Thermo King Tripac Evo question: Current Charge

the last truck I had with an apu on it was probably 10 years ago and was a TK unit, I remember them being hot garbage then, really think I’m going to try a carrier if I order a new truck, I’m surprisingly happy with my new trailer

 

no green dealers around where I live, I like easy parts

 

You can try thermobyproducts for parts. Just google them. Ive orderer from them multiple times and alot cheaper than dealer crap

 

everything I have ever bought from them has been replaced with a factory TK piece within 3 months of install

 

I never had a problem with them

 

Gave up dumping money into my POS tripak and bought a Predator generator and strapped it on the catwalk. Thermoking is a bigger ripoff than most truck dealerships.

 

That's an older version of the software. It became obsolete after Windows 7. Try downloading the R5 version and see if the readings make more sense. TK doesn't make a 250 amp alternator for their APU so that reading is obviously false.

To anyone debating which APU to buy...

I've had both a TK and a Carrier. They both have given me problems and have cost a lot to keep running.

I like that the TK has an engine driven AC compressor. It cools better in the summer than my Carrier did.

I absolutely hate the Espar hearter the TK has. Carriers have an electric heater that always works. The Espar doesn't work at high altitudes. They make a high altitude kit for it, but of course they don't give them away.

The TK Yanmar engine smokes at high altitudes, sometimes so much that I have to shut it off and idle the truck. The Carrier Kubota engine doesn't.

The TK has an electric fuel pump which always picks up prime without any trouble after I change the fuel filter. The Carrier Kubota engine has a mechanical fuel pump and I always had to crank and crank and crank to get it to prime after changing the filter.

I changed the alternator more than once on both APU. If you get a TK get the 120 amp alternator and make sure it come with the new version, the one with the orange voltage regulator.

The Carrier has a huge generator under it in addition to an alternator. Mine went out and cost $1500 to replace. That was just for the part, I replaced it myself. Don't over tighten the belt. That's what I did and it wrecked the bearings.

Don't ever buy a water pump for a TK on Amazon. They're only $69 but will fail in a few months because the bearing is crap and when it fails it will take the seal with it. My APU quit one night and I got out of the truck to find most of my engine coolant running down the parking lot. The cost of that coolant could have paid for an OEM water pump.

Mount your condenser up as high on the back of your cab as you can. Road dirt, oil, grease, etc will kill AC efficiency

Either way you go you're in for some frustration and some expense. They're worth their weight in gold when they're working though.

 

I found a link to the R2 version here:
Thermo King TriPac Evolution Diagnostic Tool

I'm not finding the R5 version anywhere now. The R2 will work fine though. I never found a difference between R2 and R5.