Good Alternative for APU

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Wingshooter, Jun 24, 2014.

  1. ChefBrianN

    ChefBrianN Light Load Member

    283
    286
    May 10, 2014
    Michigan and Colorado
    0
    If you run a reefer they'll never know. And if they figure it out...they're just a cry baby. lol
     
    bstadele Thanks this.
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Richter

    Richter Road Train Member

    4,090
    1,700
    Feb 13, 2012
    Philadelphia Pa
    0
    Apu uses .3 gal per hour. Bunk heater uses .3 gall per 10 hours.

    Apu uses $12 bucks per 10 hour break. Bunk heater uses around 1.25.

    10 bucks savings per night is 100 nights or just over 3 months in the winter. Not much on your truck has a payback period of 3 months.
     
    shooter19802003 and bstadele Thank this.
  4. Richter

    Richter Road Train Member

    4,090
    1,700
    Feb 13, 2012
    Philadelphia Pa
    0
    If you run a reefer, why not just take the alternator on the reefer motor and connect to truck batts. Then you can use electric heat and ac.
     
    ChefBrianN, NavigatorWife and bstadele Thank this.
  5. gokiddogo

    gokiddogo Road Train Member

    8,786
    14,768
    Mar 5, 2012
    Ontario Canada
    0
    Richter, I have thought of doing this. I have the big inverter wired directly to the batteries too, the cobra 5000 watt one. It is wired with 2 hot and 2 ground cables, all are 4ga monster wire. Even with the truck running at 1500 rpm, it doesn't make enough power to turn the compressor in my portable ac unit. I tried this after I had an alternator issue not long ago and it still is not enough even with the new alternator. That being said, I do carry the honda gas generator, 2000 watt, and it powers ac just fine.
    I am looking at ways to have a more permanent mounted generator to the frame, but not the tri pak type deal (my truck is very old and I want to remove generator when it eventually dies).
     
    77fib77 and bstadele Thank this.
  6. Cetane+

    Cetane+ Road Train Member

    1,304
    882
    Sep 29, 2013
    Albany, NY
    0
  7. Richter

    Richter Road Train Member

    4,090
    1,700
    Feb 13, 2012
    Philadelphia Pa
    0
    The cobra cant supply 5000w unless the motor and batts can. In reality they cant, and thus anything over 2000watts is a waste. That being said, what is the wattage required by your a/c? 150 amp alt * 14 volts. = 1800 watts. Now the start up wattage is probably more then that. Your 2k gen can probably surge to 3000 or 4000 to start. You can install a capacitor on your a/c to aid in starting. Also, you wont get 150 amps out of a 150 alt ever.

    http://idlefreesystems.com/no-idle-elimination-systems-reefer.html makes a system designed to connect to reefer, but there has to be a redneck version thats cheaper.
     
    bstadele Thanks this.
  8. bstadele

    bstadele Bobtail Member

    29
    6
    Jun 14, 2014
    0
    My friend owns a 2005 Columbia and he put a honda EU2000i generator in a outside toolbox with a metal mesh on the back side for cooling and a 6000 btu and 110v A/C inside and his set up is great even the generator works in the Eco mode wich gives him 8 to 9 hrs of very cold air plus all the other benefits for other thing he can plug in ( if I run into him I will take a pic ) the generator is super reliable and will run you less than $800 new and the A/C about $130
     
  9. KenworthGuyNH

    KenworthGuyNH Road Train Member

    1,050
    2,686
    Dec 11, 2011
    Central, NH
    0
    Search post on here by leftlanetruckin. He has a NICE setup.....looks good and WORKS.
     
    bstadele Thanks this.
  10. 77fib77

    77fib77 Road Train Member

    10,589
    66,470
    Jul 7, 2010
    St Louis
    0
    You think there is any advantage to coupling the generator to the truck batteries with an inverter? Or from above you cant run an AC unit by using an inverter? (I might you tube this to see if it can be done. Generator to charge the batteries and kick on went voltage drops. Inverter to run electrics in the truck.
     
  11. leftlanetruckin

    leftlanetruckin Road Train Member

    3,607
    3,163
    Mar 12, 2009
    Mo Via Blackpool,Lancs.
    0
    Ahhh, more innacurate information. If you get the time between talking complete crap, have a look at the noise ratings for a Honda EU3000is on full throttle, vs ANY diesel APU. Yep, I said ANY. Compared to my GAS generator, the stupidly expensive TK's make a horrible noisy racket, never mind any of the others.

    Sorry, thought this was an O/O section of the forum.....Pay for your own fuel, then get a new calculator.

    As far as AC units go, a 8K BTU one or less wont cool the cab of any truck besides a coffin sleeper adequately. I'm not talking about it "just managing", I am talking about it pulling the inside temps from 90 plus, to under 70, without any help.
    Martin
     
    Cetane+ Thanks this.
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.