Best APU To Buy That Does It All ?

Got a pic of how you have your generator mounted and stored?

 

Got a pic of how you have yours mounted and stored?

 

It's stored in my garage, right next to the portable a/c.

My son wasn't using it enough, and I don't blame him. The only times it's worthwhile to drag all that crap out and set up is for a 10 hour break. More often we're sitting on a live load for an hour or three. When you need to move, you need to crank and go not spend time putting a gen away and wrapping up cords. We're finally ahead of things enough that I'm getting a Tri Pak put on his truck in the next couple of weeks. Would have been sooner, but I bought another truck and replaced a reefer unit in the past couple months. So not quite cash flush enough yet to run out and get the apu right away.

When he did have it on the old truck (a FL Century), he had the portable a/c strapped to the back of the passenger seat, cord wrapped up there too, and kept the gen on the floor near the bunk. To run it, he'd set the gen outside, put the cord out the door, and a/c exhaust hose out the window. Wasn't pretty but got the job done. He said it was at least quieter than idling on a break. His old truck had a little tool box next to the catwalk steps that was just the right size for a 2.5 gal gas can. The Honda gen has a closeable vent on the gas cap, so no fumes storing it inside the cab. For what it is, it's an awesome little thing to have. I've used it a few times for power tools here and there, so don't have any plans to sell it.

Sorry, but no pictures. It was an impromptu thing two years ago. At the time, I was able to gin up the $1,200 for the gen and a/c unit to make the effort to improve comfort. An apu was just out of reach money-wise at the time and it was the best I could do right then.

 

I no longer have this truck, but here is a pic you can see the gen is on a simple stand welded to the frame. It is held down with 2 - 1" straps with a chain and lock to discourage theft. AC was mounted to roof, had to cut 14" x 14" hole.

 

My tanks are set back and there isn't much room between my fuel tanks and front splash guards. I've been thinking about just on top of the catwalk right up against the back of the sleeper. I'd also like a tool box back there to hold everything. I'd like to setup something like this mountain master company is selling. Only mine should be cheaper, hopefully after it's all said and done. I'll use a standard truck bed box, a partition for extra fuel can, and plenty of vents.

http://www.mountainmaster.net/generatortoolbox/55genbox45amp.html



I picked up a Ryobi RY2200 generator at a pawn shop for $400. Just need to get a cheap tool box that I wouldn't feel bad cutting holes in. I think a cheap small portable ac unit will do the job. I don't mind using both windshield and sleeper curtains and cocooning myself off for some cool sleep.

http://t.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-2-20...-Digital-Inverter-Generator-RYI2200/203617901

Once I get the box setup, all I'd need to complete the puzzle would be a shore power inverter, charger. Something like this.

http://www.xantrex.com/power-products/inverter-chargers/freedom-sw-12v_newgen.aspx

I'm still puzzled by this step. I don't know how you would charge multiple batteries in parallel. How would the unit know one battery is overcharging and boiling, while the rest are fine? Most charger/tenders claim to "float" the battery once fully charged to prevent over charging. Case in point my motorcycle and lawn mower batteries are always charged and cool to the touch come spring after sitting on the tenders all winter.

But, experience has taught me otherwise. I've boiled a battery before on my truck with a tender that was supposed to not overcharge. And I've read about others that are boiling their batteries using the high end xantrex, with processor chips, designed to not overcharge. I think just one batter, not a problem. Two or more in parallel, and unless all the batteries are performing the exact same, then problems. Batteries are cheap, and I don't mind testing twice a year and replacing every couple years, but I don't want to kill batteries just because I'm missing some step here.

 

What I did was to install two - 4 outlet boxes in the top bunk of my sleeper. They were switchable from inverter to generator. If I wanted to run something demanding like a coffee maker or the AC, a portable heater, etc... I would do it with the generator. The inverter was just for situations I needed to print out some documents, or charge my laptop when I could not get gasoline.

Doing it this way I had no need for a permanent battery charger, I just carried one in the side box for rare occasions I ran the batteries low, or when my alternator went bad.

 

hmmm, this seems like the best route to go. Funny how I didn't really think about just running an inverter separate. But now that I think about it, it would be much simpler. I have a volt meter in my sleeper to monitor my batteries. I already have this nice charger:

http://www.amazon.com/NOCO-G26000-UltraSafe-Battery-Charger/dp/B004LX14Z2

I could direct wire it, and leave it unplugged. Whenever I know the batteries need some juice, I could plug it in, and just unplug once I was back where I needed them.

Seems like a lot of run around to avoid a $10,000 TK APU, but all in I should be under $1800. Is $8,200 worth the anguish of having to walk over to gas pumps, and deal with jerry cans, and sometimes having to plug a charger into a wall outlet. Hmmmm....

danny, did you just have an outdoor outlet mounted to the back of the sleeper? I wish my truck came setup with a shore power kit.

 

I had two power cords. The AC had the 30 amp twistlock shorepower type end. And the sleeper outlets were a standard 110. heavy duty sealed ends. Kind of hillbilly, but I left them plugged in the gen. I considered rolling them up into sidebox and just leaving it open a crack when plugged in, but I used the sidebox for straps.

 

You know the best thing about these Redneck window shakers is most of them have a hard-start in them. I cooled a 1400 sf foot house for 2 weeks with a 8000 BTU and a Honda 1000 after Wilma left us without power here in Florida
That little Honda is a 1600 We ran the Frdge Freezzer power when we were out of the house and than chilled it down for sleeping. We never sufffered with a 1000 watts from that Honda.

The best thing about those little window shakers is they are cheap and available . I have thrown them out because they are rusted AND LOOK ROUGH AND YOU CAN REPLACE THEM FOR 200 BUCKS.

i WOULD NOT LEAVE HOME ON A TRUCK WITHOUT A HONDA 1000 JUST FOR THE BATTERY CHARGING CAPABILITY

.Sorry for the caps

I have seen Hondas on the decks of boats that look like scrap and they still start the 1st pull.

Don't leave home without one the best 1000 bucks you can spend.



Sorry for Quoting myself


I seem to find myself very impotent these days

 

They sell shore power kits for boats and RV's with clean looking outlets. I might get one of them just so I have a clean look in the back of the cab. With everything put away, I'd just have a tool box, and an outlet. I don't know if I'll need 30 amp. The ryobi just has 2 110 volt outlets. I hope the little thing can power a cheap portable ac.