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Old 06-14-2022, 11:55 AM   #1
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Surge Protector?

I have a 2021 Hike 172BH. We are new to campers and so far I haven't been using a surge protector. My friend who has a pop-up just had his new AC unit fried by a low voltage situation at the campground they were at and now I'm seeing the benefit of having one.

My question is: What do I really need?

I spoke with Winnebago and they said that if I were to encounter a low voltage situation my breaker would be tripped rather than frying the motor. Is this correct? Maybe my friend had some other set-up that did not protect his?

If I can avoid getting a fancy surge protector with a built-in EMS that would save me a chunk of money as they seem to be twice as expensive as a more basic surge protector.

Thanks!
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Old 06-14-2022, 04:48 PM   #2
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I have the Progressive Industries PT-50X and have had a Progressive Industries surge guard for over a decade. On several occasions it has saved me, low voltage, high voltage and surges.

It is a one time investment of $350 for the PT50X (50 amp) and $236 for the PT30X (30 amp). They can be found on Amazon.

Yes, there are others out there. Just get one of them, and a good one. Do some research. Most on the forum preach the Progressive Industries protectors. Others may be as good. My experience is with the PT50C (old one) and PT50X. The 50X was a replacement for the 50C when the 50C lost its seal and got some water in it. Replaced for shipping cost.
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Old 06-14-2022, 08:46 PM   #3
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Cheap insurance IMHO.

there are many reasons why you want one, holiday can go south real quick due to power issues

You want something that checks for correct wiring, correct voltage and disconnects when any of those situations don’t exist.

Lightning protection is another one, but hard to tackle that one.
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Old 06-14-2022, 09:18 PM   #4
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Check out the Hughes Autoformer product line

Quote:
Originally Posted by Esparent View Post
I have a 2021 Hike 172BH. We are new to campers and so far I haven't been using a surge protector. My friend who has a pop-up just had his new AC unit fried by a low voltage situation at the campground they were at and now I'm seeing the benefit of having one.

My question is: What do I really need?

I spoke with Winnebago and they said that if I were to encounter a low voltage situation my breaker would be tripped rather than frying the motor. Is this correct? Maybe my friend had some other set-up that did not protect his?

If I can avoid getting a fancy surge protector with a built-in EMS that would save me a chunk of money as they seem to be twice as expensive as a more basic surge protector.

Thanks!
We purchased a Hughes Autoformer PWD30-EPO surge protector about a year ago. Looks like they have gone up in price a bit in the past year or so; you may be able to find a better price than shown on their web site.

https://hughesautoformers.com/product/pwd30-epo/

Used it on a half-dozen trips in our Class B motorhome over the past year or so. Seems to work well, no issues.

Things we like about it include:
  1. Bluetooth connectivity to mobile app to view current status
  2. User-replaceable surge module
  3. Provision for locking cable

It's nice to be able to check what's going on via the app.

In theory, the user-replaceable surge module means you'll never need another surge protector. I haven't purchased a spare module yet, but may buy one just to have a spare on hand on the road.

https://hughesautoformers.com/produc...ule-pwd30-epo/

BTW, I have no affiliation with Hughes, just like the product.
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Old 06-14-2022, 10:09 PM   #5
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Progressive is a well regarded manufacturer. If you have the room, I prefer the hardwired unit. It's always ready, nothing to plug in, get stolen or lost:

https://www.progressiveindustries.net/our-products
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Old 06-16-2022, 03:27 PM   #6
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Progressive portable has a place to lock it to the pedestal with a chain or device of your choosing. I seldom lock mine but have on occasional "places." Two foot heavy duty chain or cable, two padlocks. On padlock through ring on device, wrap chain around pedestal and second padlock attaches to chain link of choosing. Simple.
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Old 06-16-2022, 04:30 PM   #7
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I agree with BobC's choice and reasoning. I installed a Progressive EMS-HW30C 6 years ago and have no regrets. The remote display allows you to see the condition of your incoming electric, amps being used and error codes if a problem is detected. Another nice feature is the option to set a time delay to protect your air conditioner if it is running and the incoming electric cycles off and then right back on again.
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Old 06-19-2022, 04:34 PM   #8
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Surge Protector

A surge protector would not have saved the AC from low voltage. It protects from spikes in voltage not high or low voltage. The EMS recommended has a built-in contactor the only engages after checking for correct voltage and wiring problems. If it senses high or low voltage it disconnects.
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Old 06-19-2022, 04:36 PM   #9
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Surge Protector question

