surge protectors
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Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15291
Printed Date: 19 May 2024 at 12:53pm
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Topic: surge protectors
Posted By: mylilypod
Subject: surge protectors
Date Posted: 28 May 2022 at 3:35pm
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I am looking to purchse a 30 AMP surge protector. Thinking ahead...when connecting to a generator/inverter or household, should I be using the SP between the 30AMP connect and dogbone?
Thank you for your input :)
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Replies:
Posted By: campman
Date Posted: 28 May 2022 at 5:44pm
Hello mylilypod. A good investment to protect your trailer. I place mine right at the power post so that my Power Watchdog protects my power cables as well as my trailer wiring and electronics.
May I digress a bit from your query...it nay be a good idea if you can afford it is a protector that not only protects from overvoltage (a lightning strike for example), but also protects your electrical system from under-voltage. It is much more common in older campgrounds and in situations where too many people are all trying to draw too much electricity, say with air conditioners. The low voltage condition can quickly damage your sensitive electronics, fridge, air conditioner etc.
It is something to think about, and definitely to be aware of as so many people are out trailering.
Have a great weekend,
Andy
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Andy and Laurie
'16 F150 5.0 4X4 w/factory tow pkg
'21 RP192
"If the women don't find you handsome...at least let them find you handy!"
Red-Green
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Posted By: campman
Date Posted: 28 May 2022 at 7:30pm
Another point I just thought of is if you use a generator to power your trailer and you want to use an ems device you will probably need something called a bonding plug (I think that is what they are called anyways.) You can buy one or make one, just take a spare 3 prong plug, take it apart and connect a wire from the ground connection to the white
Common connection...do not connect anything to the hot wire/gold coloured connector! That is your hot wire. There are lots of videos available on YouTube on how to do this. I watched several before making mine up.
You would need a bond plug if you want to use a surge/under voltage protector with your generator.
You may or may not need a bond plug if you directly connect your trailer to your generator.
After researching everything, try hooking everything up before heading out on your next adventure to make sure it works as you want it to.
If you have or get an over/under voltage protector always use it if plugging in to power anywhere...safety first!
I personally use a Hughes Power Watchdog device that protects in both circumstances and had an app where via Bluetooth you can see the quality of the power provided as well as how much power you are using. I have had it turn off power several times already when it sensed a low voltage condition. It then reconnects once power has safely stabilized again.
Another tip when you are using a genny to power your trailer, start your genny first, let it warm up and stabilize its power output before plugging any cords into its receptacles. Usually they have a green light that comes on to let you know the generator is ready. Otherwise it's power fluctuations could damage your trailer.
Andy
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Andy and Laurie
'16 F150 5.0 4X4 w/factory tow pkg
'21 RP192
"If the women don't find you handsome...at least let them find you handy!"
Red-Green
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 29 May 2022 at 5:45am
I don't understand your question regarding use of a dog bone. If you have a receptacle installed at home for your trailer it should be on a dedicated 30A 120Vac circuit. You could leave your surge protector in place when you connect to that receptacle. Many folks permanently install their surge protectors.
If you are referring to the dog bones that are being sold to connect your 30A, 120Vac trailer circuit to a 50A 240Vac receptacle, do not use those. They are both dangerous and an electrical code violation because there is nothing to limit the current flowing into your trailer power cable and circuit to 30A, which is their max current rating. For that reason there is a label next to your trailer power inlet specifically instructing you not to do that. Surge protectors don't help because they do not provide any overcurrent protection.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2022 at 12:20am
I can highly recommend the Watchdog EPO. It addresses one of the issues I have with using a 50A dogbone to feed a 30A circuit: it monitors current and will cut off power if it exceeds 30A.
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Alan
2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod"
2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4
Three cats
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2022 at 6:11am
Are you sure it shuts off for overcurrent? It would be great if it did but the description reads like it only shuts off for over or under voltage. That is typical for RV power monitors, which leave you exposed to electrical fires if you use a 50 to 30A dog bone.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2022 at 2:46pm
Yep. It says so in the FAQ on Hughes website under "What is EPO?". I've had to reset it through the phone app a few times when it went overcurrent, usually when the electric water heater element was active and the AC compressor kicked on. I don't have an EasyStart on the AC...yet.
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Alan
2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod"
2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4
Three cats
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Posted By: mylilypod
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2022 at 4:20pm
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thank you...much appreciated.
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Posted By: mylilypod
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2022 at 4:21pm
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i am looking to connect to my honda generator. thx for the input.
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Posted By: mylilypod
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2022 at 4:23pm
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thank you...I am looking at that brand.
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2022 at 5:02pm
Great! I'm glad to see someone added that feature, and it has been confirmed to work correctly. It makes it possible to use a 50 to 30A dog bone without overcurrent risk. It's not quite the same as actually having a 30A breaker in the line because the relay in the surge protector isn't likely to be rated to clear the really high currents from a direct fault like a breaker is. So I would still only use the dog bone on a 50A receptacle if there was no 30A available. Just place the surge protector at the dog bone output so it protects all the downstream cabling as well as the internal trailer circuits.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: campman
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2022 at 10:19am
You do need to check to make sure you get the right Power Watchdog...I accidentally bought my first one that only had overvoltage...so had to go back and buy the more expensive one that has the over and under voltage. Now I have a back up just in case I need to rob the replaceable surge protector from the lesser one.
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Andy and Laurie
'16 F150 5.0 4X4 w/factory tow pkg
'21 RP192
"If the women don't find you handsome...at least let them find you handy!"
Red-Green
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2022 at 6:29pm
Over and under voltage are common. Overcurrent is unusual, this is the only one I've heard of.
I'm sure it is using a relay to disconnect the trailer so it won't have a high fault current interrupt rating like a listed circuit breaker does. High fault currents can occur if the circuit gets shorted.
If you are using it with a 50A dog bone then you will still be depending on the park's 50A breaker to interrupt the fault current which could occur in the 30A rated cable to the trailer and the trailer wiring between the power inlet and the trailer main breaker.
So using this device with the dog bone will still most likely be an Electric Code violation, because the Code requires listed overcurrent protection devices, although it will be much safer than using the dog bone without it.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2022 at 8:17pm
I purchased a Hughes Autoformer. It has the capability to not just warn about undervoltage, but to boost the voltage.
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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
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Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2022 at 9:42pm
Originally posted by campman
You do need to check to make sure you get the right Power Watchdog...I accidentally bought my first one that only had overvoltage...so had to go back and buy the more expensive one that has the over and under voltage. Now I have a back up just in case I need to rob the replaceable surge protector from the lesser one. |
Yes. Make sure it's an EPO model.
Originally posted by StephenH
I purchased a Hughes Autoformer. It has the capability to not just warn about undervoltage, but to boost the voltage. |
I'm tempted. The voltage in my storage unit is horrible, so I can't run much (including the converter) without the Watchdog going to under voltage cutoff.
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Alan
2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod"
2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4
Three cats
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Posted By: campman
Date Posted: 04 Aug 2022 at 1:37pm
Hello all,
I thought I would add to this thread, as it isn't very old and has a lot of good info on the various EPO's, surge protectors and the top one, the Autoformer to protect your trailer.
We just went through the process of moving to a different province and having a home built. Of course we added a 30 amp rv plug outside, just in case.
Well, I went this last weekend and was going to plug our trailer in and carry out some repairs. I had the power cord out and ready to plug in, when I stopped in my tracks and wondered if the new 30 amp plug was wired correctly. The contractor who did the work was certified, they build a lot of homes...it should be good, right?
WRONG!!! I went over, unpacked my smaller Hughes Power Watchdog (it has indicator lights on the outside to show if the power provided is good, and tells you generally what is wrong if it isn't correct). I plugged it in and right away it showed me a serious problem, the power line (L1) was reversed with the neutral wire.
So, I shut off the cb at the house panel, took the 30 amp plug apart and switch the two wires in the plug (the L1 and the neutral wire) that were backwards. I reassembled
the plug, attached it to the wall, turned the cb at the house panel back on and checked my Power Watchdog to see if there were any further electrical issues. All was good so I plugged the trailer in and carried on with my day and got everything done that I needed to do.
Moral of the story, trust no power plug at home or anywhere else! I don't care if someone is a professional or not, mistakes can happen to anyone. (think Swiss Cheese model, for the aero-nautically minded).
I am pretty sure that I might have damaged some of the electrical equipment in our trailer if I hadn't checked to make sure, and that could have cost far more than my Watchdogs did.
Thanks, and I hope this helps others protect their own trailer (and wallet). :-)
Andy
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Andy and Laurie
'16 F150 5.0 4X4 w/factory tow pkg
'21 RP192
"If the women don't find you handsome...at least let them find you handy!"
Red-Green
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Posted By: Brennen Thomas
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2022 at 8:19pm
The PWD30-EPO is another RV arrester that offers exceptional performance. It offers 3,000 joules of surge protection, which is more than enough to protect expensive devices like my PS4 and laptop from electrocution. Plus, this device is plug-and-play, making it easy to set up.You can find a lot of useful information at: https://www.riversidetrailer.com/best-rv-surge-protectors/
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Brennen Thomas
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