Another Save by my EMS

[Ballistic]

Originally Posted by Eldereaglewatcher

Sad to say I’ve been reading the Forum for years and have learned a lot. However, I have no idea what the letters EMS stand for. Obviously, it’s something electrical. Please enlighten me (pun intended). Thanks for adding to my knowledge.

Here you go…

https://googlethatforyou.com?q=what%...0for%20an%20rv

[Gumpster808]

Yes they should be on every hookup.

Couple years ago I plugged in a power strip to the outlet on the side of the coach. The Progressive Industries EMS shut off power to the coach immediately.

Long story short the power strip had an open ground. Was impressed that it shutoff all power based on something it saw wrong in the coach side as well.

Have a hardwired one now and will never be without one.

[andymil]

Mine was dropping out when plugged in at home. After some checking and troubleshooting, I tightened the screws on the breakers in the garage and the problem was solved. I was surprised that the screws needed to be tightened after ten or fifteen years.

[Ohinaz1970]

On a recent cross-country, staying at a "brand-name" campground, noticed neighbor that pulled in about an hour after us, was seeming to have trouble with his power. Camp host got involved after several electrical devices in his 5'r went literally, up in smoke.
Long story, short, they relocated him to another site and sealed off the original power pedestal.
In the morning, he told me "they" said there was some problem with the pedestal and that moving him was the solution.
He told me that he was going to see if they would cover his damages.
Guess he should have invested in some protection device(s).

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by Eldereaglewatcher

Sad to say I’ve been reading the Forum for years and have learned a lot. However, I have no idea what the letters EMS stand for. Obviously, it’s something electrical. Please enlighten me (pun intended). Thanks for adding to my knowledge.

Back up to post 16 where EMS was defined.

[flosmith]

We use a Progressive Industries EMS every time we plug in at a campground or RV Park. But until I read this thread, I never thought about plugging the 30 amp TT into the EMS at the storage facility (only to keep batteries charged) or at home (30 amp TT to 20 amp source). I guess those power sources could have problems too. I’d better get on that!

[ilmor]

Never owned or used one and have been RV camping for 22 years. Now that I never plug in anymore w/ my solar / lithium system, it doesn't matter.

[whirledpeaz]

Originally Posted by SailorSam20500

This year, Travelers World San Antonio (advertised as a resort, generally well maintained, great pool, laundry, and meeting center, and they reserve the right to bar rigs over 10 years old). I pulled into my first site and the power was on the passenger side of the site and I would probably need an extension cord, so I requested and was given permission to move to another site that had all utilities on the drivers side. Added bonus, it was a brand new pedestal! Plugged in my tester and read 238 volts on the 30 amp. YIKES. So I pulled out my 50-30 adapter. Plugged in the tester to check the one leg - still got 238 Volts. DOUBLE YIKES!!!
Got hold of the manager and they moved us to another site that is good. Two days later, I checked the site again and there was caution tape wrapped around the pedestal box, I expect they were still waiting for an electrician to get back and fix it.



Bottom line, without an EMS or testing for voltage, there would have been issues for 30 or 50 amp users.

Last year a family member visited a local COE campground and when they plugged into the pedestal, had smoke billow out from the breaker panel. They didn't check before plugging in and it cost them a gfci outlet, reefer heating element, and a converter fuse and capacitors. All in all they got off relatively cheaply. Maintenance had been working on the pedestal earlier that day....

[Jcape]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyVeteran

The interesting part of the anti-ems argument I don't understand is. You don't understand the need? Fine. But why argue against EMS. It's very difficult to prove a negative.

It's not like we are condoning towing an overloaded trailer with 65 Datsun pickup truck.

Leave us be in our hopeless oblivion. :-)

Let me ask one question, do you have EMS on your home? All the issues you folks describe for your RV, also happen at your home without issue. If you want to spend the $300 -$500 for the unit, that's your choice, but it is also our choice not to. As original post said, he doesn't understand why we don't use them, in his question, I've been camping since 1968 with a travel trailer and 5th wheels, never an issue.