We have a Hughes 50 Amp Voltage Booster with Surge Protection. This unit is heavy, expensive and works well. We have consistently maintained of about 125 VAC no matter the pedestal power level down to about 105 VAC. One time at 92 VAC pedestal voltage we were at ≈ 110 VAC±. The unit has 4500 Joules of surge suppression and if the board really gets whacked by lightening or other transients it is replaceable by the owner. Not that it means much but I am an electrical engineer of 30+ years design experience and this is my absolute must device to protect the thousands of $$$$ of RV electronics, TV's and computers. Price is a, gulp, $750±.


https://hughesautoformers.com/autofo...-does-it-work/
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Old 06-19-2022, 06:14 PM   #10
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A surge protector is like buying an insurance policy except you only pay once for a surge protector. The price is cheap when amortized over years of ownership. Cost of a lightening strike, surge or brownout could run thousands of dollars.
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Old 06-19-2022, 09:06 PM   #11
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I'm confused between a surge protector and an EMS?
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Old 06-19-2022, 09:28 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sullivanclan View Post
I'm confused between a surge protector and an EMS?
A surge protector protects your RV against high voltage surges when connected to shore power, just like your surge protector power strip protects your computer and other devices.

In a nutshell, an EMS or Energy Management System manages your RV's power consumption and protects against your RV drawing too many amps from your shore power connection (either 30A or 50A). Although some might, most don't do anything to protect against voltage surges or otherwise clean up "dirty" power coming in from your shore power connection.

The surge protector protects your RV from power surges before it gets into your RV.
The EMS "manages" the power once it's in your RV. Here's a more complete description.

https://familyrvingmag.com/2015/04/0...ement-systems/
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Old 06-19-2022, 10:51 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred 2106DS View Post
I agree with BobC's choice and reasoning. I installed a Progressive EMS-HW30C 6 years ago and have no regrets. The remote display allows you to see the condition of your incoming electric, amps being used and error codes if a problem is detected. Another nice feature is the option to set a time delay to protect your air conditioner if it is running and the incoming electric cycles off and then right back on again.
That’s interesting. My Coleman AC unit does that automatically—won’t restart immediately…
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Old 06-20-2022, 05:25 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wyatt View Post
That’s interesting. My Coleman AC unit does that automatically—won’t restart immediately…
My Dometic Brisk Air II doesn't appear to have a built in delay. Here's the warning from the operations manual.

NOTICE: Wait at least 2 minutes before restarting the compressor when it has been manually cycled off with either the selector switch or the temperature set lever. Otherwise, compressor will quick-cycle and could result in compressor or supply circuit overload.
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Old 06-20-2022, 07:52 AM   #15
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Progressive surge protector....end that problem. Keep your receipt, I burnt one up after about 4 years and the replaced it no questions other than where I bought it. Awesome customer service and peace of mind protecting you RV.
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Old 06-20-2022, 09:35 AM   #16
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It might confuse things more - but many of the better shore power protection devices call their products "EMS" devices.

Not to be confused with the EMS that BobC talks about in his post #12 above, the Progressive Industries EMS-PT30 or PT50 (30 amp or 50 amp) connects between the shore power pedestal and your RVs power cord. It checks for a number of issues that could cause problems, i.e. bad grounds, improper wiring, too low voltage, etc. It is also a surge protector. This is why they call it an EMS because it does more than protect against surges.

A simple Surge Protector will cost MUCH less than a full-featured energy protection device like the Progressive Industries. In fact, the Progressive device costs more than double what a simple surge protector costs, but then it does so much more to protect your RV's electronics.

They are available as hard wired devices that you install in your RVs power bay OR as portable units that you simply plug in to the shore power pedestal and then then plug your RV's power cable into the EMS device. Some people worry about theft of the portable device but in the 8 years we've had one we've never had any issues... nor do we do anything to lock it up on the pedestal.

We carry and use the portable Progressive Industries PT50 and have found it to be a real help.

The Hughes Autoformer mentioned above is a much more specialized device and costs 3X what a Progressive EMS costs. One of it's main functions is to insure that the voltage supplied is not too low and will actually make up for low voltage. The Progressive Industries EMS will detect low voltage but just shut down power to your RV when it encounters. it.
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Old 06-21-2022, 08:19 AM   #17
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I too purchased a Hughes power protector. But I got their cheaper model. If you need a 30 amp model, like I did, they're not much over $100. I like the idea of the replicable module for the sacrificial component that frankly lives in most all protectors, though I've yet to buy one to have on hand.
Though I installed the app on my Cell, I usually just set up, then look at what it says about their power, then ignore it. A minor irritation/fact of life is when you walk out of range, the app gives you a disconnect warning like when the power shuts off to your RV. Well it makes sense. How would the App know why it quite hearing from the device?
Shop around. I found prices for it varied greatly. Also notice the metal plate on the cord. It's for a lock, which makes a quick grab less appealing, of such an easy to steal item. This is their products comparison page.
https://hughesautoformers.com/power-...ge-protectors/
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