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Reduce your RV air conditioner startup power demand by up to 70 percent and eliminate that loud, clunking compressor noise. Start and run your AC and other appliances without the fear of tripping a breaker or overloading your generator.
A soft start device reduces the initial inrush current when your AC compressor kicks on. Instead of a harsh power spike that can trip breakers or overload generators, the soft start gradually ramps up the motor, so you can use your air conditioner with small generators, limited hookups, or even a 20-amp household outlet.
Tired of your AC tripping the breaker or waking you up with a loud, clunking start? SoftStartRV makes startup quiet and smooth, so your RV stays comfortable and your sleep stays undisturbed, even when you're boondocking or sharing power with appliances.
Run your air conditioner on a small generator, 20-amp outlet, or use two soft starts to power two ACs on a 30-amp hookup. Keep your coffee maker, water heater, or other appliances running at the same time without fear of tripping a breaker or losing your cool, even at high altitudes.
By smoothing out every start, this soft start limits strain on your AC's motor and compressor, helping prevent wear and keep your system reliable for the long haul. The built-in start capacitor and bypass contactor help ensure safe operation and prevent overheating.
Installs vertically using pre-drilled holes and 3M adhesive backing. All the hardware you need is included. Three diagnostic LEDs show you system status and make troubleshooting easy.
This soft start is IP65-rated against dust and water spray, and made to resist vibration and flames. Tested for more than 45,000 hours of use, it's ready for road trips, off-grid campsites, and wherever your travels take you.
Customer Satisfaction Score:
97% were satisfied with this product
3% of customers were not satisfied
Ratings & Reviews
I can now run my 13,500 BTU Air Conditioner on one 2200/1700 Inverter Generator. The peak amp draw was reduced 47% from 22.54 amps before installation to 13.46 amps after installation. The instructions for my particular model were a tad confusing but RVSoftStart has great customer support and responded quickly to answer my questions.
Installed this on our Grand Design 22MLE's 30 amp GE Heat Pump.
I sent a picture of the GE's wiring diagram to SoftStartRV's *tech support and
soon received an e-mail from Danny that he would be calling me soon. Within
minutes he called and explained the installation. While on the phone he did
a scymatic and e-mailed it to me.
I installed the SoftStartRV that afternoon within an hour.
I tested it at first on mt 30 pedestal here at home and it was noticeably quieter.
Then I hooked up our Craftsman 2500 watt generator and ran the heat pump
for over an hour. It worked perfectly.
A side note... I recommend opening up the A/C's control box and replacing the
Wago connector with wire nuts and tape if you haven't already.
So easy to install and the technical backup that I called with a question was top notch. The pix show where I mounted the SoftStart on the side of the AC Unit.
I was concerned about installing this myself, but it really was as easy as everybody says. The only issue I had was not paying enough attention to which wire end to crimp on. But they did send enough to still make it work. Used it for our first camping trip this weekend and it worked great! Wife said the ac was quieter. Buy this now instead of waiting like we did!
Very fast shipping. Easy installation. Works as advertised. Even works when running generator.
The soft start kit was exactly what we needed for our van’s ac that was installed without it. Originally the air conditioner came with the soft start kit, but the installer said it was not needed. He was wrong because our AC would shut off after cycling. The soft start kit solved the problem.
Easy installation. Cut power usage by 6 0%
Easy install. Instructions are set up for ease of wiring but I found that I could eliminate a good deal of extra wire by just looking at the wiring schematic and wiring direct to the compressor instead of bouncing back and forth as per the instructions...I understand they most likely wrote it that way to simplify it, but not necessary. Functions great after a year. I installed it to run my main RV AC unit (15k) off of a 1800W inverter generator after having no power for a week following a hurricane. Even that small generator can handle the load with no problem without bogging down or tripping the EMS on low voltage.
The soft start did exactly what Id hope for ----Did not like packing around my 3 KW watt honda gen --too heavy. Gave it too my daughter and son in law ---now that my AC will run on a 2200 watt honda. The installation is a snap --even though I'm a electrician---any one who can read and is not color blind can pretty much get this install knocked out. ps---we still love all our American friends --
Awesome tech and troubleshooting support
The air conditioner with the soft start added to it works perfectly. Thank you for your help. Great customer service was appreciated too.
Good price, I did have to download the instructions (which seems normal these days). They were very helpful and I wired it with no problems. This is NOT for someone without electrical wiring knowledge however. Not plug n play. Given that yes I would recommend.
Customer service for installation is amazing, very responsive when I was installing the unit.Id give it 5 stars. It was actually quite easy. However, my only issue is that my Durolast 2300 kept tripping the breaker and there was no answer as to why. Online discussions stated that people were using similar units without an issue. Finally, out of frustration, I borrowed a Honda EU2200 from our firehouse to see if that would work as many people online said the Hondas were so good despite the cost. Well, it worked and I then had to shell out the $$ for that with no understanding why it worked and the Durolast didn't. And Im not sure whether the A/C would now work without the softstart. Despite all this, Ill leave it in. Anyone want to purchase a gently used Durolast?
As always etrailer delivers on time. I installed the SoftStart on my 2020 Palomino HS 1803 truck camper yesterday. I'm an avid DIYer and not that young, so limiting trips up and down the ladder was alleviated by putting everything I might need in a toolbox. Installation took me about an hour, with the Dometic instructions and a YouTube video of installation on a Dometic. Mine is a 13.5K and I have a Generac IX 2000, 2200 starting watts. It would kick out the overload before the SoftStart.
I tried it with the full power switch on, the generator grunted and sped up for a second or two and the AC was running! I tried it on ECO mode and it kicked out the overload, but that was expected. I ran it for a half hour, switching the AC off occasionally, it started fine each time.
Success! I was looking at a bigger generator, and with a truck camper there is no way to haul it, and I can't lift 100#. The Generac weighs about 50#, about my limit, and fits nicely on the floor of the back seat of my pickup. I'm a boondocker whenever I can, and I avoided trips on hot summer days. No more!
I have used this service several times and they are awesome
Online support was very helpful
Working fine 1 year later. The only thing was their wiring procedure and hardware needed to be cleaned to look more in compliance with industry wiring standards.
Easy install. Good product. Only tested it with the normal 30 amp hook up. Have yet to test it with a 15-20 amp circuit
Had a nice Saturday to install. Instructions were downloaded from Soft Start’s web page. Easy to install. Ran the system off of shore power and then off the generator with no issues. So, it seems to work as advertised.
Just installed. Quieter start up. Only on its first cycle
Performs as advertised! Start up is much quieter and amp load is significantly less. Easy to install and technical support from actual designer was spot-on.
Bama M.
2/4/2025
Awesome! the two stage start no longer pulls down my electrical loads at starting.
etrailer has everything you need and ships fast.
Victoria H.
3/5/2025
Thanks Dave! We love being your go-to.
The installation was straight forward, good instructions from the manufacturer. Installed on a Dometic Brisk III 13500 btu AC. Couldn't measure start up amperage before, peak too quick for my meter (50+ amp peak I assume) after installing it, measured 29amp peak start up.(happens under 1s) My 2200w Generac generator runs the AC now. Don't hear the compressor kick on, so the AC is quieter.
Q
6/21/2023
This product is working great, quieter AC function lower starting amperage.
Great service. Very knowledgeable staff.
easy to install and work great with my small generator
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Kate F.
5/6/2026
Nice to have that little battery power pack to help with the start-up surge William. What kind of camper is this on, and what trip are you looking most forward to this year?