Couple of power questions. Factory Inverter? EMS Necessary?

[Chiefblueman]

Picking up my new 337rls on Saturday and i'm trying to get an idea of what i'm going to need.

Is there an inverter to go from battery power to 120v from the factory? I realize i won't be running AC or anything like that but id like to have power for maybe the TV or to run the margarita maker

Is an EMS really necessary or is a surge protector for shore power sufficient?

First post on the forum, seems like a fantastic place!

I'm one of those that uses a surge protector. It performs some basic diagnostic functions along with surge protection. I bought it because I are a eelectrician and I'm cheep! Wish I'd gone with the EMS. Being cheap usually costs more 'cuz I end up doing things twice when I let that happen. You're probably much more likely to encounter low voltage situations which can wreak all sorts of havoc, than a surge. Voltage drops, amperage goes up, things get hot, motors and compressors get unhappy and croak.

[J&G garage]

Something else to consider when deciding on portable vs. hardwired EMS is that the hardwired unit will protect you from issues with your power cord and the shore power connector on the side of your trailer. This is an area that can be prone to issues of high resistance from loose connection which can cause heat and a potential fire. The portable versions of the EMS are not able to "see" the cord and connector so you lose that protection with the portable unit.

[jbarden]

Yeah I feel like the Hard wire version is the way for me to go. If for some reason it does decide to go bad i'll just be living with no AC or TV for a bit. I don't see that as a deal breaker.

Just decided to become a paid member.
Thanks for all the help and opinions!

[JColeman]

Yeah I feel like the Hard wire version is the way for me to go. If for some reason it does decide to go bad i'll just be living with no AC or TV for a bit. I don't see that as a deal breaker.

Just decided to become a paid member.
Thanks for all the help and opinions!

Good Onya for joining the ranks!

We went for a portable to avoid the grounding issues related to running an inverter/generator with the hardwired version. Apparently they don't work well together. OTOH, when we use our generator, it produces pure sine wave power and we don't need the EMS. I don't mind the couple of extra steps when we are at a CG and use a wire lock for security.

[J&G garage]

Buy a 120 vac 15 amp plug at the hardware store. Get a piece of wire and connect the ground and neutral screws in the plug together ( the green screw and the silver screw). Put the plug into one of the recepticals in the generator. Now the EMS will play nice with the genny. $3 worth of parts.

[boyscout]

Yeah I feel like the Hard wire version is the way for me to go. If for some reason it does decide to go bad i'll just be living with no AC or TV for a bit. I don't see that as a deal breaker. Just decided to become a paid member. Thanks for all the help and opinions!

Installing an EMS is not hard. Handling the #6 wire is a bit of a struggle, but the install is pretty easy.

Not sure if this is covered in the install instructions you have referenced. It's a little extra work, but may be worth it. Instead of cutting the main input power cable, purchase about six feet more of that cable. Remove the original cable from the connector on the side of your trailer, attach your new cable there, and then install the EMS between the new and old cables.

Why? If you trade / sell your trailer someday you may want to recover your EMS from it. It will be easier and cheaper to restore the original factory cable to its connector on the side of the trailer than it will be to splice the factory cable back together after removing the EMS. Ask me how I know this!

Good luck with the project, and welcome to the forum.

[Hpangle]

I am a strong supporter of Progessive EMS, and the dealer is installing one in our new 344GK before we pick it up. Also had hardwired one in our old 5th wheel. One thing to note is that the EMS won’t allow generator power to pass. Therefore, a workaround, which is well documented in other places, is a cable or plug, which connects ground and neutral to prevent floating ground.