I hope this info helps if you are looking for the links you can find them here. Etrailer bit.ly/3TkfX63 Power WatchDog. EPO 50 Hardwired. bit.ly/4fPfjqx amzn.to/4cDvyUA EPO 50 Portable. bit.ly/3XdV0vn amzn.to/4fY5PJk EPO 30 Hardwired. bit.ly/3YUWADW amzn.to/3AAM7mT EPO 30 Portable bit.ly/3yErvd3 amzn.to/3AyX8Ff Autoformer Voltage Booster 50 Autoformer. amzn.to/46TwOSx 30 Autoformer. bit.ly/3MnJrvn amzn.to/3Xe0N48 Surge Module Replacement 50 amp. bit.ly/3ySTHJ9 amzn.to/3WT9dNb 30 amp. bit.ly/3ABtK18 amzn.to/3MiPGki Non Contact Voltage Detector. amzn.to/3WUsI7T DeoxIT D5. amzn.to/4fZ1DsT Multi Meter amzn.to/4dKGlNU
We too prefer the hardwired Power Watchdog EPO and also carry a replacement surge module. However, you MUST use a bonded ground-neutral plug when connecting a generator to the EPO or else it won't pass power through.
I've had a few parks where my autoformer was a godsend and one where without it, the voltage was low enough my EMS was cutting power whenever an adjacent RV's AC would kick on. Even just the 2% boost I get at standby is nice if the park voltage isn't already over 120, it gives my AC just a little bit of a boost. It's also really helpful when I'm moochdocking at friends' or family's and running off an extension cord. I have to be careful about the amps I'm drawing since it'll increase that, but it really helps counteract the voltage drop from those long 12 (or sometimes 14) gauge extension cords. (Right now, visiting my parents, I've got over 100' of cord including my RV power cord and I lose several volts over the length of that. The autoformer gets me back most of those volts, at the expense of an extra 2% or 10% amperage, depending on the mode. My AC certainly appreciates the extra voltage in this heat.)
Additional safety recommendation would be to first test pedestal for proper wiring: Poke the NCVT into the tall neutral slot (no blink or beep), then the ground hole (no blink or beep) and finally the shorter hot slot (should blink and beep). It won’t tell you the exact voltage of the outlet like a voltmeter, but it will confirm if the polarity is correct and tell you if the ground connection has been floated and electrified by another RV with a short in its own wiring. Step 2: AFTER step 1 confirms Pedestal outlet is safely wired, test for hot skin voltage. ALWAYS TEST FROM OUTSIDE THE VAN A. Multimeter (best method)- Set meter to test voltage, with pedestal outlet connected to van / RV connect black lead to pedestal bare metal or bolt and red lead to bare metal such as trailer hitch or lug nut. If voltage more than 2-3 volts is detected there is a dangerous hot skin. B. NCVT Method. Less sensitive but adequate. Confirm NCVT working. Standing outside on ground and fully griping NCVT around palm, test metal for voltage. There should be none.
I just picked up the new Gen 2 Watchdog after my last surge protector got water inside and the contactor died. Having the wifi connection so I can monitor and get alerts remotely is very nice. As a bonus, I was able to find a matching replacement contactor for the old one, so now I have a backup surge protector.
Great video. We also use the Power Watchdog 50a hardwired version. It's been a great unit; although, our first one did have a failure where it would show a neutral line error. Hugh's replaced it, promptly. We also carry a spare surge module.
Well done. The only issue I have with everything you said is you never touched on the disadvatage of an onboard surge protector. If it takes a lightening hit or surge that kills it, you are without electricity until you either replace it completely or rewire around it. When using an external surge protector and it takes a hit, you can always unplug it, and just plug it in directly to restore power. Admittedly pros and cons to weigh out, but it's why I chose external. I'm still protected and can be back up and running again quickly.
