Hughs Autoformer

I have a Franks Autotransformer purchased after a stressful trip to a DC campground in 2010. Embarrassingly I have never used it. I even wired up a nice plug-in setup in the rear compartment.
Never really needed it though as I also picked up a Kill-A-Watt meter and use it to keep tabs on incoming volts but that is also no guarantee that trouble is not looming.
I am concerned that (I read somewhere) it is NOT to be used with a resistive load which means NO ELECTRIC WATER HEATER. I don't know why it would make a difference as long as all loads are withing the design capacity. Not that propane is a problem but I don't want to "accidentally" turn it on to electric and blow up a $450 device.
Does anyone here use their electric water heater with an autoformer?

Had our Hughes autoformer about ten years or more. Seems we need it at about 20% of the campgrounds we visit. So far only ever been to one CG where the voltage was so low the autoformer couldn't correct it.

Have used it in rain, covered with a plastic shopping bag, and even used it once in the snow!. Great gadget, and never any trouble with it to date. I chain it to the power pole to keep it from wandering off.

I have a franks booster and it worked flawless for 4 years until last year when at a camp ground when a transformer blew and fried both circuit boards and will cost 400.00 +labor to repair a 600.00 booster. I don't have the extra cash to repair it now but it did work great on low voltage.

Seems like most are using the Hughes voltage booster. I bought one from Franks back in 2006 because it offered several boost ranges. It was also less expensive. I've used it frequently since 2006 and have been quite pleased. Weblink to it is: Franks voltage booster. I actually bought it mail-order from a RV.Net forum member who has them drop shipped directly from the factory. I saved a bit that way too.

I too have a 50 amp.. Where I'm parked now (Well either this site or the one next to it) last summer wife was hollering at me "You won't like this site, the lady over there says her volt meter has been in the red nearly all week"

Mine was in the green.... after the autoformer.

They do increase the likelyhood of tripping the park pedistal breaker (Which I did today) but they also keep the motors happy, and that is what I pay it for.

I have 2 (one was my dad's). He passed and it just sits. Mine I transferred to my Class C from my TT and I love it. Add a good spike protector to the line and you should be covered.

I was reading 105 V yesterday 119 after plugging in the Autoformer, mine is 12 years old no problems.

Bought my Hughes 30 amp Autoformer nearly 9 years ago. It was used at the time. I hard wired it in our MH because we fulltime and didn't want it exposed to the elements and sticky fingers. Plus, some campgrounds will not allow them so out of sight, out of mind.
It has worked flawlessly for those 9 years and exactly as advertised and I've never had to deal with a low voltage issue. It just works.

Last I checked, power was either metered, or included. Since you are not bypassing the meter, you cannot be stealing. Weather I am running 1 ac or two, electric water heater and fridge or propane, the electric is included.

Pretty much positive reviews so far.

I would recommend using a 50 to 30 amp adapter so that you have a chance to use all 30 amps output of the Autoformer, without tripping the 30 amp input breaker. Your RV's 30 amp main will protect the RV from using more than 30 amps.

What the autoformer does it take in 100 - 105 volts and boost it by 12 volts to 112 to 117 volts. However if you are using 25 amps output, then the input will be about 12% higher, or about 3 amps more than the output amps.

The input wattage and output wattage is about the same (less about 1% for in-efficiency) so if the air conditioner was using 1500 watts before being boosted, it will still be using 1,500 watts after being boosted to the correct voltage. You are not "Stealing" power from the campground, but are using the same amount boosted or not.

Fred.