Permanently mounted surge protector

[George]

I have the portable flavor of a Watch Dog EPO surge protector. I was tired of locking it up everytime and advertising it with the bright white dog face at night. Below is my experience in mounting it semi-permanently in the pass through compartment. There are several threads and YouTubes on this but this was my solution.
I disconnected the existing 6/3 Romex from the Power Center and pulled in the new power cord. I then terminated the new cord into the Power Center and terminated the 14-50R onto the existing 6/3 Romex. After these photos were taken I added some heavy duty ty-wraps to the two plug connections to ensure they stay plugged.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed electrician. Know what you're doing working with high voltage/amps. Don't skimp — use quality plugs and cables.
Main Parts used:
NEMA 14-50R
15' 50A power cord with NEMA 14-50P to bare wire.

 

[Hotrodjohn]

On board is the only way to go. I have the progressive with the remote readout display. I wired it so it protects if I’m using shore power or the Onan on board genny

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Nice work! I have mine behind the same wall, and just access the settings/status from the app on my phone

 

[Lantley]

I agree on board is the way to go. I prefer using a direct display for the power info vs. using a Bluetooth app.

 

[rick 6621]

Hi guys, i installed a hard wire 50 ems progessive industries surge protector, it has been a year since i installed the surge protector it has never worked from day one, it always shows an error E2 (open ground) so no power goes through, to get power the surge protector has to be set to by- pass to get power. Test park standard pole and everything is correct. Install a 30 amp surge protector on park standard pole and the surge protector works fine., no open ground detection on this surge protector. The funny thing is when i plug the rv at my residence with a 15 amp plug the 50 amp hard wire surge protector works fine. So can anyone tell me what is going on.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Hi guys, i installed a hard wire 50 ems progessive industries surge protector, it has been a year since i installed the surge protector it has never worked from day one, it always shows an error E2 (open ground) so no power goes through, to get power the surge protector has to be set to by- pass to get power. Test park standard pole and everything is correct. Install a 30 amp surge protector on park standard pole and the surge protector works fine., no open ground detection on this surge protector. The funny thing is when i plug the rv at my residence with a 15 amp plug the 50 amp hard wire surge protector works fine. So can anyone tell me what is going on.

Have you contacted MFG to see if you have a defective unit?

What is your setup? Basic from factory, so your incoming shore power goes to EMS and from EMS directly to your distribution panel?

Any after market stuff? Or a generator? Inverter?

 

[BryanValRox]

Hi guys, i installed a hard wire 50 ems progessive industries surge protector, it has been a year since i installed the surge protector it has never worked from day one, it always shows an error E2 (open ground) so no power goes through, to get power the surge protector has to be set to by- pass to get power. Test park standard pole and everything is correct. Install a 30 amp surge protector on park standard pole and the surge protector works fine., no open ground detection on this surge protector. The funny thing is when i plug the rv at my residence with a 15 amp plug the 50 amp hard wire surge protector works fine. So can anyone tell me what is going on.

Any chance you could post some pictures of your installation and the connections?
Also , as others have posted, can you give us a summary of the devices in the circuit path?

 

[rick 6621]

This is my third unit they all do the same, plug at rv park, national park, same reading E2 open circuit. Funny thing at home 50 amp dog bone to 30 amp then to 120 volt 15 amp circuit and surge protector works fine

 

[Oregon_Camper]

This is my third unit they all do the same, plug at rv park, national park, same reading E2 open circuit. Funny thing at home 50 amp dog bone to 30 amp then to 120 volt 15 amp circuit and surge protector works fine

Anything else installed? Inverter, transfer switch, generator?

The E2 error is coming form EMS. I see one of the following as possible issue
1 - Your 50 amp cord isn't working correctly
2 - The male connection ( on the RV ) has a lose ground
3 - You might have wired it incorrectly. Are both grounds connected to EMS?

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Finally....I know you don't want to hear this, but perhaps moving to a "Watchdog" EMS might help. They are SOOO much easier to install than the one you have.

 

[rick 6621]

Sorry guys for not responding, I’m on the road and have no time to look at all your answers but once stop I will be looking at your responses. Thanks to Oregon camper you may be right change out to watchdog we’re already thinking about this solution, would you advise hard wire or portable unit. In order to remove my ems is very difficult I have to remove panels in my garage bay, thanks for your suggestion.

