Safety first. Always!
Top 3 products you MUST have for your RV:
- Fire/Propane/Carbon Monoxide detector
- Fire Extinguisher
- RV electrical management system (EMS)
Volts? Watts? Amps?
You do not need to be an expert to protect your RV’s electrical system. You do, however, need to choose the right product to do the job for you. Our Progressive EMS prevented possible disaster for our RV more than once.
It seems very counterintuitive, but HIGH voltage is not the usual suspect that causes RV damage, but LOW voltage. RV parks are notorious for drops in voltage, also known as “brown downs”. This can result from old/incorrect pedestal wiring, or circuit overloads during the summer when a park is at capacity with plenty of air conditioners running.
Just like any other wiring, the electrical system in your RV is designed and rated to carry a maximum amount of amperage. But volts and amps will try to balance each other out.
Image what would happen if the voltage dropped where your RV is plugged into the RV park pedestal:
So, as you can see, the power rating of an appliance like a space heater never changes. It will always pull whatever wattage is listed on the label of the heater. However, when volts drop, Amps increase, and there’s your trouble. Your RV wiring may be rated to safely carry 15A, but those wires can heat up, melt, or cause a fire as amperage increases.
An RV electrical management system stops this dangerous power imbalance before it can even make it inside your rig. The EMS is plugged into your pedestal, and you then plug your RV shoreline power cord into the EMS.
We chose a Progressive EMS model in part due to the reviews, their reputation, and the features offered. I can attest that our Progressive EMS prevented potential damage to our RV numerous occasions. Not only did the EMS protectively cut our power when it sensed danger, but also displays a code to let you know why the power was disrupted. A handful of times it was due to low voltage. The most memorable occasion was a result of reversed polarity within the pedestal.
As you can see, the pedestal tried to fry our EMS. Believe it or not, this unit is still functional! We are not using it, but I keep it like a trophy.
Unfortunately, I have to recommend chaining your EMS to your pedestal to prevent theft. You just never know, and better safe than sorry.
Progressive also offers hardwired units as well that can be mounted inside of your rig, rather than at the pedestal. Personally, with the hit our EMS took on that extreme occasion, I was happy to be able to replace it with a simple plug-and-play switch.
Q & A with Hank
Q: Do you make money off of this product or website?
A: This is an affiliate website, so yes, I could make a small commission from click throughs and purchases.
Q: Are there other brands that will also protect my RV from electrical dangers?
A: Absolutely. You are free to shop, pick and choose from a variety of brands and price points. I personally endorse this product due to my personal experience as a full-time RVer for five years.
Q: Does the Progressive EMS protect against HIGH voltage as well? I’m worried about storms.
A: Yes! The Progressive EMS will disconnect your power if voltage drops below 105V or increases to 132V.
Q: Does the Progressive EMS protect from anything else besides over and undervoltage?
A: Glad you asked. It protects against pedestal issues like an open ground, open neutral, and reverse polarity.
Moving from a house to an RV is an exciting adventure. And it should stay that way! There are a handful of items that will keep you safer, healthier, and happier campers. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experiences as much as I enjoyed our time in our RV. Feel free to subscribe or shoot me a message if you have any questions.
Safe Travels!
