Home-buit APU?

Here is one I saw the other day. The box on the right side is what covered it when not in use. I was walking my dog when it caught my eye.

Not bad.

 

Honda EU3000is and a Dometic Commercial rooftop unit. Also have a battery charger permanently hooked up and a GFI socket inside. Works like a charm and I have @$3500 in it all including all parts and the mounts/slides/cover etc.
Runs @12hrs on 2 gallons of gas, and will keep the interior at 68 degrees when it is over 100 outside.





Martin

 

Been running a year with a Honda 2000i generator that sits on the passenger side floor when not in use- and a 8000 btu portable air conditioner that sits in the passenger seat strapped in when not in use. Pumps out 61 degree air and keeps the sleeper comfortable even on 100 plus degree days. I estimate it saves over $1000 a month when used every day as opposed to just idling the truck.

 

nice.. what is the model name and number on that portable ac unit?

where do you put your generator when its running? and how heavy is it to move from passenger side floorboard?

Just trying to get different ideas. I will do something in the EU generator line but working on getting a lead on a good ac unit.

 

I got it at Sears, a Soleus portable air conditioner. I took the little caster wheels off so it sits nice and snug in the passenger seat. Just $299. It weighs about 60 pounds.

Normally if I know I'm gonna be sitting for 10 or more hours, I find my parking spot, get in and situated then turn the steers hard right and pop the brakes. Open the hood, and put the little generator right on the ground between the chassis rail, in front of the axle in the spot that is created by turning the wheel. Then I lock the unit up around the chassis. Run the extension cord out which has 3 plugs integrated inside the cab so I can run the A/C and cook with the crock pot, or run any number of electrical accessories I have.

Otherwise if it is a live (un)load or a short break or whatever I will often just put the generator on the catwalk. Even at full blast I can barely hear it, although I do use the top bunk so I'm up and away from it more. Generator is listed as 53 pounds.

I noticed that the coffee maker I stole from home pulls more juice than the A/C does lol. So that and the vacuum cleaner have to be plugged in just by themselves otherwise it trips the generator.

 

I'm thinking the EXACT same thing. But I plan to add a heater for each fuel tank and battery tenders to keep the batteries warm.

 

Man. lots of interesting ideas and good testimony on the fact that these "homebuilt-APU's" are doable and less money than traditional big box retailers.

 

I had a Coleman Roughneck 13,500 BTU rooftop and the same Honda EU3000IS generator on my Pete with the 63 inch sleeper. Probably put 5000 hours on it with very few problems. It is truly super-quiet. The Honda is almost indestructible. Had a 2500 watt inverter and truck wired up with power outlets for 110 power in the cab. I mounted mine lengthwise on an aluminum bracket just like an APU sits on the frame with no box. If you do it be sure to design the bracket to allow easy draining and filling of the oil. You can get a remote start kit from the internet. Only problem is hauling gas to it. I could not run 2 nights on a tank so it needed to be filled every #### day. I should have designed a 15 - 20 gallon gas tank mounted somewhere in the headache rack above it. I got used to looking at gas pumps to see if I could get up to them with the truck and often could, especially at the RV pumps at Flying Js. Only thing I'd do different is add an Espar heater instead of running the generator to make electric heat.

I 1st had a 9500 BTU unit on the roof and it barely kept up with cooling on hot days/nights. It did use less fuel and I might have gotten away with using a 2400 watt generator if I had added insulation to the sleeper.

 

I suppose reefers are quieter???

 

The 2000i runs the ac unit no problem? How long will a tank of gas last?