Idling...how many gallons per hour?

It would seem one could rig up something a few pounds lighter than the 400-pound AUX unit. If he could, he could still potentially claim the 400 pound exemption. So...get a small Honda generator, bolt it down somewhere on the frame, run a cord to it from the cab, and power a small a/c or heater with it. Everything would weigh maybe 250 pounds max if the generator is small. You'd just have to keep gasoline around in the rig somewhere.

 

For you flatbed drivers, I found an APU built into a headache rack.

http://www.idlebuster.com/ib/Products/IdlebusterHeadacheRackSystem/tabid/61/Default.aspx

A different option. Actually found it when I was looking for a directv antenna that would work on the move so I could keep a tivo hooked up while driving. I am adicted to the #### tivo!


LB

 

Still haven't found the link for the aftermarket refeer hookup, but in the process I have found that some truck manufacturers are offering it on new trucks. I know Mack does now.

LB

 

Everything on that site is expensive but the concept is cool. They have the antenna I was looking for too but I found it for half the price on eBay!

LB

 

There are always guys getting out of trucking, so eBay would be a great place to go to get things that are in great condition for cheap prices. Remember that driver turnover is like a revolving door. For every guy we read about here who is happily going to orientation next so-and-so, there is a driver who is walking out of the industry. Someone making the exit would be a walking yard sale.

 

All this talk about fuel being "wasted" just gives me an itch.
It's not wasted. It's for your comfort & safety.

First, you need to look at the real amount of time you spend idling.
It's not 52 weeks a year.
Next, you need to figure in the comfort that you require for resting, relaxing & sleeping.
You are still a human being even though you chose truck driving as a job.
Do you see anyone turning off their air conditioners in their homes just because they're away for 8-10 hrs?
Do you see anyone turning off their oil furnaces for the same 8-10 hours?
Do you see cops and/or firemen turning off their vehicles at a stop or while not pumping?

You have to figure how much your comfort is worth both materially & intrinsically.
Now figure out how much it'll cost for a motel room for the same amount of time that you idle.
A fairly large difference huh?
You're actually doing your employer a service by idling instead of hitting a motel room everyday.

My point is that everyone's making a mountain out of a mole hill.
Sure, an APU is a better way to go under certain circumstances.
If you can get one.
Once you have one, it takes upwards of 2 years for a real ROI.
In 2 years you're likely to get a different truck & now the APU needs relocated to the next truck.
I bet that's another $2k in parts/labor..if it will even fit & adapt without too much extra stuff.

So, what do you have in the end?
A machine that saved you upwards of $2k in fuel just so you can spend the same money moving it to the next truck.
Did you buy non-taxed agri-fuel to run it?
Were you able to itemize the whole effort for a tax break?
Was the tax break enough to do more than break even?
Where's the real bottom line savings?

Wear & tear on the motor? I'm sure idling is not the best for it but it's not the worst either..if you do it properly.

In the meantime, the cost per year is really negligeable unless you have no way to write it off (like a motel room) or are on the verge of bankruptcy anyway.

Maybe I'm wrong. I could be.
I'd be the first to admit to it if the evidence were compelling.
I'm listening. Make me a believer.