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Old 10-13-2011, 11:28 PM   #1
RGates
 
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1968 20' Globetrotter
Thousand Oaks , California
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1968 - Progressive Ind. 30 amp surge protector?

I am close to completing my Globetrotter restoration. I am worried I may need to get surge protection. Can anyone give input on this unit? Is it easy to install? Is it worth the 250.00 price? VTS has it on sale and I need some input. What does the Forum think?
Thanks as always!
Randy
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Old 10-14-2011, 11:13 AM   #2
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2010 30' Classic
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South of the river , Minnesota
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I do not believe they serve any useful purpose.

I have never had any 120v electrical components fail in my trailer and as the photo will attest I stay in campgrounds with some of the worst shore power anywhere.
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Old 10-14-2011, 11:33 AM   #3
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I got one, not so much for surge protection, but for the automatic low voltage shutdown feature. I have been in so many parks where I was concerned with AC compressor damage due to low voltage.
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Old 10-14-2011, 11:42 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Randy Gates View Post
I am close to completing my Globetrotter restoration. I am worried I may need to get surge protection. Can anyone give input on this unit? Is it easy to install? Is it worth the 250.00 price? VTS has it on sale and I need some input. What does the Forum think?
Thanks as always!
Randy
They are the same as any safety device. If you never encounter a condition where you need it, it is worthless. If you do it is priceless.

I don't know whether that particular one is the best one to get, but I would recommend using one.

Here is a good thread on the subject including the pros and cons of internal vs external.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f449...ors-79769.html

Ken
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Old 10-14-2011, 12:58 PM   #5
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They work!

I had a client a couple of years ago that did not use a surge guard (50 amp into a large motor home) and he had a surge take out his transfer switch, inverter and 4 golf cart batteries!

After changing out all of the components and a little fried wiring as well, he reluctantly installed a Surge Guard brand external unit (on my recommendation). Last year, he had another surge (turned out to be a corroded ground lug in his power post) but this time he only lost the surge guard.

CHEAP INSURANCE!!
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Old 10-14-2011, 01:36 PM   #6
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I installed a progressive EMS-HW30C (http://www.progressiveindustries.net/ems_hw30c.htm) so I wouldn't have to worry about it. My decision to install one was my reaction to a friend of mine who fried his electronics because he didn't have one. Another guy at a rally we were at did have an EMS, and accidently plugged into 240 - it saved his bacon

It's a good form of insurance.
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Old 10-14-2011, 02:15 PM   #7
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Thumbs up

We use this one when not dock'n, (not often), works for us, quality unit very good customer service.

Nice the have if you need it.......ZAP

Bob
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Old 10-14-2011, 02:51 PM   #8
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Thanks to you Bob that is the device I now use too. I LIKE IT!
I also went to this site Honda generators - Accessories - Mayberry Sales & Service, Inc.

and bought a $17.00 alarm that plugs into any 110v outlet in the trailer to warn me if electric goes off at any time. Just another cool gadget I think is worth mentioning.

The alarm will warn me if my generator shuts down while boondocking, or if I have the trailer plugged into a parks electric grid and lose power. I use it as an extra device to guard against a generator thief. At the very least I'll know when he unplugged it from the trailer.
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Old 10-14-2011, 03:13 PM   #9
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Bluto,

That would be handy, plugged in right by the door, does it stay lit when unplugged?, would make a dandy little flashlight.

Bob
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Old 10-14-2011, 03:55 PM   #10
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Yes, I believe so. There is a switch on it so the alarm can be turned off and the light will stay on when unplugged. I can let you know for sure tomorrow as I need to visit the trailer to clean it up from the Balloon Fiesta and get ready for my upcomming trip to JC.
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Old 10-14-2011, 06:02 PM   #11
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Surge Guard

We had been using an in-line surge protector that we recently learned really was not adequate for our rig... I am pretty sure it stopped a surge during the summer when we were had the AC on a lot in storage next to the house (so the Bambi doesn't simply melt from the inside out)...the female end of the surge protector suffered some melting and the male end of the shore power cord suffered matching melting around one of the prongs... We got this surge protector: http://www.surgeguard.com/34730.html . I also replaced the male end of the shore power cord with a new one and added extra insulation to the wires inside the new plug...the old one had arced and melted the plastic insulation on two wires. I feel lucky that we discovered this when we did. Below if a pic of the one we have now...this is for 30 amp rigs...there is a similar one for 50 amp rigs. There's a nice chart on the website that shows the various "protections" available and what model provide what.
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Old 10-15-2011, 01:39 PM   #12
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Howdy!

Progressive EMS is worth ever penny. We have one installed in our RV. A year ago we were at a RV park in Gulf Shores, AL. Storm came through and lighting took out a transformer, don't know how but it turned the electrical line from 110 to 220. every RV around us was fried. They lost everything electric inside their RV's (ac's, refer's, TV's, computor, cPaP machines etc...). The progressive EMS saved us. EMS on several occasions in our travels has left us know of power problems with RV parks connections (low or high voltage, bad ground etc...). I would not have and RV without a Progressive EMS installed.

"Happy Trails"
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Old 10-17-2011, 12:33 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS View Post
Bluto,

That would be handy, plugged in right by the door, does it stay lit when unplugged?, would make a dandy little flashlight.

Bob

A little late in answering but, I got caught up in stuff. When I go to the trailer to start to do one thing I end up in 15 directions. So, the answer is yes, the light will stay on when the unit is unplugged and would work good as a handy little flashlight.
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Old 10-17-2011, 01:35 PM   #14
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Surge arrestors...

My 2 cents on surge arrestors (I've been an electrical designer for years):
RV park power is poor quality, with brownouts and surges from a lot of shifting loads with everyone turning things on & off. Plus RV parks have the bare minimum electrical service thay have to pay for..
A good electronic converter will filter out a lot of "spikes", and the 12 volt side should be fine. Batteries help to dampen a lot of fluctuations, too.
The biggest problem is power surges.
A simple and effective plug-in solution is to add a "TVSS" circuit breaker. It plugs into an available empty circuit breaker slot in your breaker panel. For most of you, this means changing out the old 60 amp load center, which has a single, or dual circuit breaker the RV cord is connected to. Usually you have a 30 or 50 amp breaker. Then it feeds another 4 circuit panel at the front of the trailer. At least that's what my '69 Overlander has.
A 4-8 circuit load center cost $15-20 from the hardware store, and $5-10 for each circuit breaker. Replace the old Load Center, put in a 30 (or 50) amp main breaker, and add a TVSS "breaker" which takes 2 slots. They run around $75-100.
The TVSS (Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor, in case you're wondering) will take any high voltage spikes and shunt them to ground. Makes sure your trailer has a good ground connection, and you're fine (Unless you get a direct lightning strike to your trailer, then you have other things to worry about).
Also, your RV plug should only be appropriate for connection to 120 vac. Avoid "adaptors" that could be connected to a 220volt outlet in the first place. You can't "idiot proof" everything (Just read an aspirin bottle, or the warnings on ladders).
Someone mentioned lightning turned an RV park from 120 vots to 220 volts. Probably not. Most likely there was a temporary surge. Lightning doesn't "rewire" hots, neutrals, and grounds very often.
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