Surge Protectors

[MSHappyCampers]

Originally Posted by NRR

Per Hughes site “An Autoformer running at full output (50amps) will use 1 amp, but will cause appliances to cycle more often and run cooler. This will use less total power from the park.”

Their spec is the device will add or subtract up to 10V depending on the input voltage from the pedestal. So if the input is 105V your rig sees 115V. That makes air conditioners very happy. They run cooler and longer. The Progressive devices will let your AC units try to chug along if the pedestal voltage is 105V. Not a good thing for them. The lower the voltage goes the more amps the AC unit draws to provide the work it has to do. Those extra amps heat up the windings on the motor causing lots of heat related failures in the AC unit.


The box has the same important indicators as the Progressive units with the exception, maybe, of amperage usage on the newest Progressive units. Also comparing 30A to 30A units Progressive has 1790J spike protection (think lightening) and the Hughes has 4800J.

The Hughes device has two draw backs. They weigh more and they cost more. Like $109 more. Worth every penny in my mind. When I get enough pennies I am going Hughes.

I know the Hughes protects against low and high voltage and maybe surge protection, but does it protect against all the other possibilities such as bad neutral, etc?

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

I know the Hughes protects against low and high voltage and maybe surge protection, but does it protect against all the other possibilities such as bad neutral, etc?

The Hughes has surge protection and it boosts low voltage. It doesn't correct for any other condition including high voltage.

[Bob_C]

Hard to boost what's not there.....like others have said.....during the RV Show in Quartzsite, when the park fills up, you can always count on losing power twice a day......I can watch what's happening on the digital readout, so I just plug into genny during those times.....there is also a device out that can rob power from other sites...

[NRR]

Well, I stand corrected. The Hughes RV autoformers do not protect for over voltage. Back when dirt was forming. I was taught an autoformer did go both ways. But they were REAL expensive.

The Hughes RV2130SP, 30A unit, does test for no ground, no neutral & reverse polarity when you plug it in. They say on the unit if test lights 1#-3# are green “You’re good”. This implies if they are not all green do not plug in your RV. To see what I am talking about go to this link and click on the picture of the panel below the picture that first comes upon the left. Use the magnifier to read the dang thing.
https://hughesautoformers.com/produc...er-with-surge/

An auto former is not magic. Ya have a transformer with a guzinta winding with multiple taps. Never mind, I am too old to remember if it is the input or output winding that has the taps or both. But one or both of them has taps and as the voltage goes down the taps are moved so that the output voltage (to your rig) stays within the desired range. Hughes has somehow figured out (patent) how to manage output voltage as output current loads happen. Reducing the overall (average) input current required at low voltages.

[leadman]

I liken low voltage causing a condition similar to driving a manual transmission vehicle in high gear at 20 mph uphill.
Last week we were in Flagstaff and had a monsoon storm come in with lots of lightning. Our microwave did not survive but it was old and cheap to replace so we were lucky.
I am going to buy a PI surge protector so this does not happen again possibly to our 2 new tis or a/cs, etc.
The wiring at the park reminded me of a third world country and is off our list of places to stay.

[MSHappyCampers]

Originally Posted by leadman

I liken low voltage causing a condition similar to driving a manual transmission vehicle in high gear at 20 mph uphill.
Last week we were in Flagstaff and had a monsoon storm come in with lots of lightning. Our microwave did not survive but it was old and cheap to replace so we were lucky.
I am going to buy a PI surge protector so this does not happen again possibly to our 2 new tis or a/cs, etc.
The wiring at the park reminded me of a third world country and is off our list of places to stay.

Sorry for your loss but it sounds like you got off lite on that one! That's a wise decision to get the PI EMS protector!