Inverters and generators... Need info

Senville Leto 12000 BTU heat pump.

Mini Split Air Conditioners by Senville®

 

Which size do you use? How did that work out with keeping the cab hot and cold?

Any pictures or tips on how you set it up in the cab?

 

How many have you owned ? What brand and for how long ?

 

Well it seems the price of the Predator generators has gone up considerably. The 2000 inverter generator is 550 and the 3500 is 850. And no more 20% coupon.

At this point I'm seriously thinking about this one for 949.

Westinghouse iGen4500 4,500/3,700-Watt Gas Powered Inverter Generator with LED Display, Electric/Remote Start and RV-Ready Outlet-iGen4500 - The Home Depot

It has a remote control so I don't have to get in and out of the truck to start it. And it has a 3.4 gallon tank that will run up to 18 hours at 25%. Even if I only get 12 with the load I put on it and I carry 5 gallons with me that's plenty for my stops and laying over. That's probably like 30 hours or so.

I guess I could strap it down to the catwalk for now until I figure whether I want a case or what I'm going to do with that.

I think it's a very least though I need to put a tarp over it and if the weather is bad make some kind of a tent with the tarp or something...

I guess I better start looking for cases...

 

I worried about the weather getting to mine at first too. After the cover i had made, blew away, I didn't worry about it anymore. I spray the metal bits down with silicone spray every so often, inside and out, and it's been going for two years on my catwalk through all kinds of weather.

As far as which of those mini-splits to use, the only one that will run on 120v is the 12000 BTU Leto. If you go that route, you'll need to have some pretty solid fabrication and HVAC skills. The one tip I would recommend though is to make the holes where the refrigerant lines go through a lot larger that I did originally. After I repair mine, I'm going to open the holes up and use polyurethane rubber to seal and create about a half inch buffer around each line.

The other thing I'd do over is to mount the evaporator up higher. Because I sleep in the upper bunk, I have to use a fan on the floor, blowing the cool air upwards in the summertime. Then again, I probably wouldn't want that unit blowing right on me.

The heating mode works exceptionally well down to about 15 degrees outside. It's way more efficient that an electric heater. I get about 15 hours on a tank of gas with the mini-split, or 10-12 using an electric heater on low.

There are threads on the forum where I have pictures of the setup.

I posted in this thread quite a bit.

Roof top ac vs apu

And then this one...

Harbor freight generator and stand up AC unit installation.

And...

No APU - A/C options??

 

All great info. Thanks for posting. I love when people think outside the box. Doesn’t mean anyone has to use those ideas vs an APU but gives anyone an option.

 

See here is why I’m posting things against the tide, the less you give a dot officer to ding you on, the less crap they can hand you. I have a reason for the gas can thing, it is thanks to an Ohio trooper who claimed I was a hot shot driver, I was cited for the plastic gas cans on the deck behind my 100 gallon fuel tank on my old beater truck. I just filled them for my lawn tractor and had to go to Indiana. I just handed the ticket to my lawyer and he got it dismissed.

 

Mini splits as well as window unit AC's are not built for the vibration and exposure of trucks. They are yet another one of the things we get a great deal on here in the states because they are made as cheaply as possible in China.

Sure, it's an awesome and cheap idea. I love the video posted above, but that RV might see a few thousand miles a year of movement IN GOOD WEATHER.

If you don't want to shell out for an APU, which I understand, get yourself a setup that is designed for durability. Get the best generator you can afford with a track record (Honda, Yamaha, Generac) and get an RV roof air and an Espar/Webasto heater. Total cost maybe 2 grand but it won't fall apart on you like something designed for a house.

 

I always appreciate more info. Thanks

 

I could see where the mini-split could have a problem with vibration. For me that's too much fabrication and I don't want to cut into the truck and all that.

But the window unit just sits in the window when you're sitting still. Otherwise it's it's on the floor in your truck. There's not that much vibration to bother that.

Either that or I would set up a portable AC.

As long as I have the generator I'd like to see how a space heater does the truck.

It only has to heat up the sleeper area.