PowerHunt 12 Volt Products:
Reviews from Professional Truck Drivers

We were contacted regarding PowerHunt 12 Volt products by a representative of the firm. Vicki replied that she had visited their site some months before but that the contact provided the impetus to revisit.

Update: On October 28, 2011, we became aware that the Power-Hunt.com website had gone down. The links to their pages that had been shown below have therefore become invalid. We have therefore removed the links and placed the URL in text form for reference purposes.

The website says that they have "The most powerful line of 12 volt appliances available anywhere" (emphasis preserved) and that the secret of their "high performance ultra efficient appliances" is high amperage, for they "use a patented power strip system that connects directly to any standard 12 volt automotive or marine battery for complete access to it's full electrical potential."

This is an advantage, they say, because "40% (up to 1000 Watts) of battery power is lost during DC to AC conversion." [http://www.power-hunt.com/efficient.php]

In reviewing the website for information about their 12 volt products, Vicki made a number of observations:

1. Although PowerHunt says they have a "100% Satisfactory Guarantee [http://www.power-hunt.com/guarantee.php]," "Customers may return Power Hunt products within 7 days of receipt of shipment for a refund."

   Not 30 days, not 60 days, not a year, but 7 days. To us, this seems hardly enough time for a long haul professional driver to test a product, let alone enough time to get it back to the post office for a return if it doesn't work well or falls short of his/her expectations.

2. As of February 2011, the PowerHunt 12 volt products appear to have a proprietary plug that can be used only with their own power kit -- not be plugged into a standard 12-volt cigarette lighter outlet or standard AC outlet.

   So in the event that a truck driver has a change in situation and leaves his/her truck for a period of time (such as during time off, during vacation, or retiring from the trucking industry), the appliances with a proprietary plug will suddenly become unusable. The same can be argued for using other 12-volt appliances with cigarette lighter plugs where only AC electrical outlets are available.

3. The price [http://www.power-huntstore.com/category_s/44.htm] of the 12 volt Griddle

   • by itself (as of February 2011) is $112.44 but
   • with the Starter Kit (to power the appliance) is $160.97.

   In February 2011, Vicki priced a PowerDrive 1500-Watt Inverter (a product she and Mike have used in their truck) at $114.53, and a brand new AC-powered Presto 16-inch Electric Skillet (which is similar, if not identical, to the electric skillet she and Mike use) at $46.96 -- for a total of $161.49. This isn't a big difference from the PowerHunt combo product.

   While it appears that PowerHunt 12 volt products are sturdier than other 12-volt products, Vicki questions whether their quality matches or exceeds that of regular AC-powered appliances. One indication of the supposed quality of the PowerHunt 12 volt griddle is its ability to heat up to 400°F, but Vicki points out that her electric skillet does the same thing.

4. PowerHunt stresses the mobility [http://www.power-hunt.com/12-volt-mobility.php] of their products. Although the Mobile Pack requires no wiring (such as to a driver's truck's batteries), the PowerHunt 12 volt products draw power off a battery with "up to 35 minutes of usable power between recharges." Recharging requires plugging the unit into the "vehicle's lighter/accessory socket." While this is more mobile than using shore power, it is about as mobile as a battery-connected inverter.

We also observe by first hand experience that DC-to-AC inverters can be purchased at major chain truck stop locations and electric skillets can be purchased in many discount retail stores. We have never seen PowerHunt products on sale at a truck stop.

Perhaps the quality of PowerHunt 12 volt products is so superior that these observations melt away to nothing. So, you tell us:

If you are a professional truck driver and you use one or more PowerHunt 12 volt products (or have used one within the last 6 months), we invite you to review it/them on this page through the form below, answering questions such as these:

• Which product did you buy and what were its pros and cons?
• What were the top 3 reasons why you bought it?
• How would you rate the quality of the product?
• Did the product meet your needs?
• Do you think the product was worth the price you paid for it?
• How did this product save you money?
• Would you buy this product again and why?

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