about perfect for a 30 amp RV!

While it often is the campgrounds electrical system at fault, on some occasions, like a heat wave, the power company may not be able to respond quickly enough to maintain their system voltages which cause voltage drop down the line. Those conditions are even more likely when there is a major grid system failure in the region. (fires, storms, floods, earthquake, etc.) Ever heard of a brown out? Everybody suffers, not just the RV Park.

Chum lee

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Enforcement? Simple.

If things get stupid in the consumption department, they lower the circuit breaker capacity. The idle current in my monster SOLA unit is about 400 watts. What is it in a hughes or other gizmo?

If you are hard-headed and insist they cannot couple 30-amp service with a 20 amp breaker, or a twin 50 amp service with twinned 40's you have another think coming. They can also rise their tariff or install meters.

As a former park owner who had people use outrageous amounts of power despite repeated requests, I can tell you for a fact that shutting things down and eliminating the park is preferable to losing money.

It seems having a capable power system to begin with would be the answer. At a certain PA state park they list the services as 20 amp when in fact they are 30 amp pedestals installed in the 70s/80s. Still does not stop folks from trying to run multiple air conditioners and all types resistive loads. Burnt out equipment is the norm and frankly if the Commonwealth of PA has not fixed it yet it may be another decade before they do if ever. They're also not going to close the park. I digress.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
As a former park owner who had people use outrageous amounts of power despite repeated requests, I can tell you for a fact that shutting things down and eliminating the park is preferable to losing money.

I would be more inclined to raise the individual's fee to reflect the power usage.

Enforcement? Simple.

If things get stupid in the consumption department, they lower the circuit breaker capacity. The idle current in my monster SOLA unit is about 400 watts. What is it in a hughes or other gizmo?

If you are hard-headed and insist they cannot couple 30-amp service with a 20 amp breaker, or a twin 50 amp service with twinned 40's you have another think coming. They can also rise their tariff or install meters.

As a former park owner who had people use outrageous amounts of power despite repeated requests, I can tell you for a fact that shutting things down and eliminating the park is preferable to losing money.

I would have a Hughes AF over the transformer in the OP.
I use a Franks booster when needed buy they are out of business.

westernrvparkowner wrote:
In the 2020 National Electrical Code prohibiting autoformers in RV parks is being proposed under the premise that they actually lower voltage for all others users on that power loop. Robbing Peter to pay Paul, so to speak.

And if adopted how do they propose to enforce it? Will the Autoformer Police be onsite at check in to root through your rig looking for them or will you have someone going site to site on a rotating basis checking with a meter?

That sounds like more hype from a certain website I am familiar with where autoformers have been one of the owners ( a self proclaimed electrical expert) pet peeves for years that is being amplified by posts on RV boards.

Lynnmor wrote:

LScamper wrote:
An autotransformer and an autoformer are not the same thing.

Those two words mean exactly the same thing. A transformer does not have the ability to automatically correct voltage.

An autotransformer is an electrical device with a concise industry-wide definition. It does not do anything automatically.

Autoformer is a product name. It can be anything its maker wants it to be. One such product from Hughes does in fact do some things automatically.

In the 2020 National Electrical Code prohibiting autoformers in RV parks is being proposed under the premise that they actually lower voltage for all others users on that power loop. Robbing Peter to pay Paul, so to speak.

Lynnmor wrote "Those two words mean exactly the same thing. A transformer does not have the ability to automatically correct voltage."

I wrote "Most of you are thinking of a so-called autoformer that automatically changes output voltage as the input voltage changes."

I said so-called because on the forum most think of a autoformer as a Hughes or Frank's autoformer.

From Hughes:
Unlike a boost transformer, the ‘sense circuit’ in the Autoformer will adjust the output based on the load demand.

Hughes Autoformer

LarryJM wrote:


That's my experience and I really don't see many threads here on this issue except for a handful of folks like the OP (from Canada) being by far the most vocal advocate of this autoformer type use.

Larry

Of course when you talk to others in campgrounds, you will find few that even have a voltmeter or know why they would use one.

I have used my autoformer many times and I don't want protection that simply shuts me down.