Idleaire closing

That's what i thought.

I was pulling a 53' trailer with a 42" kingpin setting and a liftgate. My fifth wheel was set one hole up from the very back. Truck is a Cascadia as ordered by Werner (big sleeper). Carrier Comfort Pro APU is mounted on the frame rail between the drive axles and the fuel tank...just like every other cascadia with rear-ward mounted fuel tanks and an APU. I was backing into a dock at a dollar general store in Boydton, VA and this was a very tight dock, needing a 90 degree blindside...up a 25% grade.

I even had a city cop pull me over as i was pulling into the store, and i asked him..."am i in trouble with you?" and he said "Not yet! Make sure you keep that trailer at an angle when you pull in, or you'll hang up the liftgate on the ground. I've seen it happen here! I'll stay here until you're off the road."

As I was backin in my stop engine light comes on. I override it to get it in the dock, figuring it's something stupid as usual. I get out and look. Antifreeze is pouring out of my APU and the top cover is totally destroyed.

I hit my APU with my trailer. Yup, yup, i sure did.

It's a design flaw. The comfortpro apu clamps onto the frame leaving the top cover about two inches higher than the frame rail. The trailer hit the APU yet the trailer was never in danger of coming into contact with my sleeper, or the catwalk. Basically, the trailer just barely snagged the APU cover, ripped the cover off, and since the cover is thin sheet metal, somehow it cut into not only an antifreeze hose, but a steel pipe that hose clamps onto! No damage to the APU engine or PLASTIC FAN, no damage to the brand new trailer. (thank god)

 

phroziac no wonder you ripped up the APU. That isn't a "normal" dock. The design of the APU may have been a factor as well. I haven't heard of that happening with a ThermoKing APU.

 

No fair how come I dont get to see the insults =(

You guys need to save these posts till I read them then edit!

 

*grins at IROC* And that is why I like you! It was funny IROC.....like watching a goat bashing his head on the gate into the slaughter house. LOL He finally knocks the gate open and goes inside just to be slaughtered by Mastertech. *nods* I think Bullhauler's wife held the gate open though......no proof but I suspect it.

 

Can someone sum up what he said? I missed this post. It was obviously directed at me, since I'm the one that called him out for the "shame on you" comment.

 

I saw one, I don't know how he did it, but it didnt disable the APU like mine did. I think it just hit at a different angle..his catwalk was totally destroyed. They're mounted the same way, clamped onto the frame rail.

You would think it wouldnt happen either way, wouldnt you? I sure wouldve looked more closely if i knew that. Oh, and the company wrote it up as "struck another vehicle while backing"....wtf? "welllll we consider the APU to be a vehicle". I guess it might sound worse if they wrote it as "struck own vehicle while backing"...

On some trucks like the Freightliner Century they're mounted under the body work...thats the only safe place to put them.

 

Mr Mustard he insulted all drivers and then insulted the mods. He went bye bye.

 

Oh well, good riddance to him and his taxpayer-funded employer.

 

Yes its always great when things the us taxpayer spent cash on go out of business before paying us back!

 

Ahh, he'll probably just get a dispatch job somewhere - typical hence the total disrespect for drivers ...

And return under another user name