Perry Mack
Words and photos by Perry and Cindy Mack
Summer means getting outside for the sunshine, and spending time in the warm weather that we longed for all winter. Up until it feels too hot; we are a fickle species. Fortunately, we have the greatest invention in the history of humankind, air conditioning. Well, maybe it’s not the greatest invention, but it’s somewhere in the top 100.
This year we decided to splurge on a generator so we could boondock with the A/C and a few modern necessities like a coffee machine. Not a necessity you say? You haven’t met my spouse in the morning.
To do this as affordably as possible, we wanted as small of a generator as possible. However, our 13,500 BTU A/C unit wouldn’t start with the little genny we bought on sale. But the SoftStartRV device promises to reduce the starting wattage by 65 to 70 percent at a cost of $300. This is a bargain over purchasing a larger generator. The company says it reduces the stress of starting on the A/C, thus increasing its lifespan and - to seal the deal - they also claim it’s a DIY project. This means if you’re a little handy, there’s no installation cost. We had to see for ourselves if all this was true.
Perry Mack
Pick a nice day to work on your RV roof and wear sunscreen and a hat!
We did a little research by finding the model number of our A/C unit in the manual that came with the RV and then went online for the installation instructions on the SoftStartRV site.
A couple of screwdrivers and a crimper are all that is needed, but we had needle nose pliers and some electric tape just in case. Follow along as we complete the install process on the roof of our Black Rock 22RKS travel trailer with a 13,500 BTU Coleman-Mach 3+ air conditioner. You may have a different A/C unit but as the SoftStartRV is compatible with all A/C systems, your install will be similar.
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Perry Mack
Step 1
Safety first, we disconnected all power to the RV, climbed on the roof (on a nice day) and pulled the bolts off of the RV cover. We could see the label with the A/C model number so if you don’t have the manual, you can get the model number in the same location and then look up the instructions. Next to it, we removed the plate that allowed access to the wiring. It had our A/C units wiring diagram, which is reminiscent of a class on Egyptian hieroglyphics we slept through in university.
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Step 2
It’s time to pull off the putty around the wiring from the compressor. These three wires (black, red, white) are the ones we’ll work with plus the five SoftStart wires, which we pulled through the same hole into the wiring box. Now, it’s time for the electrical part. Following the white compressor wire to the run capacitor, which we disconnected and connected to the blue SoftStart wire with the supplied connector. Easy enough.
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Step 3
We followed the red compressor wire to the terminal on the run capacitor. As per the instructions, we had a second red wire on the run capacitor, which we pulled off and taped the end. After crimping a male connector to the yellow SoftStart wire, we then attached it to the red compressor wire.
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Step 4
It was time for the black compressor wire and we followed it to a purple wire. We cut them apart and attached the black compressor wire to the brown SoftStart wire.
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Step 5
We mated the red SoftStart wire to the newly divorced purple wire.
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Step 6
We climbed off the roof, connected our little genny, let it warm up for five minutes, and made sure no other electrical appliances were running. We then let the fan on the A/C unit run for a minute then turned it to cool. It worked!
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Perry Mack
Step 7
Back on the roof, we ensured we had a green light indicating a properly wired SoftStart and then climbed down again to turn everything off and disconnect the power. We then returned to the roof (and certainly got our ‘steps’ in) to pack the putty around the wires leading to the wiring compartment. The final steps were to attach the SoftStart box and then close the A/C unit.
The bad news for us was that although the SoftStart allowed our ‘affordable’ inverter generator to start the A/C, the little genny didn’t have enough power to keep the A/C running, and we had to connect it with a parallel kit to run a second generator. This was not as affordable as we had hoped for, but we can now use the microwave or coffee machine while the A/C is running.
Our installation time was 1.5 hours, which included photography for this article. If we didn’t have to haul camera equipment up and down the ladder and stop to take pictures and video, we are confident it would have been half the amount of time.
We didn’t have any issues, but SoftStart does offer online support that includes a callback to help you with any concerns or troubleshooting. For all of the details of the installation process be sure to watch our video:
SoftStartRV Install on a Coleman Mach - Airexcel Air Conditioner
For more info including FAQs, support or to purchase the SoftStartRV visit www.softstartrv.com/snowbirds/