Good Alternative for APU

If you run a reefer they'll never know. And if they figure it out...they're just a cry baby. lol

 

Apu uses .3 gal per hour. Bunk heater uses .3 gall per 10 hours.

Apu uses $12 bucks per 10 hour break. Bunk heater uses around 1.25.

10 bucks savings per night is 100 nights or just over 3 months in the winter. Not much on your truck has a payback period of 3 months.

 

If you run a reefer, why not just take the alternator on the reefer motor and connect to truck batts. Then you can use electric heat and ac.

 

Richter, I have thought of doing this. I have the big inverter wired directly to the batteries too, the cobra 5000 watt one. It is wired with 2 hot and 2 ground cables, all are 4ga monster wire. Even with the truck running at 1500 rpm, it doesn't make enough power to turn the compressor in my portable ac unit. I tried this after I had an alternator issue not long ago and it still is not enough even with the new alternator. That being said, I do carry the honda gas generator, 2000 watt, and it powers ac just fine.
I am looking at ways to have a more permanent mounted generator to the frame, but not the tri pak type deal (my truck is very old and I want to remove generator when it eventually dies).

 

Start here, http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...ne-interested-in-cheap-a-c-2.html#post3307707

This guy has a great setup.
http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...ne-interested-in-cheap-a-c-4.html#post3367591

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...ne-interested-in-cheap-a-c-5.html#post3493649

 

The cobra cant supply 5000w unless the motor and batts can. In reality they cant, and thus anything over 2000watts is a waste. That being said, what is the wattage required by your a/c? 150 amp alt * 14 volts. = 1800 watts. Now the start up wattage is probably more then that. Your 2k gen can probably surge to 3000 or 4000 to start. You can install a capacitor on your a/c to aid in starting. Also, you wont get 150 amps out of a 150 alt ever.

http://idlefreesystems.com/no-idle-elimination-systems-reefer.html makes a system designed to connect to reefer, but there has to be a redneck version thats cheaper.

 

My friend owns a 2005 Columbia and he put a honda EU2000i generator in a outside toolbox with a metal mesh on the back side for cooling and a 6000 btu and 110v A/C inside and his set up is great even the generator works in the Eco mode wich gives him 8 to 9 hrs of very cold air plus all the other benefits for other thing he can plug in ( if I run into him I will take a pic ) the generator is super reliable and will run you less than $800 new and the A/C about $130

 

Search post on here by leftlanetruckin. He has a NICE setup.....looks good and WORKS.

 

You think there is any advantage to coupling the generator to the truck batteries with an inverter? Or from above you cant run an AC unit by using an inverter? (I might you tube this to see if it can be done. Generator to charge the batteries and kick on went voltage drops. Inverter to run electrics in the truck.

 

Ahhh, more innacurate information. If you get the time between talking complete crap, have a look at the noise ratings for a Honda EU3000is on full throttle, vs ANY diesel APU. Yep, I said ANY. Compared to my GAS generator, the stupidly expensive TK's make a horrible noisy racket, never mind any of the others.

Sorry, thought this was an O/O section of the forum.....Pay for your own fuel, then get a new calculator.

As far as AC units go, a 8K BTU one or less wont cool the cab of any truck besides a coffin sleeper adequately. I'm not talking about it "just managing", I am talking about it pulling the inside temps from 90 plus, to under 70, without any help.
Martin