APU Info

No doubt about it, for an owner/op a generator would be an absolute necessity (sp?) now-a-days!

That kubota sounds good, but my only concern is do they really cool the cab all that well in the summertime? Reason I ask is because when I drove for transam they had rigmaster units installed on their company trucks, but the dang things weren't ventilated very good, and when it was 100 or hotter outside, it would only keep the cab about 10 degrees cooler than the outside temp!

I am thinking about stepping into the world of O/O in the near future, and I am definately gonna get an APU right off the bat, but I definately wanna research and find out the best bang for my buck!

 

Mine so far does a fantastic job, but then the highest temps I have seen so far is around 100 degrees, and it was straining on that day to keep it cool. To it's credit though, I've experienced the same thing with the trucks own system as well when it get's that warm outside.

One thing I did that has helped immensly, was to drop the upper bunk down, which helps keep the airflow low...but that ouldn't help someone who doesn't have a double bunk sleeper....

I also draw the curtains that separate the sleeper from the driving portion of the cab, which also makes a big difference.

 

That NITE system as well as the Dometic version look like the ideal system for fleet trucks.

 

Turbo -- that's the same unit my roommate has on his Freightliner and he loves his as much as you do! Digitalman, he was driving through California a short while back, his on board thermometer said it was 137 degrees outside!!! When he shut down for his break, he was as comfortable as ever with his APU. Like Turbo said, draw the curtains and he has a little shade that attaches to his skylight (he keeps this on all day when it's really hot out) -- that helps alot. He says it's the best investment he ever made!

 

Auxiliary Power Unit
Has anyone thought of a minimal APU for an older truck that will be fixed up? A unit just large enough to power a couple of lights, a couple of small heaters (1500 or so watts), smallest microwave, frig, block heater, TV, radio and enough power to run a laptop. Maybe later I will figure on installing a small separate AC, Nothing to be too complex, just shut the rig down, get out and start the APU. I can see nothing wrong with having to manually move a plug from one power source to another. Is this a dumb idea? How small a unit can I get away with?

 

I'm assuming that you are thinking along the lines of something fairly inexpensive that you could rig up yourself. If so, there are some options that most people don't consider.

A used gasoline Onan generator out of motor home can be bought for about 250 or so if you check Ebay. They aren;t superlightweight, but they are reasopnably quiet, cheap on fuel,and one of the most important things, they are designed to withstand the vibration of a moving vehicle, something that a lot of portable generators are not set up for. A side mounted box and brackets can be added, and a 10 gallon fuel tank for the gasoline and you can put electric power on the truck for about 6-800 dollars. Remember, the fuel tank cannot legally be mounted as a gravity flow, so you will have to pump it, but the Onan's have a fuel pump as standard equipment. Any competent home electrician can wire up a 110 outlet in the truck and you can plug in to that for your power needs. Run a small oil filled heater in the winter, or if you want to, you can mount a RV type rooftop AC unit on the truck and use it.

I saw a gent a while back with this type of RV setup and a Yamaha diesel powered generator mounted on the rear of his cab between the rails of the headache rack. Not the fanciest setup, but cheap and easy.

Unless you go wild running things in the truck, you can easily get by with 2500 watts or so. Onan's are common in 2500 and 4000 ratings. The most power you should need is 1500 for a heater going full blast in winter and about 1000 for the trucks block heater. So 2500 will work, and 4000 should be plenty of power unless you run a lot of electrical stuff at the same time.

As for lights, they already exist in the truck, why not just use the 12 volt lites, and if you really feel they might get drained, pick up a medium size battery charger to carry on the truck. You can wire it right into the battery connection, and may generators also have the option of direct 12 volt power that you can wire to keep the batteries charged.

Also, I carry a 200 watt invertor that plugs into my cigarette plug, and it runs my laptop for anything Ii want to do. I watch DVD movies on it, and that's the most power it takes and the battery charges while doing so.

 

Thanks Burky for the info. I got the idea when I saw an incredibly beat up Duropower portable generator on a construction site. The foreman told me it had worked ok for the 4 years he had worked for the co.He couldn't remember any significant problems. It obviously had a lot of rough use.
I looked on the internet and found I could get a 4K watt diesel under a thousand bucks and a 5K watt gasoline for under 400 bucks, free shipping. Probably do better if I shop around some more.
I probably have all the electrical stuff I would need to hook it up in my basement. Just need to get it mounted on the truck with a suitable box or cover.
Now will have to think about an RV AC.
Thanks again for answering my query.

 

The generators on the internet are decent enough for their purpose, but often they are running a standard Tecumseh or Briggs and Stratton type engine. Those are fine engines in a great many uses, but they get terrible fuel mileage. They are usually set to turn 3600 rpm, and that does two unhappy things. It uses up the life of the engine twice as fast as an 1800 rpm engine, and it means that they burn fuel at a higher rate. An engine designed for RV use tends to be set to run 1800 rpm, which results in lower fuel use, quieter noise levels, and a longer engine life.

Some of the small portable diesel engines are not too bad on fuel, but you have to be real careful about who makes them and what kind of support is available for them. If you use one from the major manufacturers like Yamaha or Kubota, they are pretty decent units. Buy from the "China Diesel Co" and it becomes more of a crapshoot.

You can improve the longevity of almost any installed unit by mounting it carefully, using rubber insulation between the box mounts nd the frame rails, the box to the brackets, and the engine to the box. Rubber sheeting or rubber grommets can improve the engines resistance to vibration and road damage if you use them well. And a plus of that is insulating your self from the sounds and vibrations of a running engine.

For what iot's worth, I bought a small Perkins diesel and plan to build my own genset in the future, so I have looked into ways of doing this for less than top dollar. A creative person can save a lot of money if they do the work themselves and make a unit that does the job without all the bells and whistles.

 

Have decided I’ll probably go with a Briggs & Stratton extended run 5550 watt generator or a Champion 5500 watt. Just being cheap.
As far as AC & heat, I’m thinking of a portable ac/heat combination, Soleus MA9000AH or similar. Have to determine if space is available for a 16"x16"x30" unit. I think it’s better to cut a hole for a 5" vent, than cutting a 14"x14" hole for a roof mounted unit.
Have to see what the pay back would be on the APU even If the generator would have to be replaced every couple of years. I believe it would be significant. Wonder if having an APU wouldn't be be attractive to co's a person was connecting with?

 

Unless the place has a "No Idle" poiicy like a Wally World Dc, there is nothing that is going to interest a company in whether or not you have an APU on the truck No one is going to compensate you financially for it, and the fact that you have one won't get you any preference in a load than any other truck. It simply saves you money and needless wear and tear on your truck. It provides you with comfort without burning fuel to run your main engine.

I come at APU's from this angle: There are only so many hours of life in an engine before it requires an expensive overhaul. Any hour that the engine is running, I want to be productive hours that return income to me. I don't want to idle a 400 hp engine just to keep my fanny warm if I can simply run a 5 hp motor to do so instead.