Battery apu

I'm in the process of buying a new KW T680 now and the one I'm looking at has the idle management system, so it has the battery APU. Every truck I've driven up until now was equipped with a tri-pack APU so that's what I'm used to. I don't do resets on the road so hopefully the 8 hours of cooling won't be a problem. I was more curious about the weight of the batteries compared to an APU, and it appears that the battery system weighs about 2 hundred pounds less than an APU.

 

We put a 2019 T680 into service last month with an EPU, running the PNW. Driver reports no issues, loves the system, and has 2/3'rd battery power left after 10 hrs in Boise, Yakima or Ellensburg. Lots of power for hotel loads.

Like the OP, we don't do 34's on the road, and driver rarely parks for more than 12 hrs.

Truck does have the heavy duty insulation package. Driver is exceedingly happy with it, and from a cost and maintenance standpoint, it is very attractive.

 

If it is a factory installed EPU, extra insulation is part of the package. Mine works great. Really don't need to run it full time.

It is an issue if you take 34 in the truck. You will probably need to idle at least a couple of times for about 2 hours each time to recharge the batteries.

 

I’ve had one for 4 years with no problems.. I do use a fan with my invertor while running my a/c because I don’t pull my bunk curtains; just my front curtains.. I can get 5 hours a/c time on full cold before the truck starts up to recharge batteries.. 10 hours on 1:2 cold..
my heater will heat my bunk area for a full 10 hour break!

 

Freightliner and Detroit Diesel have the Optimized Idle system again back from the 90 as an option. The computers can start the engine for heat ot a/c and to charge batteries and engine oil temperature. It also does automatic parked regen if needed.

I had the Nite systems several years ago. It was EPU the batteries were only good for 8-10 hours first 12 months. Then they would get less and less run time. Basically I had to buy 4 new batteries about every 1.5 years. That just the 4 extra batteries for the EPU. Maybe they are better today.

 

If it's an Espar furnace I wouldn't be surprised if it lasted a full 34.

 

yea but that still wont work. thought the same. battery cables from reefer to battery apu. you will just burn up your reefer battery and alt. plus if your load isnt on continuous. then it will run continuous trying to charge up your batteries

 

And I still have the same batteries when I got my truck at 380 miles: now 480566 miles: gotta replace them soon, tho.... lol

 

What kind of truck do you own? Thinking about specking this type of system in a new Kenworth.

 

Prostar