As an appliance repair man I’ve worked with some similar units used in the appliance industry. I believe these type of units would also give a level of protection if you allowed your generator to run out of gas while under load.
Running out of fuel on a generator would be a valid concern. Portable generators often have a floating neutral and won't work well with a smart surge protector.
Great video Steve! The computer module in our Splendide washer failed for a 2nd time. I replaced the original computer module in May, 2022 and today (January, 2023) the module failed again. :( I'm glad you started this video stating the electronics in your washer/dryer failed. I'm ordering the 50AMP EPO portable version. Thanks for the informative video.
Mike, The reason I ordered the Watchdog is the sensitive electronics in the Splendide washer. I’m glad we’ve had it the past 2 years with all the odd power issues we’ve came across. It’s a nice feeling when the power goes off because the Watchdog caught the problem and saved the electronics in the rig. -Steve
Appreciate the video. We had ours eighteen when it crapped out. I’ve reached out to Hughes, so far one missed call plus no answer to any of my emails. I’m going to look into others.
Ian, Yes it will track the Kwh usage. When you reset the meter, it will retain the Kwh until you reset it again. I do this when we are at an RV park we have to pay for electricity to verify I'm paying the correct amount. -Steve
I am purchasing a new RV that already has a hardwired surge protector installed. I would like to get a portable one as well. Is there any issue with having a portable SP at the pedestal when you already have a hardwired one in the RV?
There are no issues with using a portable along with the hardwired. People will do that as a sacrificial surge protector that will take the hit if there is a major issue. Plus, they can quickly see the lights and know if the pedestal has an issue.
Yes the EPO has a surge module. I have never had to replace the surge module, however the EPO portion has saved my RV from high voltage, low voltage and bad connections.
I have another camper willing to give me the 50 amp surge model, but my camper is 30 amp. Could i use it if i just use the adapter?. He was done with camping
@@ltjhaupt, there is a lot of confusion on the internet about plugging a 30-amp RV into a 50-amp outlet. As an RV tech, I would not recommend doing so. You can overload the 30-amp cord and cause issues with the RV. It is best to keep a 30-amp RV on a 30-amp outlet.
One other point to make that I didn't consider... at first. I was all-in on the hardwire but then someone asked me what would I do if it went dead. At least with the portable, you bypass it and pray.
Chicagotransam, I carry a spare surge module in case the hardwired gets hit by a surge so I can replace it and have protection again. If for some reason it was dead completely, I would have to bypass it with wire nuts. -Steve Surge module: amzn.to/3Z7YyNI
Thank you for explaining this...we're newbies- so trying to get what we need. Our rv is 50 amp but some campsites are 30 amp & we purchased adaptor for such times. In these times, do we plug in our (30 to 50) adaptor first & then our surge protector of 50amp...or do we need both 30 & 50 amp surge protectors?
Lorie, With the 50 amp RV you only need the 50 amp surge protector. If you need to plug into a 30 amp campsite, you’ll just need to put the 30-50 dogbone between the campground pedestal and the watchdog. Happy Camping, -Steve
Good Morning Mr. Steve my brother is having a problem with when he plugs into the 30 Amp side at some parks it kicks out his main breaker?? He resets it and it kicks right back out? Works fine off the house and off the generator is good have you seen this before
Jack, It sounds like a bad outlet at the campground. It could be something like reverse polarity creating a short or a melted plug. If he doesn’t have a surge protector that will tell him what’s wrong, he can use a voltage meter to check the outlet. To know how it should be wired for hot, neutral & ground have him Google a wiring diagram of the plug (also linked below). And if he doesn’t have a surge protector, he should get one like the Watchdog so he’ll know he’s protected in the future. -Steve images.app.goo.gl/AfYeeydwMNfeiC1C7
I would definitely make this Wi-Fi enabled. Some of use have pets and using mine scars the Haaaaail out of me when it's a 100 plus outside and I want to leave for the day with out my cat. I have been using one for years now and luckily the hand full of times it's shut of in a campground I was in the camper. Been at the same campground for a week without Incident and then last night in the middle of the night it tripped and shut off the power. It would be nice if you connect to WiFi and get a alert on the app and the ability to reset it remotely.
Matt, The Watchdog will connect to the RV Whisper system and then RV Whisper uses WiFi to send text alerts. I have the RV Whisper connected to my batteries and temp sensors around the RV. -Steve amzn.to/3xqNoZl
@@MobileRVTechServices I bought this watchdog a week ago. And used it at the campground. But in the high noon sun, I couldn’t tell if the white face lit up or not.
Good information , except with his inflection on his statements, are annoying. What do you call that kind of talking ? Good informatiooon? i like the surge protectorrrr? You knowwwww?
As an appliance repair man I’ve worked with some similar units used in the appliance industry.
I believe these type of units would also give a level of protection if you allowed your generator to run out of gas while under load.
Running out of fuel on a generator would be a valid concern. Portable generators often have a floating neutral and won't work well with a smart surge protector.
I believe that can be remedied with bonding of the neutral and ground in situation’s where that’s needed.
@@black75powder Yes, most times using a bonding plug will work.
Great video Steve! The computer module in our Splendide washer failed for a 2nd time. I replaced the original computer module in May, 2022 and today (January, 2023) the module failed again. :( I'm glad you started this video stating the electronics in your washer/dryer failed. I'm ordering the 50AMP EPO portable version. Thanks for the informative video.
