APU's Next generation

I wouldn't think it would matter when you're up in the northeast or somewhere getting beat to death on poorly maintained roads. The stuff you're using on a homemade apu wasn't designed with anything like that in mind.

 

Quick, blocky math.

Idling for 10 hours = 10 gallons of fuel
APU for 10 hours = 1 gallon of fuel
Savings = 9 gal/10 hours
Price of fuel = $3 a gallon (maybe a little less, maybe a little more)
Money saved per 10 hr idle = $27
370 days with a 10 hour idle gives you $9990 in savings.

If I get around to buying a truck (jury's still out, waiting for EPA and a few other things to sort out in the next couple of years) an APU is on my list. I'll finance it if I have to. It can go with you from truck to truck (you'd need to pay for the remount, of course) but the fuel savings are ridiculous.
Also, add to your math the potential cost of fines for idling (especially as more and more states illegalize idling even for rest breaks).

I can see your point about making money and not spending it, but think it through, bro. You're probably "spending" money on a lot of stuff that offers no return, where sinking money into an APU (or borrowing to make it happen) is an investment with long-term return potential.

I'm running a company truck right now with an APU on it that has almost 7400 hours on it, and it runs just fine (been maintained regularly). 7400 hours * .1 gallon of fuel per hour * $3.00 a gallon for fuel is $2,220, as opposed to the $22,200 the engine would burn. This APU has paid for itself twice already over the course of two years' worth of 10 hr idles.

I know you said you run team, but work the numbers

 

My son uses an $800.00 Honda gas generator mounted in a custom aluminum box mounted to the frame rail. He also has a 5K 110V home a/c unit mounted under the bunk in the middle of the tool box area. He had a heating contractor fab up a duct that directs the air from the a/c unit to the sleeper heat/cool duct. And they also made a duct to move the hot air from the a/c condenser to the outside under the box.

The genset will run about 4 hours on the 3 gallon tank... he should mount another tank for added running time.

Total cost less than $1800.00... but the custom box was almost $700.00... it could be done for way less than that.

 

One of the most creative things I've ever done, my alternator was going out on the truck. While it was covered under warranty I didn't want to stop in the middle of no where. I would drive the truck until the batteries got low, pull off at a rest area or truck stop and let the Tripac recharge the batteries. Then I figured out how to make the Tripac run while the truck was on and just used that alternator to finish up.

 

I wasn't doing the math for a year, I was doing math for rough, round numbers that got close to MSRP on an APU, and 370 was a number that gave me round numbers.

 

Depending on where you run and time of year how many of these people with APU's really need them running. I see them running all the time when its 50* out, I guess that's their way of justify all the money they spent. Its funny how people with them tell you they pay for themselves in a year, I don't run mine EVERY DAY so it would take alot longer than a year. I have less than a grand in my redneck APU and just got a new genny under warranty so I have a new gen with a new 2 year warranty ($49.00) If its nice out and fans will keep me comfy than I enjoy that free night of sleep otherwise it will cost me approximately $5 for gas. ( 2 gallons for 10 hours)

 

They could be running fridges, or microwaves. I know anytime I ran my microwave the apu would kick on.