Soft Starter for AC

M

Midwest Duo

Newbie
Hello All,

New here (obviously). We are getting started with the build process. We have to be patient and take delivery Spring 2026. While going through the build options I was considering electrical and wondered about having a soft starter installed (feasible?) on the AC during the build. Probably a Cary question, but wondered if anyone has investigated this for their trailers. I’ve also been going through YouTube a bit and see a different product that’s been around a while called ActiveStart. Looks like you plug it into the power source, whatever that is, and it does the same thing.

Anyone else go down this rabbit hole?
 
SethB said:
If I recall correctly, @Sweeney did.

For us I think this comes up when trying to run air conditioning off a so-called "solar generator 'sogen'".
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Oh, ok. That's a losing battle IMO. Sogens have gotten larger and cheaper and no doubt you could get one that will power up the A/C. I think Professor Hobotech has demoed some that can/will. But it will never run for very long because the A/C still requires a lot of energy that isn't easy to capture and store in a portable device as often as you would need/want it.
 
Older Honda 2000 generators struggled a bit to start the ac but the new versions work fine. I have a Lion battery set that runs the AC ok. I have a soft start on my garage shelf but never installed it as there were some reviews that indicated problems with it in a single a/c application. Technology changes though.
 
Midwest Duo said:
Hello All,

New here (obviously). We are getting started with the build process. We have to be patient and take delivery Spring 2026. While going through the build options I was considering electrical and wondered about having a soft starter installed (feasible?) on the AC during the build. Probably a Cary question, but wondered if anyone has investigated this for their trailers. I’ve also been going through YouTube a bit and see a different product that’s been around a while called ActiveStart. Looks like you plug it into the power source, whatever that is, and it does the same thing.

Anyone else go down this rabbit hole?
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A couple times.

Soft starts are theoretically possible with an air conditioner for any size. The AC's used on 'big' campers are actaully much more like Window units than they are residentail -- the difference is that they have space available to fit the micro-air soft start module. The 5000 BTU window shakers have nearly no room inside, making it much more difficult because you'd need to mount the soft-start circuit somewhere in the camper.

I'd love to try shoehorning one into a window unit - while it isn't absolutely necessary to have a soft-start on something small, I'd like to be able to use my EU2200 without the "burp" when the compressor kicks on. I've considered doing this several times, but the money time and ambition have yet to come at the same time.

As for the plug-in soft starts...sadly, they are snake oil. To do what soft-starts do, you need to be between compressor and the capacitors. bottom line of every plug-in is that they appear to be snake oil. They don't help.
 
Midwest Duo said:
I have read that your AC (electrical components) would last longer. That and you could use your power station to start it. This is not my plan but nice to know it could be done if needed.
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For this reason, yes they will -- I can't address the window unit, but the initial "hit" when a "big rig" AC starts up is high...the spec sheet I'm looking at right now has 54 amps. WHen the soft-starts ore installed, I've seen that compressor 'start' in the single digits. Micro-Air is super impressive!!! And yes, this will give longer life of the components.

A soft start is in excess of $300 --- the Window Units are $150. I'm honestly not sure its worth the effort.
 
Sweeney said:
For this reason, yes they will -- I can't address the window unit, but the initial "hit" when a "big rig" AC starts up is high...the spec sheet I'm looking at right now has 54 amps. WHen the soft-starts ore installed, I've seen that compressor 'start' in the single digits. Micro-Air is super impressive!!! And yes, this will give longer life of the components.

A soft start is in excess of $300 --- the Window Units are $150. I'm honestly not sure it’s worth the effort.
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I can’t see CI doing some kind of custom install during my build. I can’t see doing it myself ( no way!!) so I’ll move on. Appreciate the responses.
 
Midwest Duo said:
I can’t see CI doing some kind of custom install during my build. I can’t see doing it myself ( no way!!) so I’ll move on. Appreciate the responses.
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I know what you mean -- but honestly, I think you get to a point where it is a question of diminishing returns. When my AC dies, this will be something I dig into --- I'm intrigued by it as well, but not enough to initiate a project all its own.

Why am I 'down' on it? Well, really not -- I'm just trying to be pragmatic.

1] $350 device plus whatever it costs to retrofit it, to protect a $125 AC. even though this is more about anoying burps from the generator.
2] Long term, when the AC does go toes-up, and it will - they all will, you've got a retrofit that may be difficult to recreate.
3] The actual soft starts are kind of big, and you'd have to open a hole, I can assure you the more holes - the more water gets in. THat means bad things.

