SURGE PROTECTOR

[kingsransom]

Getting a Class A 2013 35' motorhome. It has 4 TV's, 2 AC's, Micro, Double Refrig, etc. Interested in opinions on surge protectors. Camping world has some that are "Portable" to put on at the pedestle, sone are hard wired, and some are just monitors. Concern about portables is theft. Why do they have to be put at the pedestle? Can't it be connected directlly into the coach and then the cord to the pedestle? Is a monitor enough? Thanks for your feedback.

Debbie & Bill

[Bea_PA]

We had one hardwired in but use a portable on this coach, you can buy a lock. Saved our bacon from a power surge at a state park. Camper accross from us lost all electronics. Get one that protecs from both high and low voltage.

[Camper_Ken]

I bought the 50amp Progressive Industries portable model. Got it through Amazon.com from Camping Connection (camingconnectionrv.com).
I cut my shore cord inside the bay and installed male and female plug/receptacles. This way I keep it safe inside the the bay and still have the ability to remove and bypass it if needed. Progressive Industries really stands above the other brand (Surge Guard) with their lifetime warranty.

[cochise49]

Gave one away once. I placed it on top of the pedestal, put the cord away, then drove off without the device. Next stop didn't use it for a couple of weeks so never noticed. Called the RV park. No one took it to lost and found. Promptly bought a new one. Had a surge blow out microwave, tv, satellite receiver, converter and transfer switch. Insurance covered it but, what a PITA.

[Pop-Pop_C]

Have a EMS IN THE. MH.But I had. surge protector from a previous fiver.
Use both.
Would not leave home with out it!!!!!

[wny_pat1]

I just have the Progressive Industries SSP-50 which is basic surge protection plus it checks for Reverse Polarity, Open Neutral and Open Ground. The only thing automatic is the surge protection, the rest you have to visually verify before plugging your coach in. Excellent insurance for about $100, and it has the life time warranty to boot!

[JTHarley]

just got my progreesive industries 50 amp portable.....fabulous. It's a cheap investment considering the amount of electronics on your coach AND the fact that so many campgrounds have screwed up electric.

[randallb]

Buy a PI. SG no longer supports their units once they are out of warranty. Also, no one is going to steal your surge protector. It might disappear along with your power cord but it is not going to walk away on its own. The copper in your power cord has value. The surge protector may be worth $5.00 at a pawn shop so no self respecting junkie is going to bother with it.
Randy

[edatlanta]

One reason the Progressive unit has a delay before it starts or restores power to your RV is in case of a power interruption while your a/c's are running. A power interruption with immediate restore can allow your a/c's to try a "hot start". I know they are supposed to have circuits that will not allow them to do this until the compressor pressure bleeds down, but the Progressive unit has this delay built in. Another safeguard in my mind.

[Hikerdogs]

We installed the permanent style 50 amp Surge Guard on our new motorhome. It only took about 20 minutes to install, and eliminates the security risk and needing to hook it up every time we stop for the night.

We went without on on our old motorhome but last year had a close lightning strike that took out the energy management system. It's already paid for itself by shutting off the power several times for under voltage and less than 60 cycle current.

[Klueck]

We have the Progressive 50 amp portable. It's not the cheap one. I believe it is $431, but very well worth it.

We lock it, but have never really worried about theft. You can also have it hard wired in, but we like the portable unit because if you plug it in and find you have a bad pedestal, you can take the unit over to another site to check that pedestal and not your whole RV.

It has saves us twice. The last time was in our semi permanent site that we had been away from for only a month. When we came back it gave us an error message. The maintenance guy said "I hate those things, because they give false readings." Well, it turned out, it did not give a false reading and he had to replace the 50 amp circuit. This was on a pedestal that was less than one year old!

[WMMitchell81554]

I purchased a Progressive Industries HW50C (hard wired)after I lost two of my three air conditioners while on shore power at a campground. After the fact I discovered I was not the only one who lost equipment. I’m still not sure whether the problem was low voltage or a power surge. The weather was hot and thunder storms were frequent, may it was both?
I have since had the HW50C disconnect me from power twice in similar conditions. I would not be without a HW-50C, I view it as cheap insurance.
Recently I purchased a 50 amp Hughes Auto-former (portable) to boost low line voltage at campgrounds. The Auto-Former prevents the HW-50C from disconnecting the coach when the line voltage drops. Last weekend, during a particularly hot day, I noticed the line voltage shown on the HW50C was down to 107volts, the power is disconnected at 104. I plugged in the Auto-Former and watched the voltage increase to 118 volts. Also cheap insurance.

[Pass42]

just had the Progressive 50amp hardwire unit installed at the CW/GS Rally in Syracuse NY.....excellent - You can watch the display as it analyzes your power connection, then when all checks out OK, you can hear the transfer switch get activated...no power to the coach until the surge protector is sure there are no faults, open ground, reverse polarity, etc... shuts off power if voltage goes below 108 or above 132.......I am now more comfortable plugging in at a campground.....

[jerseyjim]

US$800? What does it do? (Better than the others at more than 1/2 that price?)

[Monaco_Montclai]

There's one that cost bout800usd, for a class a that would be my choice, then it's all happy-camping