Surge protectors

Lspangler wrote:
My plan is to buy a proggressive industries EMS. Not a huge difference wether I buy 50 or 30 amp version

I use a 50 amp female to 30 amp male at the side of my trailer. Then 30 amp cords exclusively. I see now they sell 25ft cords with 50A female and 30A male ends

OK, so now we're getting somewhere. :) So - the reason "everything works" on 30 amp service is that 50 amp female > 30 amp male dogbone you're using on the side of your trailer applies the single hot leg provided by 30 amp campsite service to both hot legs of your 50 amp rig, the caveat being you're limited to a maximum of 30 amps rather than 100 amps (2 legs x 50 amps each).



If you buy a portable EMS and want to plug it into 30 amp service then the most obvious choice is to buy a 30 amp EMS ... however, if you'd prefer a hard wire version which would be wired in inside the trailer then a 50 amp version would be the logical choice. Yes, you could buy 50 amp portable version and dogbone it to make your connections but that seems to me to be a lot of unnecessary fussing around when installing a 50 amp hard wire to me would seem to be the most logical approach with a rig wired with 50 amp service.

My plan is to buy a proggressive industries EMS. Not a huge difference wether I buy 50 or 30 amp version

I use a 50 amp female to 30 amp male at the side of my trailer. Then 30 amp cords exclusively. I see now they sell 25ft cords with 50A female and 30A male ends

Most new trailers come with a 50 A cord if prepped for second AC. I have 2 breakers labeled air conditioner. On a 30 A cord, my whole rig works.

Bumpyroad wrote:
whatever you buy, be sure it is a MULTI function surge protector, $250 and up, not the $90 special.

SoundGuy wrote:
Which will only further confuse the OP :R - what you're calling a "MULTI function surge protector" is actually an EMS (Electrical Management System) that includes surge protection as just one of it's functions. If he goes looking for a "surge protector" then that's all he'll get - surge protection without the additional features of an EMS. In other words, if you want a dog and not a cat then the distinction between the two is critical. :p

Progressive Industries Surge Protector / EMS w/Surge Protection Comparison Chart

Bumpyroad wrote:
I think my post was clear, don't P__s away $90 on a surge protector. you can't buy a decent one at that price. you can confuse the OP with electro babble as you choose. the main thing is plan to spend $250 and up for a decent "device".

Your post is not clear because that "$250 device" is not described as a "surge protector" but rather an electrical management system. Whether buying a surge protector only is a waste of $$ depends on what the goal is - used correctly a surge protector alone can be exactly what one wants. In the OP's case, based on the incomplete information he's provided, he wants an EMS ... unfortunately because we don't know exactly how he'd use it no one can say definitively whether he'd be better off with a 30 amp or 50 amp version or whether it should be portable or hard wire.

SoundGuy wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:
whatever you buy, be sure it is a MULTI function surge protector, $250 and up, not the $90 special.

Which will only further confuse the OP :R - what you're calling a "MULTI function surge protector" is actually an EMS (Electrical Management System) that includes surge protection as just one of it's functions. If he goes looking for a "surge protector" then that's all he'll get - surge protection without the additional features of an EMS. In other words, if you want a dog and not a cat then the distinction between the two is critical. :p

Progressive Industries Surge Protector / EMS w/Surge Protection Comparison Chart

I think my post was clear, don't P__s away $90 on a surge protector. you can't buy a decent one at that price. you can confuse the OP with electro babble as you choose. the main thing is plan to spend $250 and up for a decent "device".

bumpy

Bumpyroad wrote:
whatever you buy, be sure it is a MULTI function surge protector, $250 and up, not the $90 special.

Which will only further confuse the OP :R - what you're calling a "MULTI function surge protector" is actually an EMS (Electrical Management System) that includes surge protection as just one of it's functions. If he goes looking for a "surge protector" then that's all he'll get - surge protection without the additional features of an EMS. In other words, if you want a dog and not a cat then the distinction between the two is critical. :p

Progressive Industries Surge Protector / EMS w/Surge Protection Comparison Chart

Lspangler wrote:
Everything in my trailer works on a 30 amp pedastel.

otrfun wrote:
You cannot hardwire a 30 amp surge protector or EMS in a TT with 50 amp service.

Well that's not technically correct. When one uses a 30 amp male > 50 amp female dogbone to plug a rig wired with 50 amp service into a campsite 30 amp source that dogbone applies the 30 amp's single hot line to both hot lines of the 50 amp service. This being the case there's no reason one couldn't also hard wire a 30 amp EMS into a rig with 50 amp service in the same manner. That said, if the OP's rig truly is wired with 50 amp service then I'd agree - ante up for a 50 amp EMS, whether portable or hard wire, and properly protect both phases of the trailer's 50 amp service. Unfortunately the OP hasn't clearly explained exactly how he manages to use a 30 amp main service cable with his 50 amp rig - pics would be helpful so we know precisely where the 50 amp > 30 amp conversion is occurring.

whatever you buy, be sure it is a MULTI function surge protector, $250 and up, not the $90 special.
bumpy

Lspangler wrote:
Ok. Thanks. Everything in my trailer works on a 30 amp pedastel. The only breaker not in use is the second AC. I was thinking it would be easier to wire in a 50 amp surge protector. I never us a 50 amp cord. Only a 30 amp

Linc

Since you mentioned you have a breaker for a 2nd a/c, I'm going to assume you have 50 amp service in your TT.

If you plan to ALWAYS use a 30 amp cord/connector with your TT (even though your TT has 50 amp service), you do have the option of using a PORTABLE 30 amp surge protector OR EMS that connects between the pedestal's 30 amp connector and your 30 amp power cord.

If you ever plan to use a 50 amp cord/connector to connect your TT's 50 amp service to a 50 amp pedestal, then it is mandatory that you use a 50 amp surge protector or EMS, either portable (between the pedestal's 50 amp connector and your 50 amp cord), or hard-wired inside your TT.

You cannot hardwire a 30 amp surge protector or EMS in a TT with 50 amp service.

Your choice.

pianotuna wrote:
SoundGuy,

There are better alternatives than surge devices. They may cost more.

I wouldn't necessarily say "better", an autoformer / voltage regulator is an alternative but can still benefit from the use of a correctly selected surge protector. FWIW, my own TRC voltage regulator turned out to be anything but "better" when it fried :M ... I'll stick with my Progressive EMS, thanks. :B All this aside, you're losing the OP with unnecessary complexity. :R

SoundGuy,

There are better alternatives than surge devices. They may cost more.