Sleeping in truck in winter

It's a lot like camping, if you've ever dealt with heat/cold in a tent. You make the best of it with what you can get access to. At least with the truck, you have some (but not unlimited) 12 volt power to run heater pad, webasto heater, circulating fan, and other helpful gadgets either you or your company might supply. Idling is being restricted more in more places, so running the truck for heat and a/c isn't always an option, though many have exemptions for when the temperature gets too low. Mostly so the truck will start, not necessarily for the comfort or health of the driver.

 

That's another reason we should all go on strike. We're less important than animals. Oh, you're cold? #### you. Oh, you're hot? #### you.

 

Diesels take more cranking amps than a toyota does.

If the batteries are not 100 percent which is possible, then the reduced cranking power is an issue. Especially if there is a Webasto heater and it has further reduced the battery.

If the power is not there, be prepared to crank out some dollars.

 

Also at about 10 degrees diesel fuel begins to gel (freeze). Phroziac the carrier apu is one of the worse apu's out there. Thermoking APU's is the best. Also you do have to do regular maintaince on them. They are afterall mini engines.

 

My Peterbilt has a factory bunk heater seperate from the APU. Even though APU companies use a similar device. It is a diesel fired little contraption under the bunk that will keep you cozy. I been in -15 (-30 windchill) and stayed warm.
Turn it on too high and fall asleep, you wake up like a piece of beef jerky drying!

 

Regular maintenance is done to my apu along with the regular maintenance of everything else on my truck...every 5,000 gallons of fuel i purchase..

and I agree carriers suck. I've never used a thermoking, but they are mounted in the same place as the carrier, so that argument is still true. However they're mounted under the sleeper on centurys...


As far as diesels starting in the winer, diesel is *solid* at 10 degrees. it starts to gel around 18...but water can get in the tanks and be frozen at 31 degrees, of course.

 

Idle....Idle....Idle......

Idle in the winter.....when it's below 40.....
Idle in the summer....when it's over 75......

40-75 isn't a bad temp range to sleep.....I prefer around 50* and if possible..... .....quiet......

But trucking happens and it isn't a perfect world either......

 

My wife and I have very warm duvets on our bunks. Many mornings the dogs water is frozen solid when we wake up. My wife also has two little furry warm dogs that sleep with her under the covers when it's really cold. The only reason we idle in the cold weather is so the truck will start in the morning.
Now the hot whether is a different story. We both hate hot and when it's over 80f we idle the truck. The no idle laws are a joke. I have been in Ca when it's 100f out and all the trucks in the TS were running and there were cops around doing nothing about it. It's just the most insane idea ever to expect truckers to sit in a truck so hot that it could kill you. I'd like to get whoever is responsible for that law and stick them in a truck in LA and make them stay in there for 8 hrs.