[Gumpster808]

Originally Posted by Jcape

Let me ask one question, do you have EMS on your home? All the issues you folks describe for your RV, also happen at your home without issue. If you want to spend the $300 -$500 for the unit, that's your choice, but it is also our choice not to. As original post said, he doesn't understand why we don't use them, in his question, I've been camping since 1968 with a travel trailer and 5th wheels, never an issue.

Not always no issues at home.

Neighbor had lightening strike close to their house and fried just about every electronic device they had, appliances, computers, garage door opener.

Brownouts also cause issues with equipment and have had things burn up during those because they were not shutoff quick enough.

Should we have them in our house - probably.

That said, the electrical grid, depending on where you live, is more stable and reliable than the campground hookups.

[Ex-tenter]

Originally Posted by Jcape

Let me ask one question, do you have EMS on your home? All the issues you folks describe for your RV, also happen at your home without issue. If you want to spend the $300 -$500 for the unit, that's your choice, but it is also our choice not to. As original post said, he doesn't understand why we don't use them, in his question, I've been camping since 1968 with a travel trailer and 5th wheels, never an issue.

Yes, I have whole - house surge suppression in my home.

No one is telling you that you must buy one of these, although we who believe in them do recommend them highly. You haven't had one since 1968, but campers back that far had far fewer electronic systems and used much less electricity in general than modern rig's, and there were a lot fewer campers in general in campgrounds potentially causing problems with the electrical grid.

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by Jcape

Let me ask one question, do you have EMS on your home? All the issues you folks describe for your RV, also happen at your home without issue. If you want to spend the $300 -$500 for the unit, that's your choice, but it is also our choice not to. As original post said, he doesn't understand why we don't use them, in his question, I've been camping since 1968 with a travel trailer and 5th wheels, never an issue.

I don’t have an EMS at my home. I don’t drag my house around the country and and plug it in to several sketchy power systems every year. You haven’t had issues. Good for you. My EMS shut down my power multiple times one night for voltage over 132vAC. It was 138 volts. No problem, you say? The COE shut down the park and sent all campers home. That’s a fact.

BTW, the member who said he didn’t need one because he never plugs in anywhere didn’t help this discussion at all. If you don’t own an RV, you don’t need one, either.

[GPs37FLH]

Originally Posted by Jcape

Let me ask one question, do you have EMS on your home? All the issues you folks describe for your RV, also happen at your home without issue. If you want to spend the $300 -$500 for the unit, that's your choice, but it is also our choice not to. As original post said, he doesn't understand why we don't use them, in his question, I've been camping since 1968 with a travel trailer and 5th wheels, never an issue.

You're correct, if you want to invest into one, or not, is each individual's prerogative. And, I've been camping in an RV since 1995 and cannot recall ever having an issue with my electrical hookups. I consider myself to have been very lucky.

I've seen first hand where camping neighbors have had the electrical components in their RV damaged by numerous electrical events. By the number of appliances, inverter/converter, and AC that were affected, it was going to cost them thousands to repair/replace, not to mention it killing their trip and them having to immediately head back home (no AC).

Today's RV's are very different than those from just five years ago. There are so many more components in the modern RV that rely on that electric post connection. And, unfortunately, they're all astronomically expensive to replace, not to mention the long lead time for replacing those components.

As I said in a previous post, it's like driving without insurance as many out there do. Roll the dice, take your chances and just hope you never get into an accident with your vehicle. All just depends on how much risk one is willing to absorb. As I've aged and become wiser (hopefully), I'm not as tolerant to risk as I once was. This is why I chose to get a Watchdog EMS.

[Jim-LP240FS]

Originally Posted by Eldereaglewatcher

Sad to say I’ve been reading the Forum for years and have learned a lot. However, I have no idea what the letters EMS stand for. Obviously, it’s something electrical. Please enlighten me (pun intended). Thanks for adding to my knowledge.

