Installing hard wired surge protector in a Rockwood Mini Lite 2509S

[Melissak]

Hello,

We have just purchased our first RV, a Rockwood Mini Lite 2509S and would like to install the EMS-HW30C Hard-Wired Portable Electrical Management System - 30 Amp surge protector. After ordering our camper I watched the youtube video for installation and thought "Hey, we can do this." - We are usually pretty handy, so I ordered the surge protector while we waited on our new camper.

After we picked up our camper we realized we don't have an electrical bay and aren't sure what to do next since our setup is not like any of the videos or installation tutorials I have looked at.

Has anyone installed a permanent surge protector in the 2509s? Does the 2509s have a transfer switch? Should it just be installed before the converter? Where is the access to the wires and space to place the surge protector?

The RV dealer is 2 hours from our location and we would really like to complete this ourselves. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you!!

[Iwannacamp]

I don't know your trailer, but many(incl me) install behind/with the converter/power center.

[Mr. Dan]

I don't know your trailer... but I hardwired mine in the input power cable between its entry point in the outside wall and the converter -- in the big open space around my furnace. I don't have a transfer switch since my trailer is not "generator ready".

BTW, don't sell your equipment short. Your 'EMS-HW30C Hard-Wired Portable Electrical Management System - 30 Amp surge protector' is much more than a surge protector.

[Melissak]

Thank you for the replies. We are having trouble figuring out where everything is located in the 2509S and identifying what we do find! - Sorry, still newbies - but quick studies ;-)

[Michele and Douglas]

I was thinking about purchasing the same unit, as opposed to the more expensive portable model, and also wondered how hard it would be to install. I have a R-Pod 183 G and thought about installing in the same area as was recommended above (by furnace and water pump). Let's keep the post coming in for further in-put and suggestions.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Your converter will be where the power cable comes into the trailer. There is usually room to mount the EMS behind the converter. Just cut the power cable a couple feet from the converter and mount the EMS in the cable cut.

[rockfordroo]

Your converter is part of the circuit breaker/fuse box. It's the bottom half of the black panel located under your fridge.

You can see mine under my fridge on the far right of this pic.

[Melissak]

I am going to go in the unit again tonight and poke around. Where the power plugs in on the outside of the unit there isn't any access from the outside or inside. I believe the breaker/fuse box is under the fridge, but that is on the opposite side of the camper from the where the power comes in. I think we can install this ourselves if we can just find the right wire and location!

Thank you for the replies.

[Mountndream]

i installed mine behind the electrical panel. You can see the pendent which is right in front of it/ The hardest part was getting everything done in tight spaces

[kcmusa]

I dont have your trailer but in mine I removed the fuse panel (4 or 6 screws) and there is a ton of room back there.
I installed it and buttoned everything back up. easy job.

REMOVE POWER BEFORE WORKING ON THIS!

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by Melissak

I am going to go in the unit again tonight and poke around. Where the power plugs in on the outside of the unit there isn't any access from the outside or inside. I believe the breaker/fuse box is under the fridge, but that is on the opposite side of the camper from the where the power comes in. I think we can install this ourselves if we can just find the right wire and location!

Thank you for the replies.

I'm guessing your power comes in under your pantry. There's a square panel under the pantry door. I can't see well enough on dealers pics, but I'm betting it's held on with 2 hinges on one side and one hinge on the other (like the left side door under my sink in my pic in Post #7). Unscrew the single hinge and take a look inside. If no hinges, it's probably just screwed in with screws. You can probably install the EMS right in the bottom of the pantry. You might be surprised what else you may find in there (like maybe the controller for your slide, for example; although in your case, that wouldn't be a very good location, since you wouldn't be able to access it with the slide closed).

[Melissak]

We went back in the camper last night and did some more poking and searching. It was amazing how much more patient we were without the South Florida sun beating down on the camper.

We located the entry point as being underneath the bathroom sink.



I don't like the idea of placing the EMS-HW30C under the bathroom sink and it also appears to us we won't have enough wire even in that location.

The pantry is located directly on the right side of the sink and would be a better location but as rockfordroo mentioned the slide would cover the panel/entry.



Don't laugh or judge, but the fuse/breaker panel under the refrigerator was intimidating. lol
Mountndream and kcmusa you removed the cover and then removed the breaker/fuse housing, all of it???



I sure hope this post helps some other green/newbie out there.

This definitely won't be as straight forward as the video.

[rockfordroo]

I WAS going say it's probably under your sink, but you had stated earlier that it wasn't.
While you've got the panel under the pantry open, you might want to replace that water filter with a coupler and use the filter outside or use a different filter. Lots of reports of the filter case cracking and leaking water all over the TT. (Put "cracked filter" into the search field and you'll a LOT of threads.)

[metalsideup]

I have a smaller 1809S. My 30 amp entry is also located under the bathroom sink. I installed my EMS unit inside that space, attaching it to a plywood base that is then attached to an interior cabinet wall a few inches above the floor. Simple to wire it into the circuit before the other electronics. Clean and safe. One advantage to installing it away from my breakers, which are located under my fridge and next to my bed, is I don't hear the unit when plugged in to pedestals; my EMS unit makes a pretty pronounced hum when being utilized. I installed the remote status unit at another location, by my TV so I don't have to look at the main head unit at all.