Right, this is kind of my thing as well, I would rather protect my entire line of power from the pedestal all the way into the camper. Having the EPO in the main bay doesn't protect your expensive cable along the way and could still be a potential hazard should electricity somehow arc from your cable to the camper during a high surge event. I do keep a backup surge protector in my storage as well just in case something catastrophic happens when the Power WatchDog and I can't just replace the surge module. Electricity is one of those camping season enders and I want to make sure I have everything I can to prevent that kind of event.
Great video as always. I go one step further. I turn my main distribution box breaker off right before fore connecting to our power watchdog. I then turn on pedestal breaker then on flip the main breaker in Rv
Get ready to experience GFCI breakers in campgrounds, they are revealing a lot about the shoddy electrical work in some campers that weren't even being picked up by these units. Should be a fun few years coming ahead with changes like that...
This was a fantastic video, great examples and information! I’ve had a hot skin problem before and it isn’t fun, and I also used the little volt detector to help track it down. Great job, Jared
I believe the Hughes voltage booster also has surge protection, for what it's worth. It could be a feature on newer generations, I don't know. I have one, haven't (fortunately) needed to test either function yet. It would be nice if it had Bluetooth and/or some kind of option for a display, then it might be more viable to just hard wire in.
Another excellent video! Thank you. After years of just suffering with low voltage full timing in one park, we finally got an autoformer a few months ago. What a difference! Worth every penny. We bought a used 30A model for $150 that originally sold for $550. Deals are out there for those on a budget.
Good video but you missed making the biggest point of failure really clear even though you mentioned it. Most failures are burnt pins on the power plug because the pedestal receptacle is worn out from use. Cleaning up your cord prongs isn't going to help if at all. I use a sacrificial adapter if the park can't replace the receptacle and set my inverter to limit the current while making up the difference. Also I have a really cheap surge protector from Amazon that is about 25 dollars. The prongs are thicker, but if it melts it's cheap. Why the makers of surge protectors don't put high temperature alarms on the plug prongs baffles me. I've seen way too many people toss their surge protector because the plug melted, I guess that's why they sell so many. 😊
VERY good point about park receptacles. Not only do they get a lot of use leading to loose fit, they also get the occasional drive away with shore power cord still plugged in. Most parks, being cheap, don't replace receptacles until they burn.
Maybe I'm missing something here. I use a different brand of external surge protector. It will (and has) shut off my power off if there is an issue in the power supply. I'm surprised the one you have doesn't do that.
Most of the plugs are a piece of folded metal. Wouldn't spreading them slightly make them a tighter fit and reduce the sloppiness making single prong melting less probable?
Thanks for the good video. I have a Progressive EMS Surge Protector external at the pedestal and it is doing its job. My question is about using a power strip with multiple plugs and maybe a few USB outlets with built-in surge protection plugged into an outlet inside this same fifth wheel. OKay , redundant or bad idea? I’ve been searching for an answer so hope you can shed some light. It’s time to buy an additional power strip for inside so the question is with surge protection or without surge protection under the above scenario. TY !
When I was attending Nascar at Road America last year, I noticed the driver coaches were using a blower fan on the power pedastal. Initially I thought that was weird, but looking back on it, they must have a lot of power running through those newer prevost and Newell coaches and trying to keep the plugs from melting.
Timely video. My Watchdog EPO wouldn't allow me to power up at the campground when I arrived giving the error code for no ground (E7). The "campground guy said it was a new plug the whole campground system was grounded. After a bit of haggling, the campground guy called "his electrician". Sometime later, they got their electricity working such that the Watchdog would allow me to power up safely. You cannot prevent every problem but this is one you can easily mitigate.
thanks J, always bring great content. I have the same Watch D, EMS as yours which you recommended way back. I love it. Its permanent, out of the way, and always read. But its also finiky with E7 = missing ground and that protects us... doing its job.. but I am out of power :( until I find the solution. Thank god for solar back up.
