Another Save by my EMS

[Comanchecreek]

In every discussion about EMS's the question of "are they really necessary" keeps coming up. Just completed a trip to a small town RV park and had our Progressive 50 amp EMS save us from a spiking, high voltage output from the pedestal. The EMS is designed to cut out at 132 volts. The pedestal would spike to 133 volts during the night causing the EMS to cut out. I finally shut the breaker off so we could get some sleep once I figured out what was going on at 1:30 in the morning. I've been saved from an open neutral in the past down in Texas. These things work. If you stay in RV parks with full hookups, you shouldn't be without one.

[Rhumblefish]

Thanks, Comanchecreek!



I just don't understand the regular and constant argument about how EMS are superfluous and wasteful. "I camped XX years and never needed one" is still a sample size of one.

Compared to ... how many power pedestals are there? Or examples of shoddy workmanship? Or campsites with aging infrastructure? Or careless owners who back into those pedestals and damage them?

In a new facility that is clearly well built and properly maintained, sure. I'm tempted to plug right in. And I get it if someone doesn't want or feel the need for an EMS. But it sure is cheap insurance for the rest of us (compared to a potentially *really* expensive lesson). Especially when we all have seen instances of poor electrical practices.

This is akin to not using a filter, because "everywhere I've ever camped, the water is just fine." Decision-making that is likely colored by a lifetime of safe and easily available drinking water. Or maybe it might be better to think about electrical power like the potable water at the dump station. Sure it's supposed to be clean. Do you really take that chance, or do you fill up from a different water source?

From boats to RVs, if I'm plugging what constitutes a major investment on my part into unfamiliar infrastructure, I'm running that power through an EMS.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by Comanchecreek

If you stay in RV parks with full hookups, you shouldn't be without one.

^^^ x2....
I'm going to amend this to. If you stay in parks with electric, you shouldn't be without an EMS.
Ours has protected us from open neutral and low power on many occasions. It even protected us from a power surge in our electrified storage garage... twice. Apparently, if you store in a metal storage facility with no other large structures around, lightning strikes are a hazard.
Low power in rv parks is a 'real thing' and with all the electronics in these rigs, it's a risk we're not willing to take.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Comanchecreek

I've been saved from an open neutral in the past down in Texas. These things work. If you stay in RV parks with full hookups, you shouldn't be without one.

Yeah, an open neutral on a 50 amp 120/240 volt split phase service can really mess some things up. You really may have dodged one there.

[Comanchecreek]

Yeah, I should rephrase: any place with any electrical hookup.

[hankpac]

Saved us from an issue at the local RV park inside the Ag Center, a County Fair type building and lots, that hosts some pretty large affairs for our region of Texas. I tried 4 different power posts, and none were good. Interestingly ALL 4 had a different problem on the EMS code, Low power, on two Open ground, one leg dead.Of course I notified the manager and maintenance guy, but as far as I know, nothing was done. We left ours unhooked, since we were getting a solar install, and not staying in the rig anyway. That's sad.

[TeachTexas]

Borrowing a line from a well known credit card..... Don't leave home without it!

[Theb2b]

Last camping trip out we where at a private campground on the Mississippi right across from Memphis and a thunderstorm came a rolling through. Midway through had a flash of lighting and the TV, Microwave and AC went dead. Wife looked at me we loose power and I said sure looks like it. Then my phone buzzed, an alert from the Power Watchdog, error E1, over voltage or under voltage. about 30 seconds later power came back on and same time I heard the Watchdog chirp.

I have a hardwired watchdog in my camper. Don't know if it prevented any damage but nice to know it works and know I did not get any damage.

[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. :-)

[NXR]

As an FYI I noticed over the winter that we were seeing some lower than normal voltages and some higher than normal voltages but all still within limits. When we got home I was seeing 115 and 113, way below normal for our house.

I checked the input voltages to my Progressive Industries hard-wired EMS and they really both were 124 VAC. PI has a PDF on how to calibrate the voltmeter so I did. About five days later I woke up to hearing my generator running. The EMS said I had a high voltage trip and the voltmeter was reading 133 and 134 VAC But the voltage really was 122 VAC. The EMS is three years old.

I contacted PI and explained what happened, that I was seeing a voltmeter drift of +/- 10 volts over several days. They are sending me a new logic board under their lifetime warranty. I talked to a friend with the same EMS and he had the same thing happen at 3 years. Both of ours were bought in 2019.

Ray

[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.

[Philandterry]

Originally Posted by Comanchecreek

In every discussion about EMS's the question of "are they really necessary" keeps coming up. Just completed a trip to a small town RV park and had our Progressive 50 amp EMS save us from a spiking, high voltage output from the pedestal. The EMS is designed to cut out at 132 volts. The pedestal would spike to 133 volts during the night causing the EMS to cut out. I finally shut the breaker off so we could get some sleep once I figured out what was going on at 1:30 in the morning. I've been saved from an open neutral in the past down in Texas. These things work. If you stay in RV parks with full hookups, you shouldn't be without one.

I was saved from a lightning strike once in Fla. lightning hit at an open site and blew 2 rigs on my left, skipped me and blew 2 rigs on my right. I've never gone without one since.

[mnoland30]

Anything with a computer chip in it needs a surge protector. I found out the hard way with a freezer in my garage.

New campers have all kinds of chips in them, so it makes sense to have protection for them. You might not be able to find a replacement this summer.

[Fire Instructor]

Took delivery on my new Leprechaun 319MB on Saturday, my new built-in EMS arrived today. I plan on installing it tomorrow! That’s how important I consider it.

[Downhill.Bob]

Sorry, I'm not remembering what that TLA stands for.

[Fire Instructor]

EMS = Electrical Management System. A “smart” surge suppressor.

[NXR]

Originally Posted by Fire Instructor

Took delivery on my new Leprechaun 319MB on Saturday, my new built-in EMS arrived today. I plan on installing it tomorrow! That’s how important I consider it.

Same here. The two things that had to be installed before we took our first trip were the hard-wired EMS and the TPMS.

Ray

[Jim-LP240FS]

Low voltage problems don't just happen at campgrounds. Besides identifying several problems at campgrounds, my EMS also helped me solve a chronic low voltage problem at my house. Last summer I had been having problems that I couldn't figure out with my home stereo system randomly shutting down. My EMS alerted me that the voltage at my house (my RV receptacle) was routinely dropping below 105 Volts. I called the power compay but, by the time they showed up 4 hours later, the heat had abated and the voltage was back above 114V. After 3 mid-day calls to the power company with readings from my EMS, they installed a recording meter at my house that proved that I had a voltage problem. Turned out the power company had a bad voltage regulator at the substation. The regulator was replaced and my low voltage problem was solved.

[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.

[GPs37FLH]

Better to have one and never need it than to need one and not have it.....Kinda like having an insurance policy.