Reduce the startup amp draw of your RV A/C by over 70% with our partner SoftStart RV!

By Dave Solberg

The hot season is here, and we have a solution to keep your RV’s power system cool as the temperatures climb!

Start Your Compressor Smoothly:

During initial startup, your RV roof air conditioner compressor can spike to over 52 amps which could overload a traditional 30-amp circuit and cause the breaker to trip.

With SoftStart RV technology you can reduce the initial amp draw by over 70% which means you can run two roof air conditioners on a 30-amp circuit or even one roof air on a residential 20-amp circuit.

Learn more or Buy Now
Learn more or Buy Now
Make a comment
  • (will not be published)

76 Responses to “Reduce the startup amp draw of your RV A/C by over 70% with our partner SoftStart RV!”

    • Rick Steeves

      Hello I deal with RV A/C units here i N.B. I do alot of warranty work for the RV Dealerships . I would like to get more information on this .. tks

      Reply
  6. Michael Flinn

    I have a Genesis Supreme 40CRXL with three A/C units. Will this device work for my toy hauler?

    Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hello Michael,
      It will work on all AC units. The soft start replaces the start capacitor on the AC unit. When you operate an AC using a soft start, it slowly ramps the compressor instead of starting it hard and fast. By doing this is prevents an amperage spike. An air conditioner can get close to 20 amps normally at start and then run around 14 amps. Using a soft start, the amperage is always around 14 amps. It doesn’t bring down the running amps, just the starting amps. You could use it on all of you AC units. Since you have three units, 2 will be on one leg and then 1 on the other. Using soft starts means you will only spike to around 30 amps on a leg and 15 on the other when your camper has two hot legs rated for 50 amps each. It will allow you to use other components in the RV while using all 3 AC units at the same time. It just helps prevent tripping a breaker when the compressors turn on at the same time. It also helps the compressor last longer too. You just need to have one soft start per unit so you would need to replace all 3 to utilize this on all of the units.
      Sincerely,
      Dan
      RV Lifestyle and Repair Technical Expert

      Reply
  7. Teressa Smithhart

    1993 Winnebago Adventurer.
    Will this work on my Rv?
    Is roof install the only option?
    Does this work with any type generator?
    What is the lowest watt generator it can be used with?
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hello Teressa,
      The soft start replaces a start capacitor on the air conditioner itself. It makes it slowly crank up instead of an instant hard start. This prevents the amperage from spiking. These can only be installed directly onto the AC roof assembly by removing a capacitor and installing the soft start in its place. The generator you want to use depends on how many circuits you plan on operating. If you want to run an entire 30 amp camper, you would need a 4,000 watt generator. If you have a 50 amp camper, you would need at least a 5,500 watt minimum. If you have a 30 amp camper but only plan to run the generator and nothing else at the same time, you can use a 2,500 watt generator just fine. Air conditioners are on a 20 amp circuit and a 2,500 watt generator is equivalent to 20 amps so this is all you would be able to run on one. It is always best to get a generator sized to power your entire RV so you could use it the same as you would when plugged into shore power.
      Sincerely,
      Dan
      RV Lifestyle and Repair Technical Expert

      Reply
  8. Ernest Mongelluzzo

    Would like to learn more specially looking at an install kit for 2019 Grand Design 395M Momentum, thx.

    Reply
  10. Mark Smith

    I purchased two of these SoftStartRV units for my 2019 Jayco 27.5 HT and it’s the best thing I could have done right off the bat with in a few weeks of purchasing my rig and installing them, they were easy to install and worked like a charm start ups on 50 amps or 30 amps are so quiet and smooth the AC’s don’t wake me up in the middle of the night, and there is no power surge anymore best thing I did for my peace of mind get yours today you won’t regret it

    Reply
  11. Linda

    I have a Coleman Lite with 50 amp. You talk about savings on a 30 amp is there anything I could get to help save and cut cost on my 32 ft camper.

    Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hello Linda,

      Thank you for contacting us.

      What is the year, make, and model of your RV?

      Thanks!

      Reply
  12. Joe Franko

    2019 Wildwood X-lite BH263. Would the Softstart be beneficial to me?

    Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hello Joe,

      The soft start is really only beneficial if you run off of a generator often or have issues tripping breakers when plugged into low amperage receptacles. A soft start just prevents the quick high amp draw from the compressor. It will draw high like normal, just not a huge spike. This is what causes breakers to trip and cords to heat up. If you never have this issue, then it really won’t help much. If you have two air conditioners and want to run them both at the same time when plugged into 30 amp, this would help. If you use a generator it can help you utilize other components while running the AC. It can also help if there is low voltage from an old outlet at a campground too. A lot of times you might have issues running the microwave and AC at the same time, this would help that. Soft starts do have their benefits but depending on how you use your camper, it could help a lot or just a little bit if any.

