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Post by bc75 on May 8, 2017 8:21:59 GMT -5
Hi im new to the site. I bought a 06 Frontier 2405 last year. I was wondering if i need to buy a surge protector I have been reading that a lot of people have them. I looked at my converter it says it has protection from bad wiring and will it protect my camper.
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Post by Chuck on May 8, 2017 11:14:46 GMT -5
bc75 Welcome to the Kz family, surge protectors are a must, your converter may protect the inside of your trailer in same but not all cases but surge protectors protect you from the outside in ... They are worth every penny you pay for one to protect you from both over voltage and an low voltage as well as spikes. It's like playing the Lotto every time you hook up at a camp ground if you do not have one, in other words do you fee luck today  To me the Progressive Ind 30 or 50 Amp surge protectors are the better brand, you can get them in either outside or a install one inside permanently. Or you can buy the Surge Guard which connects to the power pole and then to the power cord or again you can get one installed inside .... As they are little spendy, yes, but thing of how much it cost to re-wire your trailer and you will be glad you bought one  Safe Travels Chuck |
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Post by bc75 on May 8, 2017 11:19:56 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice.I will be ordering one today.
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Post by RdRmr on May 8, 2017 13:30:21 GMT -5
bc75,
Welcome to the KZ group.
X2 on what chuck said, wouldn't be without one. I too have the Progressive 50 AMP hard wired unit with readout. Progressives customer service is great too if you should need questions answered. Happy Campin....
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Post by myredracer on May 9, 2017 4:20:13 GMT -5
Yes, def. get one and get one now! There are "surge suppressors" that only protect against surges (spikes/surges) and there are electrical managements system (EMS) units. Regretfully, TRC calls their version of an EMS "SurgeGuard" which does much more than protect against just surges. If you only stay at high-end RV parks, you will have a much lower risk of having a problem that an EMS would protect and you *might* get away without any protection but it's not worth the risk and a problem only has to happen once to cause expensive damage and/or a safety issue. Progressive Industries (PI) makes a much better EMS than the SurgeGuard. It's made in the US and has a lifetime warranty while the other is made in Ch*na and only has a one year warranty. The PI is better technically IMO as well. The PI EMS is field serviceable while the SurgeGuard is a throwaway.
Enemy no. 1 when camping is low voltage and is very common unless you go to high-end RV parks, some casinos and some gov't CGs. The problem lies with the min. electrical code (NEC) requirements which do not provide sufficient power for today's RVs. Older CGs are more of a problem too. This is a whole other story for another day tho. Low voltage can prematurely damage AC units. The PI EMS will cut out at 104 volts and the SurgeGuard at 102. These are still too low IMO and a min. of 105 is better and some go with 107 volts as a min. One good thing to get is a voltmeter that is permanently mounted inside so you can keep tabs on voltage at all times with a quick glance. I installed an LED display on the wall near the entry door but there are plug-in types available. Normal "nominal" voltage is 120 volts.
Besides low voltage and surges, an EMS will also protect against open neutral, open ground, reverse polarity, high voltage (uncommon), accidental 240 volts and frequency. We were at one CG and as soon as I plugged into the pedestal, the EMS shut down. We actually had a simultaneous low voltage and open ground. This was an older CG and it wasn't until we moved to a section with new wiring and all 50 amp pedestals that it was okay. Voltage was 106 before turning anything on - lowest I've ever seen before turning anything on. Open grounds can be very dangerous and do happen occasionally in a CG and can be lethal.
My preference is for a hard-wired EMS because it's always there, always connected and always ready to protect you and your RV. With a portable, they could be stolen, you could forget to remove it and there is one more plug to connector/receptacle connection that could potentially fail.
While on electrical, my tip of the day is never plug into a pedestal or other receptacle while the power is still on. If you do, the converter/charger has a momentary inrush current that causes pitting & carbon on shore power plugs and inside receptacles which in turn attracts dirt and eventually you can get a meltdown. Simply turn off the breaker in a pedestal or the main breaker in your converter/panel or breaker in your house panel if at home. I've seen some pedestals that are in such bad shape you shouldn't even be using them.
Enjoy your new "surge suppressor" or EMS!
Gil, Deb and Dougal the Springer Spaniel
2014 KZ Spree 262RKS
2009 F250
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Post by ronc on Sept 4, 2017 18:57:42 GMT -5
Myredracer ... GREAT explanation of a complicated topic. Thanks!
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Post by bc75 on Sept 4, 2017 20:27:17 GMT -5
I bought a camco tester and surge protector this year. It's not what I wanted but it's all I can afford right now. I'm going to upgrade to the Progressive industries when I get the money.
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Post by milpol4523 on Sept 6, 2017 9:06:05 GMT -5
I had a new unit which we purchased in Oct 2017 and put into my 2017 Greywolf. We removed it when traded July 1. I had a second unit in our 2009 Sundance bH which i installed in the 2018 kZ. now have the second unit for sale...
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Post by bc75 on Sept 6, 2017 14:19:50 GMT -5
I cant afford anything extra right now. I had my hip replaced been off work for 3 months. But thanks.
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