2013 Cascadia

Been noticing on my APU equipped truck that idle time is no longer being tracked. Might be a QComm problem or maybe they finally fiqured out it was useless. I recently reminded them that I can either train someone in backing and cornering and have a high idle time or not train and have a lower idle time. You choose. Didn't hear much back.
Also, wondering how they figure in the stuck in traffic idle time since I'm runnin up and down the east so much seems I'm alway in a jam someplace.

 

I ran into a driver yesterday that had one of the new 2014 Prostars and it had some type of "APU" like generator on it that provides heat and AC without idling. It looked like it might of been entirely electrical. The driver said it worked great. Maybe the decision to eliminate the APUs was short lived.

 

Maverick uses this. Its called EPU. My buddy there said ac lasts about 8hrs then the batteries need charged.

 

I'm sure it's not as good as having and APU but I guess it's better than having nothing. They were probably looking at maintenance costs when they chose these. I'd probably just bring my Yamaha generator if I lost my APU.

 

Well.for.now I can idle. I have yet to be contacted about my idle time or mpg. So I'm fine. But yes it would be better than nothing

 

You can get more than 8 hours out of an EPU, and that's with the ac/heat, tv and fridge running. It's not going to power a microwave without idling but everything else gets plenty of power, but I'm talking about running the ac on a low speed, too, which just about anywhere works fine if you keep the vents aimed at you. Idle for about an hour and then your charged up again. I could usually get 10-12 hours out of a full charge, and if you're getting a fuel bonus then you're going to watch power consumption and try to make due by not draining too fast to avoid idling before you start running again. Very reliable, too.

 

I agree that you can probably get more yhan 8 hrs provided you have healthy batteries. When the alternator on my APU whent out I was still able to run the AC for about 11 hours without a load shed and that was with all of my gadgets plugged in.

 

Hey I'm just stating what I was told. I've kniwn the guy for several years. He doesn't embellish. But his batteries may have been old too. But I'm not going to be hot so not sure mine would make it much past 8hours lol

 

That's interesting, what did you use to run the ac compressor since the apu gives an engine fault when the alternator isn't running?