      Thanks!

      Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hello Thomas,

      Thank you for contacting us. Before the experts can answer your question they will need to know the make, model and the year of the RV? Please resubmit your question including that information.

      Sarah
      RV Lifestyle and Repair Video Membership

      Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hello Tim,

      Great question! The ‘Ask an Expert’ section is currently for members of our online community. By becoming a member, you will have access to our expert knowledge. With your membership you will also receive discounts on products and hundreds of hours of Premium content.

      If you are interested in becoming a member, please click on the offer below:

      https://go.rvrepairclub.com/a19774/ Thanks!

      Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hello Jayson,

      This is just an article review. We do not sell or have more information on the product. Please reach out to the manufacturer directly.

      Thanks!

      Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hello Russell,

      Thank you for contacting us.

      Each AC unit requires its own SoftStart so if you only have one AC unit, you only need one SoftStart.

      If you have any other questions, please chat, email, or call Customer Service. 

      Sincerely,

      Sarah
      RV Repair Club Video Membership

      Reply
  29. DAVID e REGER

    This spring i installed one on each of my Coleman 15000 units and with that said i can run everything in my RV on a 30 amp circuit and never have an issue including the Microwave and running each unit together.
    I highly recommend installing them and with the help of the folks anyone can do it within 20 minutes.

    Reply
  31. Joseph Scharff

    I would like to know how much it costs? And will this work with window AC units?

    Reply
  33. Anna Sokolski

    How do I find someone to install the SoftStart? My rv service shop was not interested, did not bother to read info I emailed them.

    Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hello Dale,

      Thank you for contacting us.

      Yes, you will need one for each AC unit. They take place of a capacitor so you will have to remove the shroud on top and open the access panel to the capacitors. You remove just one I believe and then mount the Softstart to the side of the housing. The mounting location is different for each AC model. It is fairly easy to install but each AC unit will need its own SoftStart installed. I will share the link to the installation manual that breaks down how to do it for each model.

      https://www.softstartrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SOFTSTARTRV-Brisk-I-II-installation-.pdf

      If you have any other questions, please chat, email, or call Customer Service. 

      Sincerely,
      Sarah
      RV Repair Club Video Membership

      Reply
        • Charles Famuliner

          Ticket 42852 Can my Westinghouse 2500 portable generator start and run my a/c with this device?

          Reply
          • Customer Service

            Hello Charles,

            Thank you for your patience. We have received the following response from our expert regarding your question:

            The outlet on your generator is rated for 20 amps. The AC in your camper is on a 20 amp circuit so technically you should be fine running the AC. The problem is with everything else in the camper. You will need to have everything else in the camper turned off for the generator to work properly and to prevent the breaker from tripping. If you aren’t running anything else, you should be fine. The soft start limits the peak amperage so it will be more around 14 amps when running. This does give you more room to use other things in the camper but you still have to be careful.

            Sincerely,
            Dan
            RV Repair Club Technical Expert

            Reply
  38. Allan Ezell

    Getting the Startup plug and play adapter soon. Going to test and review soon. This seems like a game changer especially for anyone not confident or tech savvy.

    Reply
    • Customer Service

      Great question! The ‘Ask an Expert’ section is currently for members of our online community. By becoming a member, you will have access to our expert’s knowledge. With your membership you will also receive discounts on products and hours of Premium video content.

      If you are interested in becoming a member, please click on the special offer below:

      https://go.rvrepairclub.com/a19774/

      Thanks!

      Reply
  42. Dr Rosa Rivera

    We need to know if our RV has a starter Kit when we purchased the RV. How do I know? If we don’t have one, I need to buy the one you are showing on this website.
    Great Question! Please log into your account and click on “Contact Us” at the bottom of the page. We need more information on the make/model of your RV. Once you sugmit that information it takes 2-3 business days for our Experts to answer your question. Thank you!

    Reply
  43. Darlina Tomes

    My front A/C zone 1 unit doesn’t work but the rear one zone 2 does…Help

    Reply
    • Customer Service

      Great question! The ‘Ask an Expert’ section is currently for members of our online community. By becoming a member, you will have access to our expert knowledge. With your membership you will also receive discounts on products and hundreds of hours of Premium content.

      If you are interested in becoming a member, please click on the offer below:
      https://go.rvrepairclub.com/C41066
      Thanks!

      Reply
  46. Bryan Haas

    No specific questions. Just interested in learning more about this soft start

    Reply
    • Andrew

      this is a capacitor that piggybacks onto your compressor start capacitor and increases voltage on start up thereby reducing amp draw…ohm’s law

      Reply