autoformers for dummies (me)

pianotuna wrote:
Hi Gdetrailer,

The campground always has the option to install meters. If they don't then on a thirty amp service I'm paying for 3600 watts. So long as I don't exceed that I'm not inconveniencing anyone, nor stealing anything.

I don't think campground owners understand the difference between the 30 amp and 50 amp too well. One of the local campgrounds charges an extra $2 per day for 50 amp. 3600 watts vs 12000 watts. I think they'er nuts to shoot themselves in the foot that way, but no one is "forcing" that on them.

Gdetrailer wrote:


See the area I outlined in bold.

Folks that say autoformers are "stealing" or "cheating" the campgrounds power ARE technically correct.

Since a autoformer is not lossless there is 48W MORE power being drawn from the input than what you get from the output..

Put it this way, IF the campground had a power meter on your site YOU would be paying for 1248W but only getting 1200W worth of energy to use..

Now multiply that 48W x the amount of camping spots and it will be pretty apparent that the campground WILL have even a larger loss in costs..

For instance say the campground has 500 spots and EVERYONE decided to use a autoformer, the campground will pay for an additional 24Kw of power per hr use.. for 24 hrs that would be 576 Kwhrs per day the campground would have to pay for!!

My home electric cost me about $.07 per Kwhr (some places pay $.11 per Kwhr) at a residential rate.. That would be a $40.32 per day loss for the campground..

HOWEVER, with electric power you do need to understand that BUSINESSES do not pay residential rates.. They pay at COMMERCIAL RATES which ARE MUCH HIGHER.. Typically commercial power will cost about DOUBLE RESIDENTIAL RATES!

That would mean that my example would now be about $80 PER DAY the campground would pay..

It is for that reason some campgrounds have rules about autoformers..

Put yourself into the shoes of a business owner.. You would not be happy with having your business costs go up.. You would have to take action somewhere to trim costs OR RAISE CAMPING RATES..

Use only what you need.. Don't waste power, water, ect by abusing privileges..

Have you ever thought about "informing" the campground owners that you are having issues with extremely low voltages?

And that those extremely low voltages can and will destroy your electrical equipment??

And that the campground owners CAN contact their electric provider for FREE assistance to determine if the problem is the electric co side OR the campground wiring??

I know myself when I first moved into to my home, I upgraded my electrical system from 60A to a 200A service entrance..

Then had a whole house A/C put in..

Then every time the A/C turned on my Sat receiver would shut down and reboot..

Called the Electric co, they sent out a Linesman who checked the voltage at my new 200A panel, then the voltage at the pole pig..

Came back and told me the problem WAS on the electric co end.. The voltage was sagging on the electric co lines feeding the pole pig that served my home. The lines had never been upgraded and over the years many more homes had been built and connected to those lines.

Two weeks later, the power company installed three HUGE booster pole pigs about 4 miles away from my home..

ONE phone call from ONE home owner (me) solved a major low voltage issue for at least 1,000 customers and a few businesses past the boosters.

Using an autoformer may "fix" your problem but in the end it makes it worse for everyone else.

The problem may not be all the campgrounds fault, it could be the electric co fault.. The electric co WILL attempt to correct the problem IF they are aware of the problem AND it is their equipment casuing the problem.

Put in a AC volt/amp meter into my TT for this year.. The campground we like had a rock steady 121V-122V, and that was with blazing hot temps this year hovering right under 100 F..

Granted the campground was only half full when we were there but I can say for the many years we have been there, never had a brown out or loss of power.

Stopped at my cousins home.. 111V-116V.. Campground voltage WAS better regulated than a residential outlet.

If YOU are not part of the solution, then you ARE part of the problem..