Power Watchdog Hughes Autoformers RV 2130-SP, Voltage Booster with Surge Protection, 30 Amp

I have known of this product for years, but unfortunately I’am a slow learner and it took a ruined compressor motor for me to wake up and realize that the “Utility companies” don’t provide 120Vac to customers so they can save move and reduce maintenance for their infrastructure. Per code utilities only need to provide end users with a voltage range (108-128). Municipalities are concerned with providing the minimal voltage required. NOT YOUR AC COMPRESSOR OR EQUIPMENT. Buy the Hughes Autoformer or ruin your sensitive and expensive equipment in your RV. The choice is yours. I will be buying another one before another govenment regulation tells me I can’t.

I saw the Hughes Autoformer at a camping rally. I thought the concept was interesting, but also thought the price was way too steep. I managed to catch a sale and ordered one. I have not used it much so these are just my observations based on two trips. I will update later as I gain more experience with it.First, this is no lightweight item. It has some real heft. There must be some really heavy-duty items in there. I also like that a locking cable was included in the package. While it is not what I would call a heavy-duty cable, it is like a lot of bicycle cables and will deter the casual, opportunistic thief. I also like that the surge protection is something that can be replaced if needed. It isn't like a cheap surge protector that just gets thrown out.Operation is simple. Turn off the power pole breaker and plug it in. Turn on the breaker. If everything is operating properly, the appropriate lights will turn on. If something is not correct, different lights will turn on and guide you to figure out what is wrong such as bad ground, reversed polarity, etc. If all is normal, turn the breaker off, plug in your RV's power cable and turn the breaker back on.So far, I have not seen the boost LED light up as the RV park were we were appears to have adequate power. It may be that we will observe it in the future. I am not sure how well it would work in conjunction with an inverter-generator. I think it is mainly meant for use with the power poles in campgrounds and RV parks. A inverter generator of adequate size will not have the voltage sags of an inadequately supplied campground power pole. It would have its own overload protection which would shut it down. Hughes would need to answer whether it would work with a generator or not.For the peace of mind, knowing that it will help my AC appliances to operate properly in a situation where the voltage sags. Did I need it? I could have done without it, but I think it will be a worthwhile investment in the long term.

Well built quality unit. Works like a charm. One place we often camp is notorius for low AC voltage. This puts a lot of extra load on the AC unit which tends to go into thermal shutdown on really hot days. And here is Southern Arizona we get a lot of REALLY hot days. This unit solved that problem completely. Easily boosts 105 volts to 116 volts which reduces amp load and overheating on the AC unit.Not inexpensive, but a lot cheaper than having to replace an AC unit. Better cooling performance and reliability are a big plus. The extra surge protection is additional peace of mind too.

This is a lot of money to spend for an RV toy. However, this is more than a toy, it is a great insurance policy for your electrical equipment in your RV including your very expensive batteries. In my mind, this is a small price to pay to have assurance that you will be protected and have ample voltage at parks with little reliable power.Recently a group of us were camping in a Michigan park where the voltage dropped to 104 volts due to all the other RV's running their AC's. This unit protected our RV while others in our group weren't so lucky. They had non-boosting protection and damaged their DC batteries along with some other components.I opened the unit upon receiving it (this is okay as this is what you need to do if you need to replace the surge unit) and examined the parts used to build the device. Hughes isn't gouging the consumer. They are using expensive, certified, reliable parts to provide a quality unit.Because this device does not have the bluetooth monitoring built in, I took the liberty to add some CT clamps on both lags along with connections to monitor the voltage to view remotely. This can also be accomplished by separately purchasing the model that does the monitoring with the Hughes app.

I would highly recommend purchasing along with this the stand that is recommended s as well as the cover. I purchased my first one from a local retailer. Those protective items were not available. After a little over two years out in the elements plugged into my rig and several rolling blackouts and power outages due to freezing, I finally had to replace it.Prior to having this device I could not run my AC on my 30amp rig if I needed to use the microwave. That was the first thing I tested upon installation. The power boost you receive on this solved that issue. Additionally the AC’s seemed to go into shed mode very rarely during our Houston TX summers with this.The only thing I would prefer to have on this that I have on the Hughes surge protector is the ability to see and reset it from my phone.Other than that I would highly recommend this product. We worth the money.

If your in and rv this is a must have . If you have power problem this helps tremendously. It is pricy, but what does it cost to replace your AC unit?