Electrical Management System

Here is an Amazon link to both 30A and 50A pedestal and hard wired systems. They protect your RV from electrical surges, improperly wired pedestals and high and low voltages.

https://www.amazon.com/PROGRESSIVE-I...87&sr=8-5&th=1

[GPs37FLH]

Originally Posted by Jim-LP240FS

Electrical Management System

Here is an Amazon link to both 30A and 50A pedestal and hard wired systems. They protect your RV from electrical surges, improperly wired pedestals and high and low voltages.

https://www.amazon.com/PROGRESSIVE-I...87&sr=8-5&th=1

A good EMS should also immediately cut power to the RV if one of the above-mentioned conditions occur. It then should periodically re-check for the condition and restore power to the RV once the condition has passed. All this should happen automatically with no human intervention required.

[NMWildcat]

I used to check campground pedestals with a multimeter before plugging in. Now I mainly just use a plug in checker to check for faults.
Most folks in our RV group bought an EMS when they first started advertising them heavily years ago and only 2 that I know of still use them.
I am not that concerned with fluctuating voltage which seems to be the majority of EMS shutdowns and why most of my RV friends ditched theirs ( repeated unnecessary shutdowns).
Just got back from a longer trip with a large group that included extended stops at several different RV parks. The member who still uses his EMS kept getting shut down at 2 of the parks for out of range voltage. He would run out of his RV and go around to the rest of us asking if we were having any problems and telling us we needed to unplug our RVs. Nope. At the last park he finally just bypassed his EMS as his wife was about to shoot him and the RV. I will tell him about one of the above posts that had a faulty EMS as maybe his has a problem also. At least he quit telling us how many times his EMS has 'saved' him and how much danger we are in without one
I was starting to think EMS might have improved over the years, but this trip tells me probably not. I looked around the various parks and saw very few people using the portable plug in EMS types. Haven't a clue how many have direct wired units though.
So I will just keep taking my chances and if someday I get bit, that's what insurance is for. Also might be an excuse to get a newer RV

[mpouls1]

I just recently stayed at a campground in Iowa. Plugged my Hughes 30amp power Watchdog in Thursday afternoon and all was good. Fast forward to Monday morning and it shuts power off at 1:13am with E5 code (line one neutral reversed). Here is the aftermath...I couldn't reset the surge board it was fried. They did send me a free replacement surgeboard thumbs up!

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by flosmith

We use a Progressive Industries EMS every time we plug in at a campground or RV Park. But until I read this thread, I never thought about plugging the 30 amp TT into the EMS at the storage facility (only to keep batteries charged) or at home (30 amp TT to 20 amp source). I guess those power sources could have problems too. I’d better get on that!

Our EMS saved our rig when a lightning strike hit the row of big metal buildings where we keep our rig plugged into electricity for charging.
We also have whole house surge protection which was installed as part of our new circuit breaker box. I figure if it's good enough for the house, it's good enough for our rig.

[Comanchecreek]

Just to be clear about the incident I started this discussion with, my EMS was reading 133 volts at the pedestal causing a shutdown by the EMS. The space next to me was empty, so I took my EMS to that site and plugged it in. It read 114 to 115 volts. Clearly the EMS was reading properly. Would 133 volts have damaged anything. Maybe, maybe not, but I'd rather have the choice be mine, than have a fried electrical system screw up my valuable vacation time. As it was, it cost me a few minutes of PITA, but I was able to enjoy the rest of my stay without having to call my insurance agent, and live without my appliances, and electronics for the rest of the trip. It certainly is your choice to make, and it certainly was mine as well. I'll stand by the choice I made.

[Cyote61]

Last 5 week trip we took our EMS found two problems during the trip. One had one leg out and the other was open ground. Low voltage was a common problem at several older campgrounds, especially on hot days.