Installing Hardwire Surge Protector

[OK3wire]

Anyone install a hardwire surge protector in the Roo19 or Shamrock 19? I'm looking at the EMS LCHW30 from Progressive Industries. Was it easy to install/access the 120V/30A electrical wiring from inside the trailer? How about any issues powering the hybrid from a portable inverter generator once the surge protector is permanently installed? Thanks in advance for the info. I like the idea of a hardwired surge protector vice a portable one for security purposes as well as one less thing I have to lug out every time I set up camp.

[deartruc]

I installed it in my 23ikss. I would imagine the converter/power center is the same. I pulled out the converter. Cut the orange wire to give me enough length to go into the ems and come out. Mounter the EMS to the converter. Drilled a hole in the cabinet as high as I could in the closet the ems/converter/power center is in for the remote. I didn't take pics of my install, but it is very easy.

[davel1971]

Nothing hard about it at all. PI units come with very clear instructions also.

[gashog]

Installing the hardwired EMS is simple basic electrical, but I went with the portable unit for a couple reasons:
1). Windjammer still under warranty and if there was a electrical problem not related to the install, I know FR would say it was my fault.
2). They have a slight hummm or buzz sound didn't want to listen to that trying to sleep. I figured that sound would be amplified inside the cabinet.
3). Heard that if you have a lightening strike, you're not protected from trailer plug to the EMS. So the voltage from the lightening is in the TT.
4) . If it has to be sent back to Progressive for warranty service, I just send it back without TT being down.
I opted for the portable. LOVE IT...

[deartruc]

portable is a great option..still can't go wrong as long as it's a PI. Another neg for the HW would be "ya can't take it withya" if you trade up at some point. Install issue: 30 amp rolmex, really hard to bend and cut...lol.

Now, never heard a hum from mine. The display on the inside constantly scrolls status, geeky stuff. DW turns on the mic..I look over at the display. DW turns on the A/C/ I look over at the display.

[pjnlorrie]

Turbs did a nice install using male/female plug ends so he could easily remove the EMS from the circuit if it ever failed. Ours has saved our equipment more than a few times.
Many generators, like our Honda, use a floating ground which the Progressive unit (Maybe other brands) see as an open ground and will not engage. Progressive instructions show how to install an included jumper wire to circumvent this issue. On one of my RVs I installed a switch to the jumper location and on another I simply use a Ground-Neutral Bond plug-Generator Ground-Neutral Bonding | No~Shock~Zone

[uhduh camping]

There is a disclaimer on PI's website about Yamaha's 2000 units don't produce enough amps on start up and could damage PI unit. Even with two 2000 gennys in parallel. Of course I learned of this after buying PI unit. Had to install bypass switch to go with my two Yammys.

[OK3wire]

I'm looking at the Champion 3100 inverter generator to power my Roo when I go boondocking. Has anyone had any issues running their Roo off of a generator with the surge protector connected to the generator? Do I need a bypass? If I have an inverter generator with clean electricity, is a surge protector still needed? Thanks in advance for any advice.

[TURBS]

Simple install.
No hum ever.


TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "24 nights"

[DK-in-SC]

I opted for the hardwired EMS 30 for our 23IKSS. It is installed on the inside front of the bathroom cabinet. That is where the power comes in from the outside, and there was plenty of slack wire to splice it in. As pjnlorrie mentioned, Turbs has some great installation pictures where he used 30amp plugs and I followed his lead. Using the plugs makes it easy to:
1) remove the unit if you sell your RV
2) bypass the unit should it ever fail
Essentially, you get the benefits of a portable unit without having to worry about theft. I know some have concerns about installing it in the bathroom cabinet, but when I looked at all the potential installation options, this made the most sense. There are so many places in the RV where water and electric lines are close together I wasn't really concerned about the EMS getting wet.

[DK-in-SC]

Display mounted on the front of the cabinet:




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[OK3wire]

Thank you for all the great advice. This was my first inquiry/post on this forum as a first time owner of a camper. The quick responses with valuable information has been great!