Its funny that this video showed up in my stream yesterday....he actaully looks at the plug-in that I mentioend in the earlier post...i'd be afraid to use it just baesd on what it does to the sine-wave -- I keep too many computers plugged in and that looks ugly!

 
JohnC said:
Oh, ok. That's a losing battle IMO. Sogens have gotten larger and cheaper and no doubt you could get one that will power up the A/C. I think Professor Hobotech has demoed some that can/will. But it will never run for very long because the A/C still requires a lot of energy that isn't easy to capture and store in a portable device as often as you would need/want it.
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Thanks for the Hobotech mention. Never heard of him and found his channel is pretty interesting.
 
JohnC said:
Oh, ok. That's a losing battle IMO. Sogens have gotten larger and cheaper and no doubt you could get one that will power up the A/C. I think Professor Hobotech has demoed some that can/will. But it will never run for very long because the A/C still requires a lot of energy that isn't easy to capture and store in a portable device as often as you would need/want it.
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An old post from 2022 on my experience with a battery to run the AC. What Is The One Thing From 2022...
 
Midwest Duo said:
Thanks for the Hobotech mention. Never heard of him and found his channel is pretty interesting.
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It can be a rabbit hole. The biggest thing to keep in mind though is that he just shows you how it's supposed to work. Those are all Chinese companies with little to no history as to quality and reliability. The professor makes a cut from all the discount codes.

That said, I do own 6 sogens and a few solar panels so I have drank some of the kool-aid with no adverse effects so far.
 
I keep hoping the 12-volt AC's will shrink enough to fit. Dometic makes the RTX 1000, which is less than 5000 BTU, and would theoretically fit the 14x14 opening the fan is in today, but it is still 12 inches tall and 24x36...It would look like a wart on top of the camper. :( If it were low profile, maybe - but still not something I would want to use.

Questions I would have:

1] is the air box big enough in the campinn to fit? The controls and eonnections all need to fit. Dometic could tell you that with a phone call.
2] The on board battery would be dead in next to no time at all. Lithium just a little longer, so you'd have to use external batteries.
3] Wiring - Getting electricity to it would be a problem...8 gauge probably?

I've talked to people who used larger 12 volts in RV's, they seem to actdually work pretty well, though I'm positive they are no match for 15000 BTU roof mount.

I'm surprised this hasn't come up as a possability -- for me, non-started though -- that would look ugly on top of the sculpture that is a 560 ultra. And it would work at all on a 550 becuase there is no flat spot on the roof to support it.
 
FWIW, in watching the review on the soft start options, and the reviewer referred to the Furrion Chill Cube, which is an 18000 btu RV rooftop unit with an inverter compressor as beating any of the soft start options currently available. He showed the amperage draw at startup was a low 2.8 amps then slowly ramped up to full running speed, rather than just on or off with a full speed surge like most current AC compressors. I haven't had a chance to research whether that type of compressor is available in any of the smaller 5000 btu size units like we have in the CI's yet, but that may be the better avenue to explore rather than soft starts, since the ones he reviewed cut the startup draw to about half at best, which I think was still about 8-12 times the inverter compressors startup draw. Another option especially for those that don't have AC, and want it is : https://us.ecoflow.com/products/eco...onditioner-with-heater?variant=42093673021513 I think it's a heat pump, since it says it can provide heat as well as AC.
It is designed to run on either AC, or a battery, and according to them, can run 2-8 hrs on a 1024 WH LiFePo4. I'm not sure what the dimenstions of the current AC units are in the CI's, but it might be possible to fit it into that space too.....but haven't researched that at all.

So just a couple other ideas to kick around.

​

 
dustinp said:
FWIW, in watching the review on the soft start options, and the reviewer referred to the Furrion Chill Cube, which is an 18000 btu RV rooftop unit with an inverter compressor as beating any of the soft start options currently available. He showed the amperage draw at startup was a low 2.8 amps then slowly ramped up to full running speed, rather than just on or off with a full speed surge like most current AC compressors. I haven't had a chance to research whether that type of compressor is available in any of the smaller 5000 btu size units like we have in the CI's yet, but that may be the better avenue to explore rather than soft starts, since the ones he reviewed cut the startup draw to about half at best, which I think was still about 8-12 times the inverter compressors startup draw. Another option especially for those that don't have AC, and want it is : https://us.ecoflow.com/products/eco...onditioner-with-heater?variant=42093673021513 I think it's a heat pump, since it says it can provide heat as well as AC.
It is designed to run on either AC, or a battery, and according to them, can run 2-8 hrs on a 1024 WH LiFePo4. I'm not sure what the dimenstions of the current AC units are in the CI's, but it might be possible to fit it into that space too.....but haven't researched that at all.

