Surge Protectors. Worth it? - Montana Owners Club

anglerdad · 03-18-2014, 01:18 AM

I've always wanted to purchase a surge protector like the Surge Guard, but the price tag has driven me away. We've camped for 7 years in our old camper and have never had any issues at campgrounds.

Have I been lucky? Or, are these a nice but not necessary thing to have?

WeBeFulltime · 03-18-2014, 01:23 AM

I have the hard-wired Progressive Industries 50A model with the remote display. It has stopped possible problems for us 3 times so far. I would hate to be placed in the position of wishing I had bought one up front instead of having all this damaged equipment!

chieflawdawg · 03-18-2014, 01:27 AM

We have been camping over 10 years and have never had one up until this year. I considers us to be lucky but sometimes luck can run out. Just felt that as much as we paid for the new unit, the surge guard was a small investment for a little "piece of mind".

JandC · 03-18-2014, 01:53 AM

I had the hard wired SurgeGuard installed on both of my fivers (no remote). Being full time and traveling I just wanted the extra protection in case we plugged into the wrong place and damaged the unit. We have no stick house to live in while repairs are being completed. If I wasn't full time I probably would have gone with the plug in protection to save a couple of bucks.

Phil P · 03-18-2014, 02:22 AM

Hi

The units that we are talking about do a lot more than just surge protection.

All it takes is the loss of the neutral one time and you could have a cost in the hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

Mine has saved the bacon twice since I purchased it at the SE Montana rally in Marion NC.

Phil P

bncinwv · 03-18-2014, 02:23 AM

If you like your microwave, televisions, air conditioners, and any other high end electronics, then the answer is simply yes! The protection may never be needed, but the one time that it is needed, if you don't have it can cause thousands of dollars of damage in the blink of an eye. In my opinion this is the first must-have modification that is needed for these rigs due to the vast amount of sensitive electronics in them.
Bingo

anglerdad · 03-18-2014, 02:27 AM

Thanks everyone. I'm wondering why Montana just doesn't include one in their units? Seems like it would be a "no brainer" to have it already installed. Any thoughts on this?

mlh · 03-18-2014, 02:33 AM

Why insn't it included MONEY. Nothing is included that doesn't add to looks is included.
Lynwood

DonandBonnie · 03-18-2014, 02:34 AM

We lost several light bulbs to faulty campground wiring. Luckily that was all we lost. After that, we will never plug in without a surge protector. Yes, it would be nice if Keystone would include the surge protector in the unit or at least offer it as an option.

1retired06 · 03-18-2014, 03:03 AM

We have the Progressive and consider it well worth the money.

richfaa · 03-18-2014, 03:59 AM

progressive PT 50C. First thing we purchased on our 06 3400.You have been lucky. It is a small investment considering the damage that can be done. It has dropped us off line many times and found many pedestal issues.

H. John Kohl · 03-18-2014, 05:06 AM

Yes it is a lot of money but $500 to save over $5000 worth of electronic equipment.
It is like an insurance policy and this is the first item I recommend. You don't need it until it is too late.
Safe travels.

**DQDick** · 03-18-2014, 05:12 AM

We have had our Progressive EMS reject a campground wiring on three occasions. One place we frequently stay, near Noblesville, In, has a site with an open ground and has had it the last two years they tried to put us there. When we were at the last national Rally, a member was at Tiera getting their appliances replaced because they had been "lucky" for years and never wanted to spend the money. IMHO there are two places not to try and save money if you spend all the money we do on a rig, Tires and Electric Protection.

anglerdad · 03-18-2014, 05:19 AM

Well, you all have convinced me. I'm adding it to our shopping list for the new High Country. Thanks everyone. I'm enjoying this forum alot. Everyone is very helpful.

oldelmer1 · 03-18-2014, 05:22 AM

I don't know about the Surge Guard, but my Progressive Industries EMS PT50C had gotten water inside it from a rain storm. I called Progressive and they said to send it to them and they will fix it. It cost me $17 dollars to send it back to them, and cost nothing to have it repaired and sent back to me. My unit is 3 years old and they never asked how old it was. When I received the unit back, it looks like a new one, not my old one.

Does Surge Guard have this kind of customer service, I don't know, but I'm glad I bought the PT50C.

anglerdad · 03-18-2014, 05:33 AM

I'm looking at the Progressive EMS PT50C now online. I notice that it has a lock device on the cable. Are you able to lock it up tight using this? I hear these things tend to walk off.

Art-n-Marge · 03-18-2014, 06:30 AM

Good call Anglerdad, they are as important as a hook on the end of your line. Consider the following. These types of units are quite the technical marvel. They are designed to take the hit of something bad and protect the rig from lesser bads. Why aren't they included with every rig? It's about the dollar.

Sure they have warranties offered to you on the rig, but check the fine print. If your electronics gets fried, it's considered abuse and there's an excellent chance the warranty won't cover it. If the electronics protection gets fried, more times than not, the company (I've read Surge Guard has done this) may send you a free replacement (explains the high cost up front), but it will be less cost than replacing all the other stuff in the rig that gets fried, too.

I only have the Surge Guard, but I wish I had gone with something better, but I didn't learn about their availability until way after buying the rig and then running into the MOC years later. By then, the SG was bought and I had no more funds (well, other things became more important).

As you can imagine, their expense and portability need to be protected, so some kind of locking devices are warranted as a deterrent. My Surge Guard is installed in the rig. More times than not campers won't bother with them, but you should always be on your guard with something this valuable.

Bigboomer · 03-18-2014, 06:50 AM

Anglerdad,

I installed the Progressive 50A hardwired in the coach and it certainly saved the day last summer as the campground we were staying in for the summer had very poor electric service and at times would drop below 100 volts. The EMS cut power and reset, saving our A/C, etc. Unfortunately we had to go out and get a Hughes Autoformer to boost the voltage off the pedestal but thankfully that was all we had to get. Worth every penny as others have said and if you get the portable unit should be the first thing plugged into the pedestal.

Tom S. · 03-18-2014, 07:48 AM

I suspect far more are lost by people who forget to unplug them than are stolen, but you never know. I've never heard of one being stolen, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. If you are concerned about either of these two happening, go for the hard wired unit. It's not difficult to install if you know what you're doing, and if you don't, ask one of us who do and I'm sure things will get taken care of.

oldelmer1 · 03-18-2014, 01:50 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by anglerdad

I'm looking at the Progressive EMS PT50C now online. I notice that it has a lock device on the cable. Are you able to lock it up tight using this? I hear these things tend to walk off.

I have a length of chain that I wrap around the power post and then pad lock the chain to the lock device on the cable.

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