power surge ptotector

JAXFL wrote:
Guard

This is the one I have couple hundred dollars and it saves thousands of dollars of RV.

But it has a UL rating from HONDURAS Is that as good as the one made in the USA like Progressive Industries

I think I would stay with Progressive and something that is made and certified in the USA.

Guard

This is the one I have couple hundred dollars and it saves thousands of dollars of RV.

Ahh, portable unit, not used.

How did your microwave get damaged IF Progressive Industries showed 'open neutral' which will not allow power thru surge guard to RV ???

Or is it that you checked power pedestal with the Progressive Industries---it indicated open neutral and then you went ahead and used the power pedestal WITHOUT the surge guard in use??

Sadly we had not tested before plugging in, as it was our first trip out after winter and we were out of our routine. We were at a nearby higher-end place ($71 night) and in a hurry because it was cold and dark and we made the mistake of just plugging in without it.

Lesson learned.

Bobbo wrote:

Not if the Autoformer is before the PI. Your statement is only true if you insist on the PI being before the Autoformer, which kind of defeats the purpose of the Autoformer.

No it doesn't. Even at 103 volts its not particularly good for your electronics. Let the Autoformer do its thing and bring your volts up to where they are supposed to be.

Voltage Considerations

The OP asked for a surge protector. Most answered w/ a EMS solution. I volunteered if you are considering a EMS solution, why not consider a Autoformer w/ a Surge protector? Otherwise just grab a surge protector w/ no EMS at all since that was the OP's original question.

In the end I'd rather have my power conditioned upwards so that my electronics run cooler rather than have them limp along w/ borderline low voltage. Just sharing my setup and what I've learned in my travels. Take it for what its worth.

Jopopsy wrote:
So, assuming the volts are at 103, your RV is now unpowered. Mine is still running w/ the Autoformer at 103*1.1 = 113.3 volts. Not ideal, but within operating range thanks to the Autoformer.

Not if the Autoformer is before the PI. Your statement is only true if you insist on the PI being before the Autoformer, which kind of defeats the purpose of the Autoformer.

Jopopsy wrote:
However I would not want to sacrifice the Autoformer due to a surge.

The only true argument that you have for the Surge Guard over the PI is that you want (not need, want) it before the Autoformer, and it has a lower voltage cutout and higher joule rating than the PI unit. If you didn't care that the Autoformer was first, it would make no difference whatsoever.

Looks like the Surge Guard also drops power if the voltage is too low (less than 102V) or too high (greater than 132V).

Didn't know that - learn something new everyday. Seeing that, I'm even happier that I have the setup I do. Some would argue putting the Autoformer in front of the Surge Guard: RV --> Surge Guard --> Autoformer --> Post. However I would not want to sacrifice the Autoformer due to a surge.

There is another solution, but it isn't cheap... but this is going to be part of my next rig:

A Victron or Magnum Energy "hybrid" inverter. If the voltage drops below specifications, the inverter boosts it by using the batteries. Coupled with a smart generator controller, this provides a solid backup method for stable power, because if power completely goes out in the middle of the night, the inverter will draw from the batteries, then the generator controller will notice the batteries at a low water mark, and start the genset (if you have programmed it to do so, of course.)

Even with this setup, I'd still have a hardwired EMS in front of the inverter, just to ensure nothing gets fried if I end up with 240 volts rather than 120.

Of course, the downside with my setup is that if the CG voltage is at 103 volts, stuff will run without issue quietly until the generator kicks in.

All and all, the autoformer may be a good idea to have. With the setup I have planned for my next rig, if I add an autoformer behind a surge suppressor and before the EMS, I then have a rig that can handle a lower voltage from the CG without having to engage the generator and wake everyone up.

Bobbo wrote:

Jopopsy wrote:
I'm running against the grain here, but i prefer the Surge Guard from TRC.

I prefer it because I also invested in a Hughes Autoformer. The Progressive models are really good, but what I wanted was voltage CORRECTION, not something to cut the power to my RV when I really need it (like when everyone at the campground is firing up their ACs). I still monitor my voltage inside the RV with a plug in volt reader. If it gets really bad, I'll just unplug.

RV --> Autoformer --> Surge Guard --> Pedestal. I have surge protection, and I have voltage correction. Its pricey, but so is my RV so I figure WTH.

YMMV

The Autoformer works just fine with the PI unit.

RV --> PI unit --> Autoformer --> Pedestal

True, however the PTC unit will shut down the RV's power at <104. And I didn't want to sacrifice the Autoformer in the event of a surge. I'd rather lose the surge protector and still have the Autoformer. In all my research and forum conversations it is my opinion that you will encounter voltage drop FAR more often than surges. Some campgrounds have voltage drop as a routine part of the stay. Most folks will never experience a surge, especially if they are weekend warriors like myself (not full-timing).

So, assuming the volts are at 103, your RV is now unpowered. Mine is still running w/ the Autoformer at 103*1.1 = 113.3 volts. Not ideal, but within operating range thanks to the Autoformer.

Also, even if the campground volts are at 105, I really wouldn't want my electrical system running on that unless it was corrected to that voltage and I had no other choice.

I guess what I'm saying is if you're REALLY worried about voltage in your camper, a Autoformer would be my preferred method of correction/protection. I added the Surge Guard to protect the RV and the Autoformer. I chose the Surge Guard because it has 2,450 Joules worth of protection in it, far exceeding the Progressive Industries surge protector's SSP-30's 825 or even the EMS-PT30C's 1,790