Anyone have any experience/opinions on the Voltage regulators that are available?
Are you referring to the regulators that increase the voltage when it's low, or "surge guards" that protect against low or high voltage?
The voltage boosting type.
I looked at it at the store & I determined it was very heavy & that's my only experience or opinion. Sorry!
Travelin' Texans
Former '13 FB owner
Currently rvless!!
I don't have any direct experience with the large ones but it might work in older campgrounds with undersized wiring. Some of those campground owners might not like it though!
Also, while not being an expert in electrics, the unit may reduce the maximum amperage that you can draw.
I've run into low voltage in a campsite or two, sometimes it is a wiring or transformer problem.
In Mexico I used a small (20 amp) computer style voltage regulator/surge guard that was able to reduce the voltage (it's above 132V down there in some places), it would also boost low voltage.
Well, to correctly answer that question, you'll have to define how you intend to use it...
For the A/C side, a regulator won't do you any good. And, a regulator won't have any effect on the CG power.
If you using a true "regulator", you are likely wanting to regulate your DC voltage. And in that case, your batteries are pretty much 11.5-13 volts in their working range.
If you want to regulate your A/C side, you're going to need a Constant Voltage Transformer. Before even calculating what size you need, you'll need to know that you could be adding a LOT of extra weight to your RV and you won't really gain that much of an advantage. Even a constant voltage transformer has to have a range to operate in.
What is the reason for wanting a regulator?
I think your money would be best spent on a surge protector such as the one sold by Progressive Industries.
These are the models you would want to consider. I recommend this company as they are excellent to work with. I installed my hard-mounted unit in about 3 hours. It has already served it's purpose in 2 campgrounds. Consider the EMS-PT50C (Portable) or the EMS-HW50C (Hard-Wired).
Portable:
http://www.progressiveindustries.net/rv-power--surge-hardwired-c1ef
Hard-Wired:
http://www.progressiveindustries.net/rv-power--surge-hardwired-c1p4w
They are portable or hard-mounted. It will protect your RV when the CG voltage is too low or too high. Without one of these devices (whether Progressive Industries or not), it's just a matter of time before you find that right CG that has lost a neutral, that is incorrectly wired and you accidentally end up with 240 V, or you get a "Hot Skin" affect and get the be-gee-bees shocked out of you.
If you are worried about some kind of constant voltage, consider a portable or permanent mounted generator that is designed to "regulate" your voltages for you. Besides the voltage, you'll need to consider the sine wave and frequency output.
If you have a computer or some other sensitive low amperage device, you may want to purchase a true online UPS. They make these relatively small but they are still heavy at 50 lbs or more for a good one. This one is 50 lbs and only good for 900 W. It's just an example. The weight is primarily due to the batteries. Any constant voltage transformer will weigh considerably more and then you have to consider where you might mount it.
Just a suggestion...
For more on constant voltage transformers, here is a pretty easy read:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_regulator#Constant-voltage_transformer
Constant-voltage transformer
The ferroresonant transformer, ferroresonant regulator or constant-voltage transformer is a type of saturating transformer used as a voltage regulator. These transformers use a tank circuit composed of a high-voltage resonant winding and a capacitor to produce a nearly constant average output voltage with a varying input current or varying load. The circuit has a primary on one side of a magnet shunt and the tuned circuit coil and secondary on the other side. The regulation is due to magnetic saturation in the section around the secondary.
The ferroresonant approach is attractive due to its lack of active components, relying on the square loop saturation characteristics of the tank circuit to absorb variations in average input voltage. Saturating transformers provide a simple rugged method to stabilize an AC power supply.
Older designs of ferroresonant transformers had an output with high harmonic content, leading to a distorted output waveform. Modern devices are used to construct a perfect sine wave. The ferroresonant action is a flux limiter rather than a voltage regulator, but with a fixed supply frequency it can maintain an almost constant average output voltage even as the input voltage varies widely.
The ferroresonant transformers, which are also known as Constant Voltage Transformers (CVTs) or ferros, are also good surge suppressors, as they provide high isolation and inherent short-circuit protection.
A ferroresonant transformer can operate with an input voltage range ±40% or more of the nom..... see the web site for more info...
