looking for a cheap apu

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by CHICKENMAN, Apr 6, 2010.

  1. stranger

    stranger Road Train Member

    3,640
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    Oct 10, 2006
    NC
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    Does that unit have heat also? Very neat installation.
     
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  3. MeatHead

    MeatHead Medium Load Member

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    Sep 25, 2009
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    No heat. I have a Rigmaster and an Espar D2 heater.
     
  4. CAT700

    CAT700 Light Load Member

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    Feb 2, 2010
    Hopkins MI.
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    Hey :
    I bought a BlackRock.. I have about 260 hours on it now. No troubles at all.
    It ran me about $8,500.00....
    But , It could be transfered to another truck later.
    The BlackRock is the least invasive APU out there . The battery cables are all that hooks to the truck.
    The heat and A/C unit go under the bed. All hoses come through a hole about 3" dia.
    26,000 BTUs heat and Air.
    There is also a silencer made for the intake whicjh you would likely want. The exhaust is not where the noise comes from. It is the air intake.

    They make a new model called the Evolution. It is completely self contained and no junk hanging off the cab.. There is a coolant tank but it is small.
    I installed mineon my Freightliner Columbia... That was somewhat of a task. Mounts had to be custom made. I have a shop and did all of it myself. But , I was a lot of work.
    I also made my own silencer for the intake..
    I added an 18 gallon fuel tank on the walk plate just behind the cab , just for the APU. 18 gallons will run it for about 90 hours. .02 gallons per hour .. I run Montana and it gets very cold there , it kept me as warm as I wanted . The heater and A/c unit are 12 volt run and does not take 110 volt power like most do.

    The generator is 3700 watts and more than enough because it is all there and not shared with the heater and A/C...
    They also have a 5200 watt gen. I saw no need for that.
    2 ac power lines into the cab . One runs my block heater and the other for what ever I want. I still use my old inverter too.
    It has 55 amp alt that seems to keep up just fine.

    This may be more than you want to spend , but if looking for a good one this one works right...
    The Tri-Pac is Ok but has no where near the heat or A/C of the BlackRock and is very complicated to install.
    But they are smaller and quiter. I do not mind the noise, it drowns out the rest of the truckstop noise.
    I only ever had one guy complain about it . But he did not know that it was not mine he was hearing , It was the RigMaster on the other side of me. Those are terible noisy... :biggrin_25521:
     
  5. MeatHead

    MeatHead Medium Load Member

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    Sep 25, 2009
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    My Rigmaster is noisy so I cut the muffler off and ran a pipe to the back of the tractor and installed a big car muffler.
     
  6. Old Man

    Old Man Road Train Member

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    Apr 3, 2009
    Oklahoma City, OK
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    That is not my APU, woke up and thought someone was mowing their lawn, if you has such a POS, park away from everyone.

    My APU
    [​IMG]
     
  7. MeatHead

    MeatHead Medium Load Member

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    Sep 25, 2009
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    I think you meant to say .2 gallons per hour. No APU like that could run on .02 gallons per hour. 18/90=.2
     
  8. MedicineMan

    MedicineMan Road Train Member

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    Jan 13, 2007
    Woodville, TX
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    i bet its frigid sleeping RIGHT in front of the ac meathead. lol

    best thing ive seen is a window unit miunted under the bunk. he cyt the floor out behind it and built a hood ti durect the aur diwn thru it under the truck. you dont see the hillbilly stylin that way. spend a little more on a commercial unit and you could have heat too
     
  9. MeatHead

    MeatHead Medium Load Member

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    Sep 25, 2009
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    Ha ha ha, you can point the vent. The only problem is when I sleep on my back and dream about Paris Hilton then certain parts get cold. The model I have can also be bought with heat but I have an Espar D2. If that can't keep up then the Rigmaster kicks in at a predetermined temperature.

    The only problem with that A/C under the bunk is that your still throwing tons of hot air into the cab from the heat of the unit even though it's vented.
     
  10. MedicineMan

    MedicineMan Road Train Member

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    Jan 13, 2007
    Woodville, TX
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    I like a warm bed and frigid room to sleep in. lol
     
  11. last 1

    last 1 Medium Load Member

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    Nov 29, 2009
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    Mines a little cleaner inst :biggrin_255: I don't have a camera to get a picture but I mounted it between the frame and fairing on passenger side and keep it covered and gas can in a box on the cat walk. I got a line on a 5500 diesel gen when I get back home but will have to redo some things and add a bigger muffler on the noisy b#*%h
     
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