Is a "battery bank" possible

Company charges you to idle? Tell them to #### off.

 

You beat me to it, I was going to suggest the same thing. I think this guy is a company driver, as we know company drivers are more apt to switch trucks more often, imagine the problem of moving all the driver gear out then disonnecting and moving the batteries out. What if the truck were towed and the company said move your stuff into a hotel while repairs, we are sending another driver to pick you up and bring you back to the terminal, imagine that pick up driver allowing all this driver's crap on board lol.

A little 2000 Honda only weighs 56 pounds, provides 1600 watts electricity and runs about 6-9 hours on one gallon of gas depending if you run it on economy mode or full throttle.

 

That's basically what an EPU or electronic Power Unit is, a bunch of batteries that power things through an inverter and recharge while the engine runs or from shore power. EPUs are pretty good, and very quiet, but they are not as capable as an APU driven by small diesel engine.

It would be simpler to buy & bring an inverter generator. Honda, Yamaha, and others have these devices. They run about 8 hours on 1-2 gallons of gasoline. DOT allows you to carry 1 gallon of gasoline. Occasionally the discount web page Woot.com has a Wen brand inverter generator for $350 that is similar to the $1000 Honda, $800 Yamaha. These little inverter generators are quieter than most APUs.

Here's a link to the Honda, there are cheaper alternatives including from Northern Tool or Harbor Freight.https://www.amazon.com/Honda-EU2000I-2000-Inverter-Generator/dp/B005ND19AE

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sportsman-Gasoline-2000W-Portable-Generator/46542330

 

I was going to mention a small inverter type generator as an possible alternative to a battery bank, but the OP specificly asked about batteries.

He did not ask if there were other alternatives that, depending on his individual circumstances, might or might not be better a better solution so I simply addressed the question asked.

 

3-4 battery and an inverter ? = $ !
Go get a 1000 watt Honda generator, no-one can hear it and it is cheap to run, way cheaper than all those battery and an inverter and an alternator!

 

when i was a company driver i looked into the Honda generator, company said no can do, that gasoline is haz mat and not allowed on the truck, and even if generator fuel tank is empty the residual fumes would be a problem, get an apu

 

DOT allows 1 gallon of gasoline outside of the cab/sleeper. Company may not approve, but they don't write regulations, just company policy.

 

when it's the Company's equipment, their rules are in play

 

I think the regs actually allow 8 gallons of gasoline.

To the guy who asked his company, lol what they don't know don't hurt them.