Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks: Surge protector suggestions

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Surge protector suggestions

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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14682
Printed Date: 13 Jul 2025 at 8:01am
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Topic: Surge protector suggestions

Posted By: geewizard
Subject: Surge protector suggestions
Date Posted: 31 May 2021 at 8:46am

What surge protector is recommended? Inline or built-in?

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2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1708FB
2017 R-Pod 177 (Blue) HRE SOLD
2004 Outfitter Apex 8 camper
2014 Toyota Tundra DC

Replies:

Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 31 May 2021 at 11:16am

I recommend hard wired. No criminal lure hanging on the power pole, no forgetting to bring it with you, no "i'm just plugging it in for 5 minutes while I get my...." moments. It's a set it and forget it. I had one in my first pod, and had it moved to my second pod. So it can stay with you.

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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding

Posted By: geewizard
Date Posted: 31 May 2021 at 11:28am

what brand?

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2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1708FB
2017 R-Pod 177 (Blue) HRE SOLD
2004 Outfitter Apex 8 camper
2014 Toyota Tundra DC

Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 31 May 2021 at 1:38pm

Check out the https://hughesautoformers.com - Hughes Autoformer . It not only provides surge protection, but also provides for boosting the voltage if you are connected and the circuit has a brownout condition. Hughes also sells surge protectors, both inline and hard-wired. The good thing about them is that you can replace the surge protection module if it becomes "used up."

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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 31 May 2021 at 4:43pm

right now I use progressive, but in the future I will consider the hughes. I don't think you can go wrong either way. The progressive is a little cheaper, but still a very good unit.

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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding

Posted By: Mooree
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2022 at 9:43pm

I had an electrician wire a 30 amp RV outlet but he wired it 240V instead of 120V. Fried my microwave and my converter. Wasn't going to have that happen again so I purchased this Hughes RV surge protector. Plugged it in (after the outlet was changed to 120V) and instantly got an error code. The neutral was reversed. Switched the hot and neutral and was good to go.

Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2022 at 10:14pm

I'm glad I wired the RV outlet myself. Mine was right the first time.

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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 20 Jul 2022 at 5:31am

How did the "electrician" wire a 30A 120VAC plug to have 240V? Did he combine the 2 120VAC hot wires on the plug? He reversed polarity, too? Yikes! I think I'd contact a real licensed electrician to correct this installation before using it for anything. Indeed, I'd turn it off at the breaker so you don't burn your house down.

Wiring a 30A 120VAC RV outlet is a pretty simple task. If you follow the basic principles of the NFPA-70 it's pretty hard to screw up.

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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
Sonoma 167RB
Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 21 Jul 2022 at 7:45am

+1. Doesnt sound like the guy you used was actually a licensed electrician. Wiring a 30A RV receptacle ain't rocket science. In most states you can look him up online and see if he is certified. If not, or even if he is, I'd report him before he burns down someones house.

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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Posted By: gpokluda
Date Posted: 21 Jul 2022 at 4:00pm

+ 1 on the Hughes Power Watchdog.

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Gpokluda
2017 Rpod 179(sold 2023)
2022 Escape 5.0TA
2022 Ford F150 4X4 3.5EB
Kawasaki KLR650

Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2022 at 5:27pm

The Hughes Watchdog EPO model has one feature most other protectors don't have: overcurrent protection. Most of the time you can rely on the 30A breaker at the pedestal to trip, but if you're forced to use the 50A breaker and a dogbone, the overcurrent protection will save you from damage should the wiring between the pedestal and the Pod's 30A main breaker fail, i.e. you won't potentially be pumping 50A through a connector and wiring only designed for 30A.

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Alan
2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod"
2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4
Three cats

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 23 Jul 2022 at 7:37am

+1 to the above. Note that to protect the cord between the pedestal and the trailer from overcurrent, the power monitor has to remain portable and be connected between the dog bone and the cord.

While this power monitor is much better than nothing when using a 50A dog bone, I would still advise avoiding the use of the 50A receptacle as much as possible. The power monitor does not replace a properly sized circuit breaker, which is designed to clear large fault currents. The monitor is designed to limit the load current to 30 amps by opening an internal relay.

So if you do get a serious short in the cord the relay might not be able to open it. And, the 50A breaker back at the RV park service might or might not open in time to protect the 30A rated cord.

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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 23 Jul 2022 at 10:21am

Originally posted by Mooree

Past time to switch electricians!

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2010 176
FJ Cruiser

Posted By: Brennen Thomas
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2022 at 10:05pm

This is my favorite Progressive Industries arrester model as it provides an excellent energy management system for RVs.

It can almost all kinds of electrical problems, such as. g. ground faults, and interrupt the power supply in six seconds. I appreciate that this RV EMS lightning rod restarts after a power surge because it keeps my AC unit running even while I'm asleep. The best thing about this RV-30A lightning rod model is its compact and robust construction and its very easy installation.

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Brennen Thomas