Be aware, there is a “design issue” with the WatchDog when used with Victron Inverters. It signals “false” an “E8” missing neutral and shuts down shore power. The flaw is in how Huges determines an “E8” Missing Neural… in that the E8 error is triggered when L1 and L2 are at “equal” power. This is a faulty electrical design as this is not how a missing neural should be determined. 2nd, and what a number of us with Solar and Victron Inverters using a WatchDog have found is, the WatchDog does not provide enough time for the initial shore power connection for Victron Inverters before triggering an E8 error, and shuts down shore power. Further, the WatchDog E8 error messages to user says that the is something wrong with your RVs electrical system and seek repair…. Again a false failure indication. The above is a known issue between Hughes and Victron, but Hughes will need to redesign their Software to support Victron inverters…. Many months to do… if they decide to do this change. I have 1st hand knowledge of this and have switched to a Progressive power protector with no issues with my Victron inverters. Be aware.
@@louie3552 thank you my friend. I have been using my fifthwheel on grid and off, also from time time plug my small 2k gen to charge the battery bank a few times and I never encountered that E8 error.. yet There is 1 issue I ran into at first was my gen, it was missing a ground, so the WD, shut the rig down. I learnt how to by pass that issue by jumping the ground to neutral on the gen plug. But thanks for heads up!! with people like you we will always be informed. thanks sean from Montreal
We just got the Progressive Industries EMS for our rig. We got the hardwired version for the same reasons you mentioned. We have had good results thus far!
@@AllAboutRVs yes, it is very helpful. I would like it have an audible alarm though, when there’s an error code. It took me a while once to realize we didn’t have power, since our batteries power many of the systems.
I hear you, my apologies for butchering the English language. It will be a life long struggle with my dyslexia and Yes I used auto correct on dyslexia.
Most places we go are 30 amp although the camper is 50 amp plug. How do you know when to use the proformer. What alerts you. So am i correct to order a 30 amp proformer. TIA.Always useful info..
The other way to deal with the low park voltage other than using an autoformer is to simply lower your load. At one park over labor day weekend we had to shed all load other than the AC, we even turned off the converter's charge circuit during the day and ran it to recharg the battery overnight. Last week we were at a park that was just a little low and there the answer was to switch to gas for our hot water heater instead of electric which lowered our use enough that the voltage stayed above 108V which is the cutoff for our EMS.
How is "lowering your load" going to help when the voltage coming out of the pedestal is already low? As pointed out in the video, heavy summertime demand in some parks will cause the voltages to drop straight out of the pedestal.
@@gonebyrv9748 because it's often not coming out of the pedestal at too low a voltage, often with no load I'll see 110-115V but when you load it down with >20A per phase it dips under 108. So reduce the draw back down to only say 15A for the air conditioner and it'll stay up around 110V. Like I said I've actually done exactly that multiple times including just a week ago when staying at a state park where unloaded it was at 110V on one leg and 112V on the other, by running my hot water heater on propane I avoided a 15A of draw which had been drawing that leg under 108V and causing my EMS to shut off power.
Online and on RUclips there is much info on that by pros that are expert on electrical issues. Usually the problem source is the park power. It's rarely the RV. You can easily confirm this by plugging the RV into a portable generator to see if skin is no longer hot. (Master Cert RV tech)
@@AllAboutRVs Good point. I know all my small generators have a neutral bond since they have RV receptacles, but I'll get out the meter and verify they are, plus be sure my 7500 Watt unit is bonded. Thanks very much for bringing it up. 👍👍
A couple questions. Would you recommend the 30amp Autoformer to save $$ over the 50Amp Autoformer even now and how’s the functionality with your Multiplus? Do you have the Power Watchdog-EPO spliced-in just before your Multiplus.
Yes my watchdog is before the Multiplus and the Autoformer works great with it. No problems. I have two thoughts on the 30 vs 50. In the situation where you have low-voltage in an RV park, the more power you use the lower the voltage will drop in the park. The 30 amp auto former reminds us to not draw too many amps which is courteous to the other RVs around us by not making the situation worse by drawing more than we need. That said it just makes sense to get the 50 amp version if you have a 50 amp RV.
