PI EMS-PT30C paid off a couple of days ago.

myredracer wrote:

Has anyone ever accomplished anything by reporting pedestal problems to the CG?

I was at Claytor Lake State Park in Virginia when my PI EMS would not let the 30 Amp power in to my RV due to hot and neutral being reversed. I told the camp host and 10 minutes later the ranger was at my site fixing it.

The Ranger had a great attitude and stated they did lots of work recently fixing open grounds all over the place. I helped him figure out the hot and neutral wires were wired wrong and he fixed it right there.

Ed

We stayed at a campground just outside Zion National Park last year and the 30amp outlet was burnt. I walked over to the office and notified them and within 20 minutes the maintenance guy replaced the outlet/breaker and had it working.

myredracer wrote:

Has anyone ever accomplished anything by reporting pedestal problems to the CG?

We were at a Thousand Trails CG last year and our EMS shut down on low voltage AND open ground at the same time. Their general purpose handyman got his voltmeter out and insisted nothing was wrong. He said he had replaced the receptacle recently and it couldn't possibly be a problem. Here I am an EE (retired) trying to explain how and why it was a problem. I went to the office and the manager she said she saw some electrical work being done and saw them put bare wires in a trench. She said head office simply won't approve money to fix things.

CGs all too often don't have licensed electricians doing the work. The next time it happens, I might advise the local AHJ or state chief electrical inspector and see what happens.

Bumpyroad wrote:
... one thing not mentioned is that mine also has a restart delay so that when the juice goes out and the AC shuts off, when the electricity quickly comes back on that it protects the aC units.

All current EMS units from TRC and Progressive that include low/high voltage detection have delay for this exact reason. I chose the Progressive hard wire version over the portable because my EMS-HW30C can be internally reset for a 15" or 136" delay whereas the portable EMS-PT30C is fixed at 136". We don't run A/C that often so I normally leave it set for the shorter delay but because I added a switch in place of the internal delay jumper I can switch the delay in an instant to 136" when we do plan to use the A/C.

one thing not mentioned is that mine also has a restart delay so that when the juice goes out and the AC shuts off, when the electricity quickly comes back on that it protects the aC units.
bumpy

djousma wrote:
So it's very similar to this: http://www.precisioncircuitsinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/00-10024-000-Power-Control-System-Mini-D1.pdf

As I suspected, an entirely different animal than a surge protector / EMS like those offered by TRC, Progressive Industries, etc. Yours is designed to actively manage loads within the rig so you don't exceed the service you're using ... a surge protector / EMS has no functionality in this regard but is designed to protect your rig's electrical system from potential power line source errors, from surges to spikes to pedestal wiring errors to what I believe is most important - low and high voltage situations, particularly the former which is so common during the hot summer months and all your neighbours are also running their A/C units to the max. :E

SoundGuy wrote:

djousma wrote:
I have a 2017 Cardinal with 3A/C's and I have a "energy management" panel on my control panel. I have no idea what it does, other than do load balancing when plugged into something less than 50AMP? Do I get the protection already? Or do I still need this unit?

Just the other day I read another forum discussion about this but failed to bookmark it :S ... unfortunate because the details clearly detailed why these included factory installed "energy management systems" are a completely different animal from the surge protector / EMS units we're talking about here in this discussion. Without specifics about your particular system I'd say yes, you want an external EMS such as the Progressive Industries EMS-PT50C or EMS-HW50C.

So it's very similar to this: http://www.precisioncircuitsinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/00-10024-000-Power-Control-System-Mini-D1.pdf

Except mine is W/H, A/C RR, A/C-FRT, and A/C-MID. I'm pretty confident that the EMS that came with my cardinal is to manage the high draw items when running on less than 50A service.

EDIT: I've sent Progressive support some email, and we'll see what they say. I suspect it will still be a good thing to have, just want to make sure there will be no issues with both coexisting, and no overlap in function.

djousma wrote:
I have a 2017 Cardinal with 3A/C's and I have a "energy management" panel on my control panel. I have no idea what it does, other than do load balancing when plugged into something less than 50AMP? Do I get the protection already? Or do I still need this unit?

Just the other day I read another forum discussion about this but failed to bookmark it :S ... unfortunate because the details clearly detailed why these included factory installed "energy management systems" are a completely different animal from the surge protector / EMS units we're talking about here in this discussion. Without specifics about your particular system I'd say yes, you want an external EMS such as the Progressive Industries EMS-PT50C or EMS-HW50C.

jnharley wrote:
I must say he staff worked diligently trying to trouble shoot and correct the issue but were not electricians and one was going to have to be called.

Unfortunately this all too often true - the staff member who comes to your site to "fix" your electrical issue is also the same staff member who cleans the bath houses, cuts the grass, does general repairs around the property - and as such is likely to have little real electrical training or proper understanding of electrical wiring standards and related codes. :( Protect yourself from this foolishness - invest in an EMS! :B

I have a 2017 Cardinal with 3A/C's and I have a "energy management" panel on my control panel. I have no idea what it does, other than do load balancing when plugged into something less than 50AMP? Do I get the protection already? Or do I still need this unit?

Our EMS has saved us several times. We were in a campground in Alberta in a new section and our EMS would not let power through because of an open ground. 30 amp was messed up too. Lots of people plugged in with no knowledge that there was a problem. The owner admitted that he had no idea why he could not get power when he parked his mh in one of the new sites and realized (because of us) that it was because he had an EMS. I must say he staff worked diligently trying to trouble shoot and correct the issue but were not electricians and one was going to have to be called. We just used our generator and inverter for our electrical needs. We have a hard wired unit and will not have an RV without some sort of power protection.