So just a couple other ideas to kick around.

​

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I'm a Lippert dealer - and have had first-hand experience with your new ACs. Recently, I walked into a training room and prepared for training on their ACs. They had a unit sitting in the front right-hand side of the classroom. The instructor and students exchanged pleasantries as they prepared to begin. That's when he pointed to the AC and said, "Oh, by the way... it's running." - It did ramp up a few times as the room warmed, but it was never loud enough that anyone had to raise their voices. I think though an 18kBTU on a campinn might be overkill :D

In the rooftop AC market, there are changes coming -- Quieter, more efficient. All good for campgrounds as these start to come into the market. Seeing 104 volts at a power pole on a summer afternoon is a frightening and too common problem. With rigs now coming with 2 ACs standard, and some seeing 3...

However, as much as I hate to say it, I doubt that 5,000 BTU window units will ever incorporate that technology. Our use is a niche market - and I don't see an outcry for quieter or more efficient driving this market :( and if it did -- if they changed the form factor even slightly we couldn't use it.
 
Sweeney said:
I'm a Lippert dealer - and have had first-hand experience with your new ACs. Recently, I walked into a training room and prepared for training on their ACs. They had a unit sitting in the front right-hand side of the classroom. The instructor and students exchanged pleasantries as they prepared to begin. That's when he pointed to the AC and said, "Oh, by the way... it's running." - It did ramp up a few times as the room warmed, but it was never loud enough that anyone had to raise their voices. I think though an 18kBTU on a campinn might be overkill :D

In the rooftop AC market, there are changes coming -- Quieter, more efficient. All good for campgrounds as these start to come into the market. Seeing 104 volts at a power pole on a summer afternoon is a frightening and too common problem. With rigs now coming with 2 ACs standard, and some seeing 3...

However, as much as I hate to say it, I doubt that 5,000 BTU window units will ever incorporate that technology. Our use is a niche market - and I don't see an outcry for quieter or more efficient driving this market :( and if it did -- if they changed the form factor even slightly we couldn't use it.
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Well maybe as a dealer you can influence them to meet the growing demand for smaller units for teardrops, and small RV's that want to be off grid/and/or use smaller gens and sogens for power. Come on Sweeney, you can do it! Just keep saying "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can";)
 
dustinp said:
Well maybe as a dealer you can influence them to meet the growing demand for smaller units for teardrops, and small RV's that want to be off grid/and/or use smaller gens and sogens for power. Come on Sweeney, you can do it! Just keep saying "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can";)
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HAHA...ya right. More like "I wish I could..I wish I could..." -- I think they talk to us, then do the opposite.

I'm sure that at design decisions by CAD commandos have never worked on a camper in their life - the assumption is that everything works, and never breaks. its a wild world.
 
Sweeney said:
HAHA...ya right. More like "I wish I could..I wish I could..." -- I think they talk to us, then do the opposite.

I'm sure that at design decisions by CAD commandos have never worked on a camper in their life - the assumption is that everything works, and never breaks. its a wild world.
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I did do a little more research, and found that LG makes a 6000 btu dual inverter AC. Amazon.com

I couldn't find anything in the specs about it's startup power draw, or running power draw, so I emailed LG's technical support and asked about that yesterday.
I got this reply today:
Thank you for reaching out with your inquiry about the power requirements for the LG LW6023IVSM window AC. I can certainly provide the information you need!

The startup amperage draw for this model is approximately 5.5 Amps, and the running amperage draw can reach up to 8.9 Amps at its peak. The Dual Inverter technology does indeed help to minimize startup voltage surge, allowing the compressor to operate more efficiently.

So while its current draw on startup is not as low as the Chill Cube in the video above, it still seems quite a bit less than a non inverter compressor unit. I'm not sure what the maximum dimensions the CI AC cabinet will hold, however in looking at the dimensions in the description of this unit, it appears that it may be a little larger than the ones we have. Maybe Cary or Craig could let us know what the dimensions of the AC sleeve is?
 
Sadly, it's too big to fit the factory opening in all 3 dimensions, which is too bad

LG: 24.5"D x 19.57"W x 12.33"H
Current: 15" D x 16" W x 12" H
 
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