Anti Idle Advice

I think this is a first for me. It's 53F here in Lancaster, Ontario at the Flying J. Not a single truck in the lot is idling right now. There's a nice cool breeze so I have the front windows cracked and the upper windows on the sleeper opened. Plenty of fresh air, a nice breeze and peace and quiet on a Saturday night. Couldn't really ask for a better night than this.

 

But, like many have said before me. If it's too hot, I'm idling for the AC. Too cold and I'm idling for the heat. If I receive a ticket I'll hand it right to my boss and move on. I do what it takes for me to receive a good night sleep, period.

 

So, I'll play your little game. A little background, I spent 7 yrs in Civil Air Patrol, endured a modified Air Force survival training program as part thereof as a teen, 4 times to be exact. Also spent 12 yrs as part of three different S.A.R. teams in the Colorado mtn's. I've slept in the blowing freezing snow without benefit of a sleeping bag, heavy winter coat, heck, I had a fleece jacket, t-shirt and sweatshirt on top, jeans, wool socks and hiking shoes on my feet, no gloves, and no hat, I was also 19 , young, dumb and full of....well you know. See, I can play this game also, but I don't need to.

Guess what, I don't do that stuff anymore, I'm too old, too cranky, and too #### tired. I'll idle the truck when I deem it's needed, what is comfortable to you might not be to me. Coldest I've spent the night in a non-idling truck, was 6 deg. overnight low in Idaho Falls, Id. outside a Freightshaker dealer because I couldn't maintain air pressure and the #### sound of the gov. blowing off all night bugged me. Parked the truck at 8 pm on Sunday, they didn't open till 8 am Monday. Yes, I have a zero rated sleeping bag, didn't matter, I still froze my balls off. Here's a little wake up for you, I run the A/C in my truck year round, it could be -5 outside, and I'll still have the A/C on low while driving down the highway, especially if the sun is shining bright thru my windshield, why, because to me it's too hot in the cab. That's just me, when I'm home, I sleep in a waterbed that is set at 90 deg. year round, in the winter the house thermostat is set at 70 deg., fine for me and the dog, too #### cold for the wife, so I'm forced to turn it up to 74, but my computer room window is open to allow airflow and cooling for the computer. In the summer, it's set at 74 for the A/C, if I could, it would be set at 70 deg. I've been known to idle the truck when it's 50 deg. in the middle of the day with the A/C on, because that's what I want it to be.

My boss and I have an agreement, if he doesn't want me to idle the truck for comfort, then he can pay for a hotel room. My truck has a 10 to 15 idle timer, it's based on certain engine temps and time, I can override it by hitting the throttle once and it idle forever there after. It's also Cali. certified, but we don't go to Cali, and good riddance to that state. But, if we did, and the C.A.R.B cops came a knockin, well, they can haul my butt off to jail, I'll sleep there (won't be the first time). Oh, and I've still yet to hear you sleep on the bare springs of a prison cot or the solid concrete prison floor, because someone stole all your bedding (pillow, mattress, sheets, blanket) and change of clothes.

 

actually, they were from the west coast, not NYC

 

my bad.

sacramento.

 

having been born and raised in ND, and migrated to FL a decade ago. I will just say this, you can always add more layers in the cold to stay warm, but, you can only remove so many layers in the heat to stay cool before you get arrested. Of course an APU and a clean idle sticker solve both those problems. No worries here.

 

Man I could be all over this one....lol...to easy.... j/k

 

I see a lot of "heats not so bad" etc..... My problem is not so much "heat" but variance. My home is Seattle area (80s in Summer). I drive over the western 1/2 of the US. I may go to sleep at 65 degrees and wake up at 110 in the truck due to that oversized magnifying glass called a windshield. My body is used to less than 80, but I change climate daily. A human body doesn't adjust that fast (at least MINE doesn't).

 

LOL!!! Hey I have 2 big dogs,A Bull Mastiff and a Boxer.....They are great to keep you warm.
They don't go on the road with me but like to cuddle at home and fart me out of the bed......lol!
Bulldog farts are REALLY bad!