idleing?

Air conditioner only runs when the truck does.

 

And heat too...For the winter time I mean...

 

I dont know about any other tractors that have this, but Freightliner has an optional system called Park Smart. It allows you to keep cool in the summer and warm in the winter for like up to 8 hours depending on how cold-natured or hot natured you are without idling or the need for an APU.

For keeping cool in the summertime, the system has a seperate set of batteries that runs an electric ac compressor that circulates the refrigerant and blows cold air out of the vents without idling the motor the same way as if you were idling.

For keeping warm in the winter, the Park Smart has a diesel fuel-powered heater that siphons diesel fuel from the tanks and heats the engine's coolant, blowing warm air from the vents. Since it heats up and circulates the coolant, it also serves as kind of a block heater to ease in easier starts in the morning.

 

SOunds a bit like an APU. They also had a system called opti idle. You turn it on and 1 setting will just monitor battery voltage and oil temp. Should the battery voltage drop too low or the engine oil drop below 60 degrees it will start the truck and idle it. If you turn on the sleeper thermostat it will start the truck and idle it until your cab reaches the set temp like a home furnace/ac thermostat. My opti idle is broke though so I use a gatorade bottle wedged between the brake and throttle pedal so I don't wake up in a 90 degree cab pouring sweat.

 

Stay away from it man, go back to or stay in school; an ugly, ugly occupation! 34 years later, ask me, I know!

 

Ever park your car at the mall and go shopping? You come back and the interior is hot (or cold)? Well we live, eat, and sleep (8-10 hours) in that. We run our engines so we have heat (or cooling) and electricity for our phone, computers, and cooking devices. Some rigs have extra heating systems that run without the engine, or a small engine that runs the systems called an Auxilary Power Unit (APU). Without the engine (or devices) we are that dog left in the car being frozen or cooked.

Hope that helps.