Inverters and generators... Need info

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Dino soar, Feb 18, 2021.

  1. tommymonza

    tommymonza Road Train Member

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    This is a home made Apu. Just batteries and controllers.

    I have friends that have had whole house demands on sailboats ran off solar and wind power and deep cycle 6 volts for decades .

    Keep your connections clean and insulated from the elements is 99% of the battle in the electrical world.

    The other battle is just keep up with the technology.

    The Smart Apus they are installing on trucks these days are the future.

    And I hate the future. I love my 1997 N-14.

    But I have dealt with generators on boats for 4 decades. The high usage requires high maintenance


    Nothing runs 70 -100 hours a week without high maintenance.

    The whole bad Rap Apus have got is mostly from just poor maintenance .
     
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  3. Dino soar

    Dino soar Road Train Member

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    Has anyone used a generator like this?

    Generac Power Systems - 5000 watt XD Series Portable Generator with Electric Start - 6864

    It''s got a Yanmar diesel engine and a huge fuel tank.

    It will run for over 32 hours at 50% load. With a 12 gallon fuel tank I would think that's at least as easy on fuel as an APU.

    It is not cheap at $3,800 but then again it's not a $12,000 APU.

    Yanmar diesel engines have a great reputation and being that it is air-cooled I would imagine the maintenance on it would be pretty straightforward.
     
  4. staceydude

    staceydude Road Train Member

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    That thing weighs over 250 lbs and everything I read talked about how loud it is. Someone said louder than a gas open frame gen of same size and I read it was up to 110DB, you would be a hated dude at Truckstop lolol

     
    spindrift, 77fib77 and Dino soar Thank this.
  5. staceydude

    staceydude Road Train Member

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    I have a platform on the trailer that is made for a Generator. Blair had it installed when he owned it.

    I have the boat gas tank but I am not sure I’ll carry it due to the DOT thing. I currently use one of those VP fuels container that holds 5 gallons. It is epa and carb compliant and all sorts of stuff but it doesn’t say DOT. So a lot of people are getting the No Spill Scepter cans and buying DOT approved caps for during transport.

    So I think I will but one. Buy two of the caps and rig one caps for when I am sitting and another for transport. Simple swap. The cap for running just needs a pickup tube that is attached to cap that goes to bottom of tank.

    The last photo is the setup I got on sale with the hose and gas cap for Yamaha etc. and boat gas tank. You can source the parts and just build it cheaper also.

    I am at right now but when I set it up on trailer I’ll send a picture of it or shoot you a vid if you wish.

     

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  6. Dino soar

    Dino soar Road Train Member

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    Yeah I appreciate that thank you.
     
  7. Andreybanyuk

    Andreybanyuk Bobtail Member

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    More like 2500hrs a year running an APU, you're saving quite a bit each year whithout the headache. Any issues, you can take it to any Carrier dealer network for warranty work and service. But you do whatever you're doing just to "save" a few bucks.
     
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  8. staceydude

    staceydude Road Train Member

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    Cool thing about the No SPill style can is they make a locking holder I can mount on my trailer rack to make it easy. Here is the gen mount on trailer to give an idea where it is, gen is not mounted in this photo

    D54CEF34-1CD8-4B8A-8A39-DEC721CC575C.jpeg E792D35E-6168-48C1-9E4A-0E3D42579582.jpeg
     
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  9. Dino soar

    Dino soar Road Train Member

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    Do you have a way that you lock that in? You know so that it's secure nobody can steal it?
     
  10. 77fib77

    77fib77 Road Train Member

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    Or you get a 4300 watt gas generator for $450. Or A small inverter generator for $550.
     
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  11. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    Not dot legal.
     
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