[jmsokol]

Originally Posted by pjnlorrie

Turbs did a nice install using male/female plug ends so he could easily remove the EMS from the circuit if it ever failed. Ours has saved our equipment more than a few times.
Many generators, like our Honda, use a floating ground which the Progressive unit (Maybe other brands) see as an open ground and will not engage. Progressive instructions show how to install an included jumper wire to circumvent this issue. On one of my RVs I installed a switch to the jumper location and on another I simply use a Ground-Neutral Bond plug-Generator Ground-Neutral Bonding | No~Shock~Zone

I'm Mike Sokol from the No~Shock~Zone. Thanks for posting my article about generator Neutral-Ground bonding here. I'm currently editing a video about how to easily determine if your generator has a floating or bonded neutral. I'll post the link here once it's ready for publication.

In the meantime, I have several of the HW Progressive Industries Surge Protectors which I prefer simply because I can test and replace any components if I blow something up during my No~Shock~Zone experiments. I've been trying really hard to destroy one, but haven't been successful yet. For example, they've been designed and tested up to 480 volts, so my 240-volt over-voltage tests just make them shut off. But they come back on after reducing the voltage back to normal levels.

I think that everyone with a 30-amp shore power plug needs over-voltage protection since lots of homeowners and electricians accidentally mis-wire TT-30 receptacles with 240 volts instead of 120 volts becuase it looks like a dryer plug. See my article on that topic at: Mis-wiring a 120-volt RV outlet with 240-volts | No~Shock~Zone.

FYI: I'm currently building a Tesla coil for lightning strike experiments on electrical gear (no kidding) which should be a lot of fun. Yes, I'll take videos.

Mike Sokol
No~Shock~Zone

[Bocamo]

the trickiest part of the install that I found with this unit placing the unit itself. I found room behind the electrical service panel. Also, I placed the hole for the RJ11 connector to the remote behind the remote so that it covered the hole.

[Archicamper]

I started out with an external unit and decided to mount in inside my Roo. I put it under the sink like others have done. I got male and female plugs, cut the line and plugged in the unit. This location has the added advantage that after removing the partitions under the sink I have more storage and can open the cabinet and see the surge protector.

[Ford Idaho]

Bought this the day we picked up the lite, it has served well 60-90 second delay during pretest.

No wiring needed.

Chain and padlock to keep folks on the up and up.

[DRiveWell]

I have the Progressive hardwired (30 amp) unit. The only sound I have heard is the contactor pulling in after the power check. The open ground indicated with some external generators can be bypassed by turning the unit off with the switch on the display (all power sensing faults are then ignored).

[OK3wire]

Decided on the hard wired PI 30 amp surge protector. Just installed it nearly identical to Turbs installation behind the inverter using 30 amp twist plugs. I like the idea of being able to bypass the surge protector if it ever fails and take it with me if/when I ever sell my Roo 19. Installation wasn't difficult. I ended up running the display underneath the sink and out of sight so the kiddos can't mess with it. I will be interested to see how well it does when running power from an external generator. Thanks for all the installation advice from everyone. I would not have thought to use 30 amp plugs to allow me the ability to bypass the surge protector had I not gotten advice from this forum. Fly Navy!!!

[Kansas Camper]

I just purchased the PI smart surge SSP30 portable. So when I am using my generator I should not use it? What about when I am using 20 amp instead of 30 and using one of those adaptors? Am excited to get it. Thanks for the help.

[MilCop4523]

i have what appears to be a single red wire and a single white wire going to my fuse box and then to my converter below...

or maybe its one red going to the fuse block and the white is feeding the convertor and then back into the front of the fuse lock along with the red.

now i'm confused...

there is no insulation (outer sheathing) on the 30 amp wiring and the wires are seperated.
one goes one way and the other goes in a seperate direction.

Should the EMS 30 amp system get wired into the convertor and the wires coming out of the convertor go directly into the fuse block.

or does it go to the fuse block.
on our other trailer it was straight forward - i cut the flexible cord and patched it in before the convertor with the 2 wires and ground only