Surge Protector?

[Geewizard]

How many of you TCers use a portable surge protector between your AC source (house, RV park pedestal, generator) and your TC?

Think it's necessary? Don't think it is?

[Bumpyroad]

Wardster wrote:
After one season rolling the dice, we just ordered the new Progressive Industries EMS-PT30X to protect our TC from potential electrical gremlins.

sorta neat, has a weather cover over plug
bumpy

[Wardster]

After one season rolling the dice, we just ordered the new Progressive Industries EMS-PT30X to protect our TC from potential electrical gremlins.

[lakeside013104]

When in a commercial CG I always use a surge protector. I plug the S/P into the pedestal and turn on the breaker. The S/P will indicate a neutral ground and any reverse wired conditions. If the S/P indicates all is well, I turn breaker off and connect to TC umbilical cord and turn the breaker at the pedestal back on.

The S/P hopefully will complete it's job of protecting my camper from any electrical surges. As others have mentioned, good idea to use a good quality surge protector.

Lakeside

[Crabbypatty]

I am seeking a surge device however I have also heard that some of the hard wired protectors block generator power. I dry camp as much as wet camp, and also have 428 watts pv on the roof, but that shouldnt matter. I would like to have it hard wired as its one less hing to do as opposed to plug in portables. Portables I just wouldnt plug it in with the genny.

Does anyone have any experience with using portable generators and hard wired surge protecters??

[roadtripRN]

ended up in the wrong place. apologies 🙂

[deltabravo]

Mine has the bypass feature via the remote I have mounted inside.

[Bumpyroad]

which is why I wouldn't have one without a bypass feature.
bumpy

[TxGearhead]

^^^^Someone who really knows will post, but I think you just need a "smarty plug". The Progressive is not seeing a ground when the generator is running.
I think, maybe, sorta.

[deltabravo]

I have a built in version of the Progressive unit. When I use my generators to power my A/C, I absolutely hate the thing, because it cuts power when the A/C tries to start, then the A/C won't start due to locked rotor stall, then the surge protector cuts power again.

The only way to get my generators to reliably run the A/C is to turn on my inverter and let the inverter start the A/C so it is up and running when the surge protector passes power. At that point, there's no "low voltage" as the A/C tries to start because it is already running.

Someday I will remove it and got for a portable unit.

[Bumpyroad]

2oldman wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Why?Because the cheapo doesn't protect you from much.

It protects your wallet. 🙂

until that time that it doesn't. :s
bumpy

[edatlanta]

jimh425 wrote:
I don't usually have hookups. If I was going to be going to a lot of different parks, I'd probably use one all of the time. They aren't that expensive. I guess it comes down to how lucky you feel.

I never ever plug in anywhere without my EMS-PT50C and have had problems at my home base site which is a lot in a residential area, not a campground. Two months ago I was getting shut down by my PT50C due to high voltage on one leg. The power company didn't even know it was happening, but after calling them daily they got on it, found the problem, and stopped it. They even thanked me for staying on them since they initially didn't believe they had a problem.

My point is you can have power problems anywhere. In the above case the entire town was getting this spike and didn't even know it.

[jimh406]

big jim 2 wrote:
When I told my daughter (an insurance agent) about it she said how much is your insurance deductible I said $500. So if all my electrical appliances were fried I would have all new for the price of the my deductible. I decided to pass on the purchase!

However, what would the inconvenience be worth? That's the tough one.

[Lwiddis]

You want to roll them dice, please do.

[big_jim_2]

For 13 years my wife and I have traveled from north of Fairbanks to Key West. From Nova Scotia to California and most if not (all states in between)> We have plugged into hundreds of outlets and have never experienced one problem. After reading all the (saved) stories I have read on these forums I decided to by a progressives 50 amp surge protector at about $500 dollars. When I told my daughter (an insurance agent) about it she said how much is your insurance deductible I said $500. So if all my electrical appliances were fried I would have all new for the price of the my deductible. I decided to pass on the purchase!