Searched the forum and was surprised I didn't find anything on this topic. We are taking our TT on our first boondocking adventure next week and wanted to test out our new Champion inverter/ generator. Got it running, plugged in TT and my PI (hard wired) EMS tripped with an open ground error. In the past I've hooked up my TT to my old generator without grounding it and the EMS didn't detect and issues but it's also a big metal frame unit with metal legs on the ground. Before I go buy grounding rod I was just wondering if other people with inverter/generators normally ground them, like manual says you should ;). Thanks!

Normal for most generators to be open ground. The ground is always bonded at the source such as at the panel for your house or the campground pedestal. You can make a bonded plug to use on your generator.

Easily made for $2 or $3, you don't need to buy the expensive one from Progressive Industries. Go to any big box hardware store and buy a 3 prong plug. Take a short piece of wire, 1" to 2" long, and strip both ends. Put those stripped ends under the screws for the NEUTRAL prong and the GROUND prong. DO NOT PUT ANYTHING ON THE HOT PRONG!. You are done. This does have to be plugged into the generator. Putting it somewhere in the RV won't work. (Of course, put the cover back over the wire. This picture left the cover off for clarity.)

rjxj wrote:Normal for most generators to be open ground.The OP's Champ inverter genset doesn't have an "open ground" but rather a floating neutral that his PI EMS interprets as an open ground. Simply adding a G-N bond is safe and will solve this issue.

Open ground detected | Good Sam Community

Grizz1
Explorer
Jun 25, 2017
Watch this. :) Watch
azrving
Explorer
Jun 25, 2017
Normal for most generators to be open ground. The ground is always bonded at the source such as at the panel for your house or the campground pedestal. You can make a bonded plug to use on your generator.
hbrady
Explorer
Jun 25, 2017
Awesome, thanks!
Bobbo
Explorer II
Jun 25, 2017
Easily made for $2 or $3, you don't need to buy the expensive one from Progressive Industries.

Go to any big box hardware store and buy a 3 prong plug. Take a short piece of wire, 1" to 2" long, and strip both ends. Put those stripped ends under the screws for the NEUTRAL prong and the GROUND prong. DO NOT PUT ANYTHING ON THE HOT PRONG!. You are done. This does have to be plugged into the generator. Putting it somewhere in the RV won't work. (Of course, put the cover back over the wire. This picture left the cover off for clarity.)
SoundGuy
Explorer
Jun 25, 2017
rjxj wrote:
Normal for most generators to be open ground.

The OP's Champ inverter genset doesn't have an "open ground" but rather a floating neutral that his PI EMS interprets as an open ground. Simply adding a G-N bond is safe and will solve this issue.
time2roll
Nomad
Jun 25, 2017
Or just use the bypass. If generator voltage is an issue it will shut down from overload before any issues to the RV happen.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Jun 25, 2017
time2roll wrote:
Or just use the bypass.

Bypass does not remove the EMS entirely from the circuit, just the EMS section, surge protection circuit is still in play. G-N bond is the solution.
time2roll
Nomad
Jun 25, 2017
Bypass WILL ignore the ground issue. And it is not an issue or defect of a portable generator.
hbrady
Explorer
Jun 25, 2017
Thanks again everyone!
IAMICHABOD
Explorer II
Jun 25, 2017
Interesting,my Generac IQ 2000 doesn't have that problem,It plays well with my PI EMS HW 30C. No Fault codes and when I plug in my Receptacle Tester it shows 2 amber lights as it should.

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