Do you know if the Multiplus alone without any of the surge or voltage boost equipment you talked about here provides any boost via the inverter to a park low voltage situation. I hope this question makes sense.
Good question. It won’t boost the Voltage as it has to synchronize to the power coming in. It does have the ability to disconnect when the voltage drops too low. Another thing is by nature if you set power assist lower around 9.5 amps it could make the difference. While it’s not boosting the voltage it is at least drawing as little as you can which will help the voltage not drop lower that it would otherwise. So in short no voltage boosting but can help at times depending on how bad the voltage is.
Thank you for your RUclips videos which we watch weekly but since we watch on TV we don't get to comment. While at my brother's home if I plug our 5th wheel (50amp) into his garage outlet I get a reading on my hardwired progressive EMS "Reverse Polarity". On the outlet on his porch all works fine. What does the Reverse Polarity mean and is there a solution? John
You noticed! Good catch. I’m testing more to add more information to the batteries buyers guide. I am very impressed with this Epoch battery but also already have another battery to test behind those as well.
What about the limit on the life of a surge protector? We were told by a campground ours needed replacing because it was considered ‘old’ even though it’s only 3 years old 🤷♀️ should they be replaced that often?
My progressive industries does not turn on the power for a number of seconds after making the connection. Do I really need to shut off the circutbreaker before plugging in? It seems like the delay in turning on power would insure that there is nothing drawing current during connection.
Have you ever plugged on and you had an arc? Anything wanting current will attract the electricity. That high heat arcing causes the connections to loosen up over multiple arcing events. This can lead to meltdowns or electrical fires. If you have ever survived an electrical fire onboard a boat? You can understand just a little of me taking a little more precaution when hooking up our Rv. Be safe and great RVing!
Meanwhile in Europe: "Surge protection? What for? Those Yanks with their instable 120V circuits, brass pins on connectors and non IP rated plugs... Its their own fault and manufacturers don't mind capitalizing on that fear!"
I would agree but we also don’t move our houses around and plug them into multiple different sources not knowing if the source is properly wired for it. Our setup has protected us multiple times over from miss wired panels and extremely low voltage.
@@AllAboutRVs thru the years our surge protectors have saved us several times from low voltage (before I purchased the Hughes Autoformer), from an open ground, and from a recent voltage spike. As you stated, low voltage is very bad for AC units.
And that's because your house electrical system is a "known good" system. RV parks are an unknown as are the thousands of other RVs that plug into the essentially same circuit.
I hope this info helps if you are looking for the links you can find them here.
Etrailer bit.ly/3TkfX63
Power WatchDog.
EPO 50 Hardwired. bit.ly/4fPfjqx
amzn.to/4cDvyUA
EPO 50 Portable. bit.ly/3XdV0vn
amzn.to/4fY5PJk
EPO 30 Hardwired. bit.ly/3YUWADW
amzn.to/3AAM7mT
EPO 30 Portable bit.ly/3yErvd3
amzn.to/3AyX8Ff
Autoformer Voltage Booster
50 Autoformer. amzn.to/46TwOSx
30 Autoformer. bit.ly/3MnJrvn
amzn.to/3Xe0N48
Surge Module Replacement
50 amp. bit.ly/3ySTHJ9
amzn.to/3WT9dNb
30 amp. bit.ly/3ABtK18
amzn.to/3MiPGki
Non Contact Voltage Detector. amzn.to/3WUsI7T
DeoxIT D5. amzn.to/4fZ1DsT
Multi Meter amzn.to/4dKGlNU
Our SuregeGuard hardwired with the screen has been a great unit. The instant read outs of line voltage is what I like.
Thank you Jared for all you do for the RV'ING community!!
