I know we covered this at the RV Dreams Rally in Goshen but the wife and I have a difference in opinion in what we heard. :)
I just had a Progressive Industries surge protector, Progressive HW50C 50 AMP Hardwire, installed in our new Bighorn. It was installed between the power cord reel and the inverter/charger.
My question is, when hooking up to shore power will we always have to be connected to a 50 amp service? In our old 5er which was 30 amp with no surge protector, I would use the adapter and hook it up to a 20 amp outlet from our garage just to charge the batteries. I know I couldn't run the A/C or any big appliances. Only did this to keep the batteries charged.
Will I be able to do this with the 50 amp surge protector or will it shut the power down due to only being plugged into the 20 amp plug? Would I be better off just hooking up a separate battery charger plugged into the 20 amp outlet and connecting directly to the batteries?
Thank you!
-- Edited by Sweenja1 on Friday 15th of May 2015 11:52:13 AM
Barbaraok said
11:52 AM May 15, 2015
Yes, get the appropriate adapters and plug in. We do it all the time when staying in someone's driveway.
Howard said
12:01 PM May 15, 2015
Good choice on the surge/voltage protection. You can plug into any power source - no problem. The Progressive Industries device will allow power through unless there is low voltage or high voltage or there is a wiring problem. As long as the voltage is good (and frequency is proper) and the wiring is proper, the amps (50, 30, 20) won't matter. :)
From the Progressive Industries website:
Q: Can I use an adapter and maintain full protection?
A: Yes. An adapter can be used and the RV will maintain full electrical and surge protection.
Sweenja1 said
12:29 PM May 15, 2015
Good to know, thank you!
TRAILERKING said
02:38 PM May 15, 2015
I have the Progressive HW50C 50 AMP Hardwire unit too. That's about the best of the best.
Jake62 said
02:43 PM May 15, 2015
TRAILERKING wrote:
I have the Progressive HW50C 50 AMP Hardwire unit too. That's about the best of the best.
Is this a DIY project or did you have it professionally installed?
TRAILERKING said
03:20 PM May 15, 2015
I did it myself. It's a fussy job with the routing of the large wires. Just about anyone could do it with a bit of knowledge. If you are incapable an electrician could do the wiring for you. It's just like doing residential/commercial high voltage wiring.
Jake62 said
04:10 PM May 15, 2015
TRAILERKING wrote:
I did it myself. It's a fussy job with the routing of the large wires. Just about anyone could do it with a bit of knowledge. If you are incapable an electrician could do the wiring for you. It's just like doing residential/commercial high voltage wiring.
Thanks ... and it sounds like a DIY job.
Bill and Linda said
06:49 AM May 16, 2015
Howard wrote:
Good choice on the surge/voltage protection. You can plug into any power source - no problem. The Progressive Industries device will allow power through unless there is low voltage or high voltage or there is a wiring problem. As long as the voltage is good (and frequency is proper) and the wiring is proper, the amps (50, 30, 20) won't matter. :)
Should your trailer be a 30amp rig, the 30amp version of the HW50C, the HW30C, likewise protects if you’re plugged into 30, 20 or 15 amp service.
Highly recommended device for all rigs.
Sweenja1 said
09:26 PM May 16, 2015
After looking where all the wiring is on our 5er, I didn't have the confidence to install it myself so I'm having the dealer do it before we pick it up. Spent more purchasing from the dealer and having them install it, however, worth it to me know it was done right. I'm one of those guys that can make it cost more doing it myself than just having the professionals do it to begin with. :)
Bill and Linda said
12:11 PM May 17, 2015
Sweenja1 wrote:
After looking where all the wiring is on our 5er, I didn't have the confidence to install it myself so I'm having the dealer do it before we pick it up. Spent more purchasing from the dealer and having them install it, however, worth it to me know it was done right. I'm one of those guys that can make it cost more doing it myself than just having the professionals do it to begin with. :)
If you’re not sure, then that’s a good idea.RV wiring is not more complicated than a home, but in some cases it is different as to the proper connections and how to understand different terms.
I’m not trying to going into all that in this post, but if one is not sure, then don’t do it without at least some knowledgeable advice.RV’s really are different in almost all regards: power, plumbing, leaks, etc. than a sticks and bricks.Many are not aware of the differences and that can lead to issues.
Hi Howard,
I know we covered this at the RV Dreams Rally in Goshen but the wife and I have a difference in opinion in what we heard. :)
I just had a Progressive Industries surge protector, Progressive HW50C 50 AMP Hardwire, installed in our new Bighorn. It was installed between the power cord reel and the inverter/charger.
My question is, when hooking up to shore power will we always have to be connected to a 50 amp service? In our old 5er which was 30 amp with no surge protector, I would use the adapter and hook it up to a 20 amp outlet from our garage just to charge the batteries. I know I couldn't run the A/C or any big appliances. Only did this to keep the batteries charged.
Will I be able to do this with the 50 amp surge protector or will it shut the power down due to only being plugged into the 20 amp plug? Would I be better off just hooking up a separate battery charger plugged into the 20 amp outlet and connecting directly to the batteries?
Thank you!
-- Edited by Sweenja1 on Friday 15th of May 2015 11:52:13 AM
Good choice on the surge/voltage protection. You can plug into any power source - no problem. The Progressive Industries device will allow power through unless there is low voltage or high voltage or there is a wiring problem. As long as the voltage is good (and frequency is proper) and the wiring is proper, the amps (50, 30, 20) won't matter. :)
From the Progressive Industries website:
Q: Can I use an adapter and maintain full protection?
A: Yes. An adapter can be used and the RV will maintain full electrical and surge protection.
Good to know, thank you!
Is this a DIY project or did you have it professionally installed?
Thanks ... and it sounds like a DIY job.
Should your trailer be a 30amp rig, the 30amp version of the HW50C, the HW30C, likewise protects if you’re plugged into 30, 20 or 15 amp service.
Highly recommended device for all rigs.
If you’re not sure, then that’s a good idea. RV wiring is not more complicated than a home, but in some cases it is different as to the proper connections and how to understand different terms.
I’m not trying to going into all that in this post, but if one is not sure, then don’t do it without at least some knowledgeable advice. RV’s really are different in almost all regards: power, plumbing, leaks, etc. than a sticks and bricks. Many are not aware of the differences and that can lead to issues.