gallons per idle hour?

Don`t forget the cost of the anti-idling ticket

 

A bunk heater is a no brainer. APU may or may not be a no brainer depending on how much you need AC.

 

My Onan eats about 1/3 Gal. an hour.

 

I like about a gallon per hour, one time long ago I did completely fill up my tanks, idle over night, and just to satisfy curiosity filled them up the next morning. Not entirely accurate of course, but that was about the number.
Several things to remember: Even at higher idle speeds, the engine does not completely burn the fuel in the combustion chamber, washing fuel into the crankcase. Engine temps too low play havoc with other parts and wear of the engine.
My Webasto heater eliminates most idle needs. 110v AC unit run by Honda gasoline generator does the rest. Carefully used about 30 partial nights per year. Cannot understand these guys who either idle the big engine or their APU's when the temps are between 50-80 degrees F. That abuse is why the regulators are on our case....

 

My Volvo D13 consumes between .6-1.2 gal/hr at 700 rpm depending on temperature and load on the engine.

 

Who idles 10 straight hours?

 

That water haulin' jerk I parked next to last night certainly did!

 

I can't remember how many trucks I've seen idling all night in nice weather, no bugs...made no sense.
I even saw some guy idling all night last week in 55 degree weather,with his #### windows open.

 

I've met a couple people who boast about idling in the past few years. I had one sitting next to me with his A/C on, his LOUD fan cycling all night long while it was a great 63 degree night. I was doing my pre-trip the next morning when he said "hi" to me and he had to boast that he has yet to shut his truck off for almost the 90 days he has been on the road. About three months later I was at the dealer getting a front end alignment and his truck was sitting there getting an in frame done. I had to ask the mechanic about it, he said four of the cylinders were shot and the engine has less than 500k on it. When I told the mechanic what the driver said, he said no wonder they were shot.

I idled only a few times in the truck I have now, when I was stuck in Buffalo in 10 degree weather and it was snowing by the foot, when I was waiting for a consignee to unload me in Rockford in -25 degree weather (it was 18 hours in the dock) and when I was in Phoenix picking up some space stuff and had to wait 30 hours for it to arrive and be assembled - the heat was 100 all the time. Outside of that, I can't see the need for it.

 

My work has plenty of trucks that idle every night they are out, most of them have gone well over a million before their first inframe was done. I don't buy that idling cause much undue wear on the engine. In fact most of the turbos that went out on our trucks where from failure to idle the truck down to temp and had oil coking on the bearings. We idle when we are cold or warm, it makes for better sleep and safer drivers. We run hard, 11 on 10 off until we are out of hours and hopefully back home. Could we save some fuel with an APU? Probably. But our scangauges say we idle at at about .65 gph. I think it would take a long time to make up the real difference. Besides who honestly idles the whole 10 off unless it is really cold or really warm? I would say average night that I idle (temps over 80 or lower than say 50) it is maybe 6 hours. So that big sales pitch on an APU savings takes even longer if not ever to recoup. Now the bunk heater, a I agree a no brainer.