I had the Progressive Industries unit hard wired into the RV when I bought it. I haven’t regretted it! No issues so far 🙏
We too prefer the hardwired Power Watchdog EPO and also carry a replacement surge module. However, you MUST use a bonded ground-neutral plug when connecting a generator to the EPO or else it won't pass power through.
Thanks for watching out for your viewers. It is greatly appreciated
I've had a few parks where my autoformer was a godsend and one where without it, the voltage was low enough my EMS was cutting power whenever an adjacent RV's AC would kick on. Even just the 2% boost I get at standby is nice if the park voltage isn't already over 120, it gives my AC just a little bit of a boost.
It's also really helpful when I'm moochdocking at friends' or family's and running off an extension cord. I have to be careful about the amps I'm drawing since it'll increase that, but it really helps counteract the voltage drop from those long 12 (or sometimes 14) gauge extension cords.
(Right now, visiting my parents, I've got over 100' of cord including my RV power cord and I lose several volts over the length of that. The autoformer gets me back most of those volts, at the expense of an extra 2% or 10% amperage, depending on the mode. My AC certainly appreciates the extra voltage in this heat.)
Additional safety recommendation would be to first test pedestal for proper wiring: Poke the NCVT into the tall neutral slot (no blink or beep), then the ground hole (no blink or beep) and finally the shorter hot slot (should blink and beep). It won’t tell you the exact voltage of the outlet like a voltmeter, but it will confirm if the polarity is correct and tell you if the ground connection has been floated and electrified by another RV with a short in its own wiring.
Step 2: AFTER step 1 confirms Pedestal outlet is safely wired, test for hot skin voltage. ALWAYS TEST FROM OUTSIDE THE VAN
A. Multimeter (best method)- Set meter to test voltage, with pedestal outlet connected to van / RV connect black lead to pedestal bare metal or bolt and red lead to bare metal such as trailer hitch or lug nut.
If voltage more than 2-3 volts is detected there is a dangerous hot skin.
B. NCVT Method. Less sensitive but adequate.
Confirm NCVT working. Standing outside on ground and fully griping NCVT around palm, test metal for voltage. There should be none.
I just picked up the new Gen 2 Watchdog after my last surge protector got water inside and the contactor died. Having the wifi connection so I can monitor and get alerts remotely is very nice. As a bonus, I was able to find a matching replacement contactor for the old one, so now I have a backup surge protector.
Great video. We also use the Power Watchdog 50a hardwired version. It's been a great unit; although, our first one did have a failure where it would show a neutral line error. Hugh's replaced it, promptly. We also carry a spare surge module.
Well done. The only issue I have with everything you said is you never touched on the disadvatage of an onboard surge protector. If it takes a lightening hit or surge that kills it, you are without electricity until you either replace it completely or rewire around it. When using an external surge protector and it takes a hit, you can always unplug it, and just plug it in directly to restore power. Admittedly pros and cons to weigh out, but it's why I chose external. I'm still protected and can be back up and running again quickly.
Right, this is kind of my thing as well, I would rather protect my entire line of power from the pedestal all the way into the camper. Having the EPO in the main bay doesn't protect your expensive cable along the way and could still be a potential hazard should electricity somehow arc from your cable to the camper during a high surge event. I do keep a backup surge protector in my storage as well just in case something catastrophic happens when the Power WatchDog and I can't just replace the surge module. Electricity is one of those camping season enders and I want to make sure I have everything I can to prevent that kind of event.
Great video as always. I go one step further. I turn my main distribution box breaker off right before fore connecting to our power watchdog. I then turn on pedestal breaker then on flip the main breaker in Rv
Get ready to experience GFCI breakers in campgrounds, they are revealing a lot about the shoddy electrical work in some campers that weren't even being picked up by these units. Should be a fun few years coming ahead with changes like that...
This was a fantastic video, great examples and information! I’ve had a hot skin problem before and it isn’t fun, and I also used the little volt detector to help track it down. Great job, Jared
Another very good video. Great advice and logically presented. 😊
Thank you kindly!