Mike, The reason I ordered the Watchdog is the sensitive electronics in the Splendide washer. I’m glad we’ve had it the past 2 years with all the odd power issues we’ve came across. It’s a nice feeling when the power goes off because the Watchdog caught the problem and saved the electronics in the rig. -Steve
They seem really nice
We are loving our Watchdog.
Appreciate the video. We had ours eighteen when it crapped out. I’ve reached out to Hughes, so far one missed call plus no answer to any of my emails. I’m going to look into others.
They have great customer service. If it just broke during the holiday, they might be off until January 2nd.
Great video. Will this track all my Kwh usage and retain the data? Looking to figure out how much kwh we are using over a 30 day period.
Ian, Yes it will track the Kwh usage. When you reset the meter, it will retain the Kwh until you reset it again. I do this when we are at an RV park we have to pay for electricity to verify I'm paying the correct amount. -Steve
I am purchasing a new RV that already has a hardwired surge protector installed. I would like to get a portable one as well. Is there any issue with having a portable SP at the pedestal when you already have a hardwired one in the RV?
There are no issues with using a portable along with the hardwired. People will do that as a sacrificial surge protector that will take the hit if there is a major issue. Plus, they can quickly see the lights and know if the pedestal has an issue.
EPO has surge module? Have U had to replace yours ever if EPO does have?
Yes the EPO has a surge module. I have never had to replace the surge module, however the EPO portion has saved my RV from high voltage, low voltage and bad connections.
Will this surge protector act like a soft start for when you turn on your A/C?
No the surge protector monitors power. You would need to install a soft start in the A/C to effectively have a soft start.
I have another camper willing to give me the 50 amp surge model, but my camper is 30 amp. Could i use it if i just use the adapter?. He was done with camping
A 50 amp RV has 4 prongs and a 30 amp RV has 3 prongs so you wouldn’t be able to connect the 50 amp Watch Dog to your RV.
They have adapters to go from 50 to 30. Could it cause any damage is the question by doing so
@@ltjhaupt, there is a lot of confusion on the internet about plugging a 30-amp RV into a 50-amp outlet. As an RV tech, I would not recommend doing so. You can overload the 30-amp cord and cause issues with the RV. It is best to keep a 30-amp RV on a 30-amp outlet.
One other point to make that I didn't consider... at first. I was all-in on the hardwire but then someone asked me what would I do if it went dead. At least with the portable, you bypass it and pray.
Chicagotransam, I carry a spare surge module in case the hardwired gets hit by a surge so I can replace it and have protection again. If for some reason it was dead completely, I would have to bypass it with wire nuts. -Steve
Surge module: amzn.to/3Z7YyNI
Thank you for explaining this...we're newbies- so trying to get what we need. Our rv is 50 amp but some campsites are 30 amp & we purchased adaptor for such times. In these times, do we plug in our (30 to 50) adaptor first & then our surge protector of 50amp...or do we need both 30 & 50 amp surge protectors?
Lorie,
With the 50 amp RV you only need the 50 amp surge protector. If you need to plug into a 30 amp campsite, you’ll just need to put the 30-50 dogbone between the campground pedestal and the watchdog.
Happy Camping, -Steve
@@MobileRVTechServices Thank you so much!
Good Morning Mr. Steve my brother is having a problem with when he plugs into the 30 Amp side at some parks it kicks out his main breaker?? He resets it and it kicks right back out? Works fine off the house and off the generator is good have you seen this before
Jack, It sounds like a bad outlet at the campground. It could be something like reverse polarity creating a short or a melted plug. If he doesn’t have a surge protector that will tell him what’s wrong, he can use a voltage meter to check the outlet. To know how it should be wired for hot, neutral & ground have him Google a wiring diagram of the plug (also linked below). And if he doesn’t have a surge protector, he should get one like the Watchdog so he’ll know he’s protected in the future. -Steve
images.app.goo.gl/AfYeeydwMNfeiC1C7
@@MobileRVTechServices thank you as always have a great weekend
I would definitely make this Wi-Fi enabled. Some of use have pets and using mine scars the Haaaaail out of me when it's a 100 plus outside and I want to leave for the day with out my cat. I have been using one for years now and luckily the hand full of times it's shut of in a campground I was in the camper. Been at the same campground for a week without Incident and then last night in the middle of the night it tripped and shut off the power. It would be nice if you connect to WiFi and get a alert on the app and the ability to reset it remotely.
Matt,
The Watchdog will connect to the RV Whisper system and then RV Whisper uses WiFi to send text alerts. I have the RV Whisper connected to my batteries and temp sensors around the RV. -Steve
amzn.to/3xqNoZl
Is the light from the dog face dimmable?
Not that I know of. The face is lit up white when it's working correctly and turns red when there is an issue.
Thanks for the response and the great informative video. Trying to make my decision before our trip so I can give the one I have been barrowing back
@@MobileRVTechServices I bought this watchdog a week ago. And used it at the campground. But in the high noon sun, I couldn’t tell if the white face lit up or not.
@@lizzymartin6916 the red face is hard to miss. If you can’t see the white face you can always open the app to check the status.
Can you do more videos with the cats?
We don’t have any cat videos lined up but here’s all their videos incase you missed one: ruclips.net/p/PLWHr94d9Za_gUk1EwWtlhVdoY5JPL0AD5
@@MobileRVTechServices I have watched the whole playlist. But its so cool that you guys even decide to travel with 4 cats. :)
@@TannersCats 😻
Good information , except with his inflection on his statements, are annoying. What do you call that kind of talking ? Good informatiooon? i like the surge protectorrrr? You knowwwww?
It’s such a blessing to wake up to your comment. Have a great day Sir.