 

[Hotrodjohn]

I have the hardwired progressive 50 amp wired in to protect from the pedestal or the generator. I have had zero problems.

 

[rick 6621]

Thanks for your reply

 

[BryanValRox]

Sorry guys for not responding, I’m on the road and have no time to look at all your answers but once stop I will be looking at your responses. Thanks to Oregon camper you may be right change out to watchdog we’re already thinking about this solution, would you advise hard wire or portable unit. In order to remove my ems is very difficult I have to remove panels in my garage bay, thanks for your suggestion.

Pictures and circuit layout make up would be great to try and help. The chances of you getting three defective units is slim to none. Your “experience “ depending on where your plugged in at is certainly strange.
At this point, I would suspect something wrong with the install or perhaps it is time to start investigating the ground circuit on the RV chassis and distribution panel.
As much as I am a fan of my Watchdog, I am a bit afraid you might experience the same problem if a full investigation of the ground circuit doesn’t take place. It could be the difference of just a 1/4 turn on a connection point.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Sorry guys for not responding, I’m on the road and have no time to look at all your answers but once stop I will be looking at your responses. Thanks to Oregon camper you may be right change out to watchdog we’re already thinking about this solution, would you advise hard wire or portable unit. In order to remove my ems is very difficult I have to remove panels in my garage bay, thanks for your suggestion.

I preferred hardwired. You will have to get back there anyway, to remove the Progressive EMS, if you decide the Watchdog is better. Do you know anyone with an RV that would allow you to borrow their 50 amp cord? That would remove a bad cord form the list of possible issues.

You didn't say if you wired the Progress EMS correctly, with both grounds connected. A picture...with the top off...would help

 

[rick 6621]

I’m finally at my location and will check the ems and will have pictures and maybe put this problem to bed, please be patient

 

[rick 6621]

Sorry for the delay, like I said my ems surge protector works fine at my house. I use the 50 amp rv cord plugged to the rv then dog bone from 50 amps to 30 amps then to 15 amp to plug into a normal house recepticle ems surge protector (progressive industries) works fine no faults. But when at a park or private rv park I get a fault on the surge protector E2, l use less connections at parks or private parks then my home, check many pedestals all seem fine, see pictures of my connections on the rv panel and surge protector itself, I can’t call manufacturer just yet I’m still boondocking. All connections are tight in panel and ems. My question is why does the surge protector work at my house and not at a tv park.

 

[BryanValRox]

Sorry for the delay, like I said my ems surge protector works fine at my house. I use the 50 amp rv cord plugged to the rv then dog bone from 50 amps to 30 amps then to 15 amp to plug into a normal house recepticle ems surge protector (progressive industries) works fine no faults. But when at a park or private rv park I get a fault on the surge protector E2, l use less connections at parks or private parks then my home, check many pedestals all seem fine, see pictures of my connections on the rv panel and surge protector itself, I can’t call manufacturer just yet I’m still boondocking. All connections are tight in panel and ems. My question is why does the surge protector work at my house and not at a tv park.

Would you be able to supply more views of your surge protector connections?
Specifically more top down pictures and more close ups of the ground connections at the top of image 7494?


Also at your house, you would save yourself some aggravation by just getting a three prong 15 amp to 50 amp adapter. You would plug this pig tail into the rv connection and the 3 prong into your outlet Via a HD extension cord of course.
This way your not dragging out all of your cords and adapters. I have a HD 10 gauge 50 foot extension cord that minimizes voltage drop to the RV.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

hard to see the entire wiring in the EMS. Are you using standard 6/4 wiring? I don't see the ground wire (typically green) coming in. Might just be the light in the image.

 

[BryanValRox]

Sorry for the delay, like I said my ems surge protector works fine at my house. I use the 50 amp rv cord plugged to the rv then dog bone from 50 amps to 30 amps then to 15 amp to plug into a normal house recepticle ems surge protector (progressive industries) works fine no faults. But when at a park or private rv park I get a fault on the surge protector E2, l use less connections at parks or private parks then my home, check many pedestals all seem fine, see pictures of my connections on the rv panel and surge protector itself, I can’t call manufacturer just yet I’m still boondocking. All connections are tight in panel and ems. My question is why does the surge protector work at my house and not at a tv park.

To answer part two of your question. First let me say I am Not a professional electrician! So you should run your question by someone that is.
My theory is that it has to do with the neutral / ground strategy in a home electrical panel vs an RV.