I believe the Hughes voltage booster also has surge protection, for what it's worth. It could be a feature on newer generations, I don't know.
I have one, haven't (fortunately) needed to test either function yet. It would be nice if it had Bluetooth and/or some kind of option for a display, then it might be more viable to just hard wire in.
Just happened to me last week. I was furious! Shame most tubers are just home-made commercial pushers now
Another excellent video! Thank you. After years of just suffering with low voltage full timing in one park, we finally got an autoformer a few months ago. What a difference! Worth every penny. We bought a used 30A model for $150 that originally sold for $550. Deals are out there for those on a budget.
Very nice, glad you were able to find a deal. They aren’t cheap new that’s why we kept the old 30 amp version
Good video but you missed making the biggest point of failure really clear even though you mentioned it. Most failures are burnt pins on the power plug because the pedestal receptacle is worn out from use. Cleaning up your cord prongs isn't going to help if at all. I use a sacrificial adapter if the park can't replace the receptacle and set my inverter to limit the current while making up the difference. Also I have a really cheap surge protector from Amazon that is about 25 dollars. The prongs are thicker, but if it melts it's cheap. Why the makers of surge protectors don't put high temperature alarms on the plug prongs baffles me. I've seen way too many people toss their surge protector because the plug melted, I guess that's why they sell so many. 😊
VERY good point about park receptacles. Not only do they get a lot of use leading to loose fit, they also get the occasional drive away with shore power cord still plugged in. Most parks, being cheap, don't replace receptacles until they burn.
Not a bad idea. I will at times clean the park outlet before I connect. I find more dirty than loose.
Maybe I'm missing something here. I use a different brand of external surge protector. It will (and has) shut off my power off if there is an issue in the power supply. I'm surprised the one you have doesn't do that.
Let me guess. Your profession is....... electrician?
Most of the plugs are a piece of folded metal. Wouldn't spreading them slightly make them a tighter fit and reduce the sloppiness making single prong melting less probable?
Thanks for the good video. I have a Progressive EMS Surge Protector external at the pedestal and it is doing its job. My question is about using a power strip with multiple plugs and maybe a few USB outlets with built-in surge protection plugged into an outlet inside this same fifth wheel. OKay , redundant or bad idea? I’ve been searching for an answer so hope you can shed some light. It’s time to buy an additional power strip for inside so the question is with surge protection or without surge protection under the above scenario. TY !
When I was attending Nascar at Road America last year, I noticed the driver coaches were using a blower fan on the power pedastal. Initially I thought that was weird, but looking back on it, they must have a lot of power running through those newer prevost and Newell coaches and trying to keep the plugs from melting.
Timely video. My Watchdog EPO wouldn't allow me to power up at the campground when I arrived giving the error code for no ground (E7). The "campground guy said it was a new plug the whole campground system was grounded. After a bit of haggling, the campground guy called "his electrician". Sometime later, they got their electricity working such that the Watchdog would allow me to power up safely. You cannot prevent every problem but this is one you can easily mitigate.
Hahaha 😂 We scope out TT campgrounds the same way!
Great advice Jared! - Cheers!
thanks J, always bring great content. I have the same Watch D, EMS as yours which you recommended way back. I love it. Its permanent, out of the way, and always read. But its also finiky with E7 = missing ground and that protects us... doing its job.. but I am out of power :( until I find the solution. Thank god for solar back up.
Be aware, there is a “design issue” with the WatchDog when used with Victron Inverters. It signals “false” an “E8” missing neutral and shuts down shore power.
The flaw is in how Huges determines an “E8” Missing Neural… in that the E8 error is triggered when L1 and L2 are at “equal” power. This is a faulty electrical design as this is not how a missing neural should be determined.
