EMS?

The trailer I am (hopefully ) purchasing has a dogbone  surge protector.

I want something better.

My understanding is that there are two solutions. I think I want to hardwire one. Harder to steal.

So, what are the advantages of the various choices?

Than you

Hardwired is the way to go. No forgetting it or having it stolen. We use a 50 amp version from Progressive Industries. Has saved us from a number of brownouts, and a couple of bad pedestals. Get the one with a Bluetooth readout. They didn?t have that when we bought ours, and it would be easier to read.

I have the same as Pam & Kevin and the digital readout panel as well,, it has save me grief several times..  Well worth the money..>>>Dan

We have an old Progressive Industries 50 Amp version that is not hard wired, and it saved us twice this week. Once while hooked up to power it kicked out and showed "open ground". We just added a 30 to 50 amp adapter and connected to the 30 amp outlet and all was good.  Then last night when hooking up to the 30 amp outlet it showed and error of "reverse polarity" Had to find another outlet to hook up to.

Not sure what damage would have occurred had we hooked up to these outlets, but I didnt want to find out.

There are two major Hard Wired choivces. Southwire/TRC-Surge guard and Progressive Industries EMS

In years gone past PI had a limited lifetime warranty (still do) and Surge guard a 1 year
but Surge Guard upped their warranty to limited Lifetime.

I really wanted a PI but the price on the TRC was...  well.. very attractive..

I'm not longer in the RV.  But I kept the surge guard.

ONE possible difference. on the TRC there is no "Bypass" button or method (Well i had a bypass method but that's me more typing than I care to do this morning)  I do not know if the PI still offers bypass

If you happen to be near Flint MI in the near future PM me and as it happens that's one of the things I van swiftly put my hands on.

The drawback of a hardwired model is that you have no power if the unit fails.  Failure should be rare, of course, but failure is engineered into it as part of the protection.  It is designed to fail rather than allowing certain types of surges to damage your RV power system.

The "bypass" that John mentioned was only for certain less-critical problems, such as an Open Ground.  Newer models have eliminated that feature as being too dangerous (the manufacturers are worried about their product liability).

I have the PI HW30C.  It does have a bypass switch (which I have not used).  The only real downside is having to use a neutral bonding plug when using generator power.  I feel safer having it.  It did identify an issue with my brand new Hyundai 3200 gen when I first used it - The wiring on the gen had the hot and neutral wires reversed on the 30 amp outlet, the 20 amp outlets were fine...

Just to be clear, the need for a bonding plug is not related to it being hardwired - a portable would be the same.

Yes a bonding plug would also be required on a portable unit but unless I thought my gen was faulty I just wouldn't use the surge protector and would not require the bonding plug

I installed a PI HW30C on the Winnebago View I owned, it was a nice installation and worked well. As far as doing the hardwire due to theft concerns, I think that would almost not be a consideration. Usually the most that disappears in a campground is a cheap camp chair or the like. I do not think theft is rampant in campgrounds. If it is I don't want to stay there.

I am looking at "dogbone" units but haven't made up my mind yet.

My current trailer was built with a cord storage compartment and a hardwired cord and it was a real trick to roll the cord into the compartment thru the rather small opening. In addition the trailer has a built in Onan generator and the genny outlet was in the compartment. By the time you rolled up the cord, there was no way to get your hand in there and plug the cord into the genny outlet. I liked that setup on the motorhome (see pics) but this was horrible, so I removed the entire compartment and installed a plate on the outside and mounted the power inlet on it, then a generator xfer switch. Now I find that Southwire/Surge Guard makes a 30 amp transfer switch with a built in EMS and provisions for a remote, but they want a lot of money for it (just released a year ago and all of their production went to RV manufacturers). I will probably go with the separate dog bone rather than change out the xfer switch.

For anyone who doesn't like the "manual" transfer "switch" being the shore cord plug and generator outlet, it works great! you have to develop ONE habit, ALWAYS roll the cord up and plug into the generator when breaking camp. Then when you need the generator at a roadside rest stop noontime lunch, its ready to use, or if you arrive at a no power campsite, its ready to use.

Charles

I have the Pi PT50X EMS. The portable one . I used to lock it to the pedestal.  But I stopped doing that about 5 years ago. I still have it.