with a 50 amp rv than a 30.

Only takes one time. I plugged into a shore station (MINE installed by an electrician) and it was wired wrong, cost me around $3,000 to replace all that it fried.

I was coming home from a very very long drive and arrived late at night dead tired. I pulled in excited to be able to hook up right in my own yard in her new RV garage I had built while I was gone. Surge protector was in the bay and I just pulled out the cord without it and plugged in. :(

Hi,

I often am winter camping where there are only 15 amp circuits--and voltage can be as low as 100. The PI unit is good--but cuts power at 104 (too low for the air conditioner, in my opinion). That would be bad news for me in winter time.

If I were to get anything it would be a surge protected autoformer to keep the voltage up. But, I prefer to do double conversion instead.

Over the last four years I have plugged into pedestals with faults three times. I always plug in the surge protector (Progressive Industries), before connecting to the RV, checking the display to insure I have good clean power to start with. I also have a commercial grade surge protector wired into my home. Given the frequent and intense lightning we see here in Arizona it just seems like the right thing to do.

As always.... Opinions and YMMV. :C

A surge protector is an insurance policy really. I don't buy extended warranties or protection plans. I DID buy a surge protector for our RV.

Remember that a good surge protector like these do not just protect against surges caused by lighting or utility company surges. They also protect against brown-outs when the voltage sags. For me, this was the more important reason to get one. Sags can occur on overloaded power systems in rural areas (i.e., an RV park in the middle of the country with everyone using their RV air conditioners). They can also occur from lose electrical connections, so in cases where maintenance on the electrical pedestals isn't what it should be.