2nd, and what a number of us with Solar and Victron Inverters using a WatchDog have found is, the WatchDog does not provide enough time for the initial shore power connection for Victron Inverters before triggering an E8 error, and shuts down shore power. Further, the WatchDog E8 error messages to user says that the is something wrong with your RVs electrical system and seek repair…. Again a false failure indication.
The above is a known issue between Hughes and Victron, but Hughes will need to redesign their Software to support Victron inverters…. Many months to do… if they decide to do this change.
I have 1st hand knowledge of this and have switched to a Progressive power protector with no issues with my Victron inverters. Be aware.
@@louie3552 thank you my friend. I have been using my fifthwheel on grid and off, also from time time plug my small 2k gen to charge the battery bank a few times and I never encountered that E8 error.. yet There is 1 issue I ran into at first was my gen, it was missing a ground, so the WD, shut the rig down. I learnt how to by pass that issue by jumping the ground to neutral on the gen plug. But thanks for heads up!! with people like you we will always be informed. thanks sean from Montreal
Good stuff Buddy, thanks.
Neutral and ground connected
We just got the Progressive Industries EMS for our rig. We got the hardwired version for the same reasons you mentioned. We have had good results thus far!
I liked the display you get with that one.
@@AllAboutRVs yes, it is very helpful. I would like it have an audible alarm though, when there’s an error code. It took me a while once to realize we didn’t have power, since our batteries power many of the systems.
Excellent choice.. I too have an (internal Progressive unit -50amp). Never an issue.
Another great video, thanks for all the great information!
You bet! Thanks
Great information!!!
Need video of install of on board watch dog!
Pet peeve of mine, preventive vs preventative! The original word preventive just sounds better to me!! Very nice video and you make great points!
I hear you, my apologies for butchering the English language. It will be a life long struggle with my dyslexia and Yes I used auto correct on dyslexia.
I prefer preventataticle.
Most places we go are 30 amp although the camper is 50 amp plug. How do you know when to use the proformer. What alerts you. So am i correct to order a 30 amp proformer. TIA.Always useful info..
Perfect!
The other way to deal with the low park voltage other than using an autoformer is to simply lower your load. At one park over labor day weekend we had to shed all load other than the AC, we even turned off the converter's charge circuit during the day and ran it to recharg the battery overnight. Last week we were at a park that was just a little low and there the answer was to switch to gas for our hot water heater instead of electric which lowered our use enough that the voltage stayed above 108V which is the cutoff for our EMS.
How is "lowering your load" going to help when the voltage coming out of the pedestal is already low? As pointed out in the video, heavy summertime demand in some parks will cause the voltages to drop straight out of the pedestal.
@@gonebyrv9748 because it's often not coming out of the pedestal at too low a voltage, often with no load I'll see 110-115V but when you load it down with >20A per phase it dips under 108. So reduce the draw back down to only say 15A for the air conditioner and it'll stay up around 110V. Like I said I've actually done exactly that multiple times including just a week ago when staying at a state park where unloaded it was at 110V on one leg and 112V on the other, by running my hot water heater on propane I avoided a 15A of draw which had been drawing that leg under 108V and causing my EMS to shut off power.
Great video, very informative. Thank you, Bob in Grand Rapids, MI
Thanks
Would love more info on investigating hot skin.
Online and on RUclips there is much info on that by pros that are expert on electrical issues. Usually the problem source is the park power. It's rarely the RV. You can easily confirm this by plugging the RV into a portable generator to see if skin is no longer hot. (Master Cert RV tech)
Good advice you just want to make sure your generator has a neutral ground bond at the generator otherwise things have changed from shore power.
@@AllAboutRVs Good point. I know all my small generators have a neutral bond since they have RV receptacles, but I'll get out the meter and verify they are, plus be sure my 7500 Watt unit is bonded. Thanks very much for bringing it up. 👍👍
Good information
Thanks
A couple questions. Would you recommend the 30amp Autoformer to save $$ over the 50Amp Autoformer even now and how’s the functionality with your Multiplus? Do you have the Power Watchdog-EPO spliced-in just before your Multiplus.
Yes my watchdog is before the Multiplus and the Autoformer works great with it. No problems. I have two thoughts on the 30 vs 50. In the situation where you have low-voltage in an RV park, the more power you use the lower the voltage will drop in the park. The 30 amp auto former reminds us to not draw too many amps which is courteous to the other RVs around us by not making the situation worse by drawing more than we need. That said it just makes sense to get the 50 amp version if you have a 50 amp RV.
Do you know if the Multiplus alone without any of the surge or voltage boost equipment you talked about here provides any boost via the inverter to a park low voltage situation. I hope this question makes sense.
Good question. It won’t boost the Voltage as it has to synchronize to the power coming in. It does have the ability to disconnect when the voltage drops too low. Another thing is by nature if you set power assist lower around 9.5 amps it could make the difference. While it’s not boosting the voltage it is at least drawing as little as you can which will help the voltage not drop lower that it would otherwise. So in short no voltage boosting but can help at times depending on how bad the voltage is.
Thank you for your RUclips videos which we watch weekly but since we watch on TV we don't get to comment. While at my brother's home if I plug our 5th wheel (50amp) into his garage outlet I get a reading on my hardwired progressive EMS "Reverse Polarity". On the outlet on his porch all works fine. What does the Reverse Polarity mean and is there a solution?
John
Thanks! Yes that usually means the hot leg and the neutral are switched. Things will often work but should be looked at and fixed.
Uh...what happened to the 3x Big Beard Batteries?
You noticed! Good catch. I’m testing more to add more information to the batteries buyers guide. I am very impressed with this Epoch battery but also already have another battery to test behind those as well.
What about the limit on the life of a surge protector? We were told by a campground ours needed replacing because it was considered ‘old’ even though it’s only 3 years old 🤷♀️ should they be replaced that often?
No not at all. You should be able to use them for years to come.
@@AllAboutRVs thank you 🙂
My progressive industries does not turn on the power for a number of seconds after making the connection. Do I really need to shut off the circutbreaker before plugging in? It seems like the delay in turning on power would insure that there is nothing drawing current during connection.
Have you ever plugged on and you had an arc? Anything wanting current will attract the electricity. That high heat arcing causes the connections to loosen up over multiple arcing events. This can lead to meltdowns or electrical fires. If you have ever survived an electrical fire onboard a boat? You can understand just a little of me taking a little more precaution when hooking up our Rv. Be safe and great RVing!
That would lessen the chance of the arc in the beginning but it takes a second to do it. I still do.
Mmmm... burnt ends!
Thanks thats what I thought. Appreciate your response!
I'm just going to take a guess, but we're you an electrical engineer in your former life??
Or...... professor of electrical engineer or high school teacher??? Don't leave me guessing.
Meanwhile in Europe:
"Surge protection? What for?
Those Yanks with their instable 120V circuits, brass pins on connectors and non IP rated plugs...
Its their own fault and manufacturers don't mind capitalizing on that fear!"
👍👍🏝
Thomas Eric Gonzalez Amy Thomas Jennifer
White Mary Thompson Michael Harris Brian
People don't have them for their house they believe the sales propaganda and spend a lot of money for the RV. 😊
I would agree but we also don’t move our houses around and plug them into multiple different sources not knowing if the source is properly wired for it. Our setup has protected us multiple times over from miss wired panels and extremely low voltage.
@@AllAboutRVs thru the years our surge protectors have saved us several times from low voltage (before I purchased the Hughes Autoformer), from an open ground, and from a recent voltage spike. As you stated, low voltage is very bad for AC units.
I have a surge protector for my whole house. Saved me several times!
And that's because your house electrical system is a "known good" system.
RV parks are an unknown as are the thousands of other RVs that plug into the essentially same circuit.
Just a commercial for power watch dog 🐕
No, Like I mentioned it’s just the one I prefer. They did nothing for and are paying nothing for this video.