50 amp hard wirede surge protector

[brooksider]

Although my monty is wired for 50amp, I use 30amp robally 95% of the time. My question is if I put in a 30 amp hard wired surge protector will I still be able to use a 50 amp service. If I put in a 50amp surge protector will I still be able to use 30 amp service.
Thanks
Joe
Joe

[mhs4771]

Go with the 50. If you put in a 30 you will be limited to only 30 unless you physically bypass the 30 amp surge protector. With a 50 you can still use a dog bone and run off 30 amp service and still be protected.

[brooksider]

MHS 4771 thanks that answers my concern.
Joe

[DQDick]

It's actually the same whether you use the hard wired or the portable. You want to use the 50 and a dog bone so you can use 50 whenever it's available.

[CORattler]

Spot on advice!!

quote:Originally posted by mhs4771

Go with the 50. If you put in a 30 you will be limited to only 30 unless you physically bypass the 30 amp surge protector. With a 50 you can still use a dog bone and run off 30 amp service and still be protected.

[GreatWhite]

Ok.. back to this older posting. I will be picking up my new unit next week. We'll be camping with a group at a place called Jackson Rancheria. Guess it's a great park cuz there is going to be a MOC outing there later in the month. JR suggests a surge protector. I won't be able to get one, much less installed in time.. so, I'll chance it and hope if something happens... insurance will cover it :?:

So my question is.. Surge Protectors. I'm considering the Progressive Industries hard wired EMS-LCHW50 for my rig which is a Mountaineer 295RKD. I'm not sure where might be the best place to mount it. I don't have the unit yet. I think my best thought would be in the storage bay. This will be the first rig I've had where the plug is at the rear end of the rig, above the bumper.. rather than on the side, close to where most pedestals are usually located.

This rig has, on the forward wall of the living area, a wall containing cabinets, TV, fireplace and a panel with electronics. I didn't look at the panel well but, I think it's breakers, etc. I'll find out more when I go down today or tomorrow. But, I can't remember if there is room between the fireplace and the control box to place it. I think it might not look very clean/tidy if that black box was sitting on such a nice "wooden" wall.

What do you think..? That control wall backs up to the basement as I recall.

[bncinwv]

As close to the breaker box as possible makes for the easiest install. It may be accessible from the basement by removing the side panels. Takes about an hour or so to install, no reason you cannot get it installed by the time you camp. I believe I got mine from Tweetys.com and shipping only took a couple of days. The box does not have to be readily accessible if you get the unit with the remote display to mount in the rig somewhere, you can monitor and bypass it if needed without needing access to the EMS itself.
Bingo

[RickW]

If the trailer is setup for 50a service you need a 50a EMS/Surge Protector as previously stated. If you hardwired a 30a EMS and then connected to 50a service you would more than likely have 240v instead of 120v when on 50a depending on how the EMS was wired in order to make it work.

As for wiring one in you want the EMS to be the first thing on the power line before power is used/distributed in the trailer. This way if the EMS detects a problem nothing has power.

Shore Power --> EMS --> Distribution/Breaker Box


With a generator/transfer switch (Assuming you trust the power from your generator to always be correct)

Shore Power --> EMS --> Transfer Switch --> Distribution/Breaker Box
Generator ------------------^

---- OR ----

If you want the EMS to protect both shore power and generator you can move the EMS to the other side of the transfer switch. The downside is if you have bad power you will still have power at the transfer switch. Also if your generator has a ECO mode and you then turn on a heavy load your voltage may drop below the low voltage threshold and the EMS will kill power to the trailer, the generator will rev/catch up but by the time the EMS cycles and restores power the generator will be spooling down and then the cycle will start all over until you either turn off the heavy load or turn the generator off ECO until everything is up and running.

I will provide one more diagram, just to make it a little more confusing..... This is how I am wired. In my setup I have the original 50a plug. In addition I have a 30a plug wired to the generator side of the transfer switch. I also do not use the factor 12v converter. I have installed a Inverter/Charger instead. When the inverter is on it powers the entire trailer off the batteries as if I was still on shore power. My transfer switch is 50a, so on the 30a input side I jump L1 & L2 (the same thing a dogbone does).

Shore Power 50a --> Transfer Switch --> Inverter/Charger --> EMS --> Distribution/Breaker Box
Shore/Generator 30a ----^

The big disadvantage of this setup is no EMS protection for the Inverter/Charge (it has some built in protection but not near as good as the EMS). The advantage here is EMS protection for both inputs and when I am on the generator in ECO mode and a heavy load comes on line, the inverter will kick over and provide power from the batteries as the generator spools up. Once the generator is up to speed the inverter drops out and I am back on generator power. Because the voltage does not drop below the low voltage threshold for the EMS, we never lose power in the trailer. We are only on inverter power for about 3 seconds before the generator takes back over.