2014 Trilogy - 3850RL - Monitoring Power Usage

[John Hagen]

I have a Surge Guard 50 amp unit hardwired in my Trilogy. The unit comes with a remote monitoring display (bottom left corner of the first picture below) that shows the voltage on line 1, line 2, the amps being used by each line, the frequency of the AC voltage, and also the error code (normal operation is E=0).

I have noticed that when I am connected to shore power, the sum of the AMPs used by both lines can equal a number greater that the shore power service as reported by the surge protector remote display unit. For instance, when connected to a 50 amp service, I could show as much as 66 amps between the two lines! Likewise, when connected to 30 amp shore power this week, the display was showing more than 38 amps on one of the two lines. Theoretically impossible if there is a 30 amp breaker feeding my unit and the breaker is working correctly.

I went on Amazon and purchased some AC/DC Voltage displays that also contain a current sensor for the AC. I wired two of them into the system today (top one is Line 1, middle one is Line 2) and here is what they look like. You'll see the two blue displays to the right in each picture:



Closer picture...



These displays seem to be more accurate in sensing the AMPs being used when compared to the remote display for the surge guard.

I wired the voltage sense wires into the input side of my surge protector. The current sense units are installed on the input voltage lines for the surge protector.

Now I have a quick ready reference for what is being used at all times in my camper. I cam shut systems down and perform tests to see what each air conditioner is using individually (I have 3) or with 2 or 3 of them on at the same time. Sometimes I'd rather have the air conditioners running and nothing else.

John

[mcnabbwr]

That's a great mod, I have the external surge guard. This would be a way to monitor the system without going outside. I will be looking into this. Thanks for sharing.