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

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.

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.

Best option for when you’re on the road and end up with dicey park power. When everyone else’s surge protectors are tripping you will have smooth constant power with this autoformer. Plus your AC(s) will thank you for the even power.

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?

This device protects from surges, and also boost the voltage if the incoming Shore power to the RV is too low. Thus preventing damage to sensitive appliances.

I bought this to fix the issues I was having at a seasonal site where my voltage could dip as low as 94V. We have a small trailer so my average draw with fridge and AC was about 9-10 amps. (Toaster or Microwave causes large spikes obviously). I swapped out the AC to a more efficient unit and now with the Autoformer my draw to the park is about 7-8A, even while its correcting the voltage.Despite its 10% rating, it seems like a sliding scale. When it only needs to boost 7 volts, that's all it does. When I get really low pole voltage it seems to be able to exceed the 10%, I saw about 13% this weekend, and never had a dip below 111V inside the trailer.To gain the last star, at the price it is, they need to incorporate the same bluetooth functionality they sell in the dedicated Surge units. Because I wanted to monitor the park side I had to purchase one seperately and now I have two surge units stacked which is a bit of a mess at the pole, isn't necessary and just adds more cost to me. Just charge $50 more for it and incorporate the bluetooth portion in this unit.

This is awesome. It can boost power on a week breaker box and has a replaceable module for surge protection. Great for my camper. 50a version.