PONY PACK

PONY PACK aka APUs BY REX,LLC
WARNING ! STAY AWAY FROM THIS JUNK ! I bought a Pony Pack 15 months ago. The initial price was low. $6500.00. By the time I had it fully connected, the price had jumped to almost $9000.00 . During the last 15 months, I have found :
There is almost no support for this "product". The "manufacturer" CANNOT install it.
The "Wiring system" is CHEAP aluminum wire. Prone to Breakage. I completely Re-wired mine , with Copper Wire. The "Control System " are Relays ,Fuses, and a "Trunk Opener " mounted in a plastic box, siliconed into a HUNK , fastened to the engine.
The Engine, and Radiator , and Air Conditioning Condenser , are all mounted on an Aluminum Platform, which uses REAL Hockey Pucks as a vibration dampening system. RESULT ?
After 6 months, The Condenser ( aluminum ) CRACKED , as the Tech who connected the Air Conditioning hoses( $900.00) said it would. He also said the Radiator would do the same. I Believe him. The #### thing is LOUD AS HELL ! WHY ? The housing is "hand-crafted " by REX. Of Aluminum Sheets, Glued , or Epoxyed together. Have plenty of screws , and a drill available, cause you'll need both, when it starts to come apart ! Vibration , you know ! Vibration ! I could write a book about the Pony Pack vibration alone ! Loud ? It comes packaged with the Vibration.
Warranty ? One year, unless you work on it yourself. Which You'll have to, unless you live next door to , and can get to , someplace that " Has worked on them " as REX says. Where that is , is known only to Rex , as there is no published "List" , that I know of. Ask Rex why , He'll tell you he " Hasn't gotten around to it yet ". And , as HE claims HE is THE ORIGINAL INVENTOR of the APU , back in 1984 , or some such.
Oh, and if you "work on it yourself " it voids the "warranty". I got ONE part , ONCE , Under the "Warranty".
This Whole MESS ties into your Air Conditioning , and Your Trucks Cooling System. WHEN a part of it FAILS, which it WILL , You'll be left with :
1. No Air Conditioning. None. When the Condenser BREAKS ,( Which IT WILL ) , you LOSE the ENTIRE FREON Charge . ( Priced Freon lately ? ) Mine took OVER 4 pounds !
2. 11 Gallons of Anti-Freeze. $12.00 a gallon.
In addition, the Nuts connecting the FREON HOSES , behind the Compressor , VIBRATE loose, Causing you TO LOSE ALL YOUR FREON , and , you likely WON'T Know where the leak is , until A TECH finds it ! VIBRATION ! The ONLY CURE FOR THIS PROBLEM IS RED LOCTITE ! I KNOW ! I PAID ALMOST $500.00 to LEARN THIS LESSON , ON A HOT SATURDAY IN HOUSTON, TX.
HEAT : Rex Claimes that the PONY PACK will "keep you warm". Well, if your idea of warm is 40 degrees , on a night when the outside temp is 20, and the wind isn't blowing , the PONY PACK is just your ticket.
Otherwise , forget it. Imagine, the "water pump " on a 2 cylinder diesel engine , pushing 15 gallons of anti-freeze through a hose , into your engine, then up into your CAB heater , THEN into your SLEEPER HEATER , then back into the PONