Hi Sherry:

My background has quite a bit to do with “electricity” so I offer this opinion with that background in mind.

You need a surge / voltage protection device like the Progressive Industries product – period - IMO.  These devices protect you from low and high voltage and spikes or surges – call them what you will.  They will also give you a 2 minute time delay before applying power after a power “bump,” which will protect the air conditioner / heat pump.  (That’s in case the power comes and goes and mportant to protect the compressor.)

The EMS-HW30 is an excellent unit.  I have the EMS-HW-50 with the remote read out.  It pays for itself every time I connect the rig for a multiplicity of reasons not the least of which it helps me manage power when I’m on 30 amps due to the read out.  (‘Haven’t tripped the 30 amp breaker in years.)

The Autoformer, sometimes incorrectly referred to as a “voltage regulator,” is a nice box. However, they are very heavy and are of less importance in my experience. (Haven’t needed one is the last 4 years.)  This is a long discussion and has to do with voltage – amps and power.  There is no free lunch and when you boost voltage you have to increase the amp draw (from the pole) to make the same power.  So the short version is: it depends, so I won’t go into all that techo stuff.  If you get one, it can’t hurt and might help occasionally.  But I don’t carry one and that was specific decision based on what they weigh and how many times I might use it.

May I suggest you start with the EMS-HW30 (assuming your rig is a 30 amp rig) and see how that goes.  You’ll be extremely well protected regardless and if the power goes too low, or too high, it will cut out before anything is “toast” inside.

Safe travels

Bill

Sherry wrote:

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FIVE points off my grade for not reading your footnote about "part time full timers".  Would love to have that defined.

thanks again,

Sherry

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Sherry:

Well the “Part-time Full-timers” thing is sort of a little bit of a joke between Howard and Linda and “my Linda” and me.

Our family, Mom and Dad, full timed for almost 30 years in an Airstream and we tagged along with them in various trailers of our own.  So we have long time experience with RV’s and the “full-time thing.”   But with a family (children) we always felt we needed a "sticks and bricks" and don't regret that choice.  Our choice, others may feel different and that’s fine for them.

Now we travel a lot, so much in fact we need to act like full-timers. But we still have a house because of the grandchildren and other family responsibilities that can’t be met by an RV in our opinion.

So we’re sort of “Full-time” but do it “Part-time.”  We’re currently on a little multi-month trip to Alaska.

Hope that helps a bit.

Bill

NorCal Dan wrote:

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I have the portable 50 amp protection as seen here:

http://tweetys.com/portablesurgeguard120-240v50a50amp.aspx

My thinking is that this device monitors voltage and will shutdown power to the coach if either too high or low voltage is detected. They claim it will protect your devices from these conditions. The only difference I can see is that this device will shutdown power and the autoformers will boost or lower the incoming power to allow continuous power to your coach. You pay top dollar for that luxury.

In almost 3 years of full-timing I have not run into any over or under voltage conditions that would cause my surge guard to shut off power. But it's nice to know I am covered. I do have the inverter and generator if I need power so I opted not to buy the autoformer.

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Paragraph one is correct and they actually work.  I also agree with the “top dollar for this luxury” comment.

However, in my last 3 years I have had both low and high conditions on at least 5 occasions happen and the Progressive Industries “box” shut things down in time.  The low voltage trip out condition will also many times save you from "blowing" a 30 amp breaker.  (Due to voltage drops when there is excessive current.)

It was interesting the high voltage – up to about 138 volts – occurred late at night when the “load” on the park power reduced and naturally the voltage when up.  But it went waaaay up.  The office said yea, they had some complaints about that.  This happen long after “lights out” and we wouldn’t have noticed until it was way too late.

Just another reason for having the EMS digital read out in the coach.  The little $18 volt meters from Camping World are useless in this situation.

Safe travels

Bill

MartinStates wrote:

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Hi there, I've been reading as I had the same question as Sherry. What a great forum, thanks. I'm now leaning toward the EMS unit myself, however I still wonder if the Surge Guard hard wired unit http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/30-amp-hard-wired-surge-guard/18540 would do the same only you wouldn't have the remote monitor. I'd appreciate some comments on this if you don't mind. Janie and I are Escapees and Good Sam members, and full-timers, I think we'll be interested in reading more on the RV-Dreams pages. Thanks.

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As you asked, the Surge-Guard is a good unit and will do a good job.  Having said that, IMO, the EMS EMS-HW30C is somewhat better because of its specifications alone.  I won’t go into “Joules,” but that is the number that says how much “surge” the unit can take while protecting the coach.  (Big over simplification here) 

I also comment on the remote read out:  It can be extremely helpful when on marginal power (30 amp plug or not) when the voltage is not “solid.”  (Drops way don’t when you turn something on)  You can see exactly how many amps you’re pulling and also how close you are coming to the 103 volt cut off voltage.

When we have been on marginal power this has helped us know what we can keep on shore power and when we just must turn the fridge to gas; “no-you can’t run the microwave now,” and “let me turn off some stuff before you run the hair dryer.”  Not being funny here.  It saves tripped breakers among other things.  Just part of the RV life!

Safe travels

Bill