hiadventurer
Junior Ranger
In the market for a surge protector. Seeking opinions on what is being used by CI owners. Want a reliable and safe unit, and don't want to invest more in a unit than what I need...thanks R
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Surge Protectors
- Thread starter hiadventurer
- Start date
Steve and Karen
Ranger
I'm resurrecting this dormant thread since (I think) I am also in the market.
Ron/Missy: Did you find anything?
I'm helping a buddy work through his new ownership of a 27' trailer (as best as a Teardrop owner can) and the possibility /necessity of a surge protector came up. Unfortunately, most of the information available is for those big beasts that hook up to 30A/50A services and draw much more than our trailers.
I am unsure what would work effectively with our 15A trailers, if anything. I do know that we can safely plug in to 30A and 50A outlets with the correct adaptors, but am not sure if there is anything available specifically for a 15A, or if a 30A protector will work properly, in line with the adaptor(s).
I also know that after several years of travel with the trailer that one can expect anything and everything in terms of electrical service when they pull into a campground: open grounds, hot neutral. A circuit tester is now part of my kit, and is used before we plug in at any site.
But presuming that the campground's electrical service is on the up'n'up, I would still want some sort of protection from spikes. I've already have a minor fried wire with the trailer (the breakaway cable) and I don't relish the thought of the spiderweb of wiring in the trailer going up in smoke during a surge.
Thanks for any insight.
Ron/Missy: Did you find anything?
I'm helping a buddy work through his new ownership of a 27' trailer (as best as a Teardrop owner can) and the possibility /necessity of a surge protector came up. Unfortunately, most of the information available is for those big beasts that hook up to 30A/50A services and draw much more than our trailers.
I am unsure what would work effectively with our 15A trailers, if anything. I do know that we can safely plug in to 30A and 50A outlets with the correct adaptors, but am not sure if there is anything available specifically for a 15A, or if a 30A protector will work properly, in line with the adaptor(s).
I also know that after several years of travel with the trailer that one can expect anything and everything in terms of electrical service when they pull into a campground: open grounds, hot neutral. A circuit tester is now part of my kit, and is used before we plug in at any site.
But presuming that the campground's electrical service is on the up'n'up, I would still want some sort of protection from spikes. I've already have a minor fried wire with the trailer (the breakaway cable) and I don't relish the thought of the spiderweb of wiring in the trailer going up in smoke during a surge.
Thanks for any insight.
Steve and Karen
Ranger
I did some reading and went with this unit... https://www.progressiveindustries.net/ems-pt30x
There doesn't appear to be anything in the way of a 15A RV surge protector out there.
A basic surge protector will guard (possibly) against a lightning strike/spike, but won't do anything about dirty grid and campground voltages, i.e. over 130V or under 100V, which apparently can be just as problematic as a lightning strike for the trailer and your sensitive plugged in equipment. This is where an Energy Management System unit comes in. It is essentially the Big Brother of a basic surge protector. It will also guard against any of the miswired post problems alluded to above.
Since it is a 30A protector (with 30A male and female at either end) I will need a couple (15-30, 30-15) adaptors (see attached photo) to allow it to be used with the 15A trailer plug as well as for those times when all that is available is a 15A socket at the post. CI sells the 30-15 adapter but not the other. Being able to plug in to both 15 and 30A circuits is necessary since I've encountered several incidents where one or the other on the same post aren't working at all.
I don't see any issues at this point using this 30A protector on a 15A circuit at the post, using an adapter. It may give me an error reading that one hot leg is "dead", but it hopefully will still function, and provide both power and protection, rather than shutting itself down. I guess I'll find out. I'm open to any comments/experiences about this, fixes and workarounds.
A locking cable to prevent theft is an additional but necessary minor expense/chore.
There are less expensive versions of the same EMS unit that can be hard-wired inside the trailer. This obviously is more secure from a theft standpoint, and you won't forget it on the post. But the wiring would be a nightmare to figure out, retaining the external CI 15A plug at the rear, and I'm not sure it would even work. Besides, if something were to fry during a spike or strike, I would rather it happen out at the the post than inside the trailer.
There doesn't appear to be anything in the way of a 15A RV surge protector out there.
A basic surge protector will guard (possibly) against a lightning strike/spike, but won't do anything about dirty grid and campground voltages, i.e. over 130V or under 100V, which apparently can be just as problematic as a lightning strike for the trailer and your sensitive plugged in equipment. This is where an Energy Management System unit comes in. It is essentially the Big Brother of a basic surge protector. It will also guard against any of the miswired post problems alluded to above.
Since it is a 30A protector (with 30A male and female at either end) I will need a couple (15-30, 30-15) adaptors (see attached photo) to allow it to be used with the 15A trailer plug as well as for those times when all that is available is a 15A socket at the post. CI sells the 30-15 adapter but not the other. Being able to plug in to both 15 and 30A circuits is necessary since I've encountered several incidents where one or the other on the same post aren't working at all.
I don't see any issues at this point using this 30A protector on a 15A circuit at the post, using an adapter. It may give me an error reading that one hot leg is "dead", but it hopefully will still function, and provide both power and protection, rather than shutting itself down. I guess I'll find out. I'm open to any comments/experiences about this, fixes and workarounds.
A locking cable to prevent theft is an additional but necessary minor expense/chore.
There are less expensive versions of the same EMS unit that can be hard-wired inside the trailer. This obviously is more secure from a theft standpoint, and you won't forget it on the post. But the wiring would be a nightmare to figure out, retaining the external CI 15A plug at the rear, and I'm not sure it would even work. Besides, if something were to fry during a spike or strike, I would rather it happen out at the the post than inside the trailer.
Steve and Karen
Ranger
Follow-up...
I "installed" the Progressive EMS PT30X and it works with both 15A and 30A sources, as stated, with no error codes. Nice unit with a continual Amp/ Voltage/ Htz / Error scrolling read-out. The manual says this 30A unit will even work with a 50A service, provided that you have the appropriate step-up/ step-down adaptors, from source to end device. And you don't exceed the amp draw of any device/part anywhere along the route.
The only issue is that the all-weather cover won't close completely, even when you use the shallow 30A-15A adaptor inside the cover along with a standard straight extension cord (See photo). Though you should be able to use an extension with a 90 deg male plug (or add one to your existing cord) to get it to close all the way. That's my next purchase.
Comes with a metal ring so you can lock it with a cable to the post (See photo) which you would most certainly want to do, given the price. The yellow thing in the photo is the 15A-30A adaptor.
I "installed" the Progressive EMS PT30X and it works with both 15A and 30A sources, as stated, with no error codes. Nice unit with a continual Amp/ Voltage/ Htz / Error scrolling read-out. The manual says this 30A unit will even work with a 50A service, provided that you have the appropriate step-up/ step-down adaptors, from source to end device. And you don't exceed the amp draw of any device/part anywhere along the route.
The only issue is that the all-weather cover won't close completely, even when you use the shallow 30A-15A adaptor inside the cover along with a standard straight extension cord (See photo). Though you should be able to use an extension with a 90 deg male plug (or add one to your existing cord) to get it to close all the way. That's my next purchase.
Comes with a metal ring so you can lock it with a cable to the post (See photo) which you would most certainly want to do, given the price. The yellow thing in the photo is the 15A-30A adaptor.
Steve and Karen
Ranger
Very true.
But I balanced it against an electrical repair job, with hidden fried wires and unreachable connections, and decided it was worthwhile insurance. I've had to dig for, and replace, bad wiring before and don't relish doing it again. Recent camping experiences (with power posts whose condition have elicited the thought of: "I'm supposed to get electricity out of that thing?"), have convinced me that any extra protection for the CI and my other doo-dads can't be a complete waste of money.
Some people may go their entire RV life and never have an issue, not knowing how close they've come each time to disaster. Others will plug in once and fry.
But I balanced it against an electrical repair job, with hidden fried wires and unreachable connections, and decided it was worthwhile insurance. I've had to dig for, and replace, bad wiring before and don't relish doing it again. Recent camping experiences (with power posts whose condition have elicited the thought of: "I'm supposed to get electricity out of that thing?"), have convinced me that any extra protection for the CI and my other doo-dads can't be a complete waste of money.
Some people may go their entire RV life and never have an issue, not knowing how close they've come each time to disaster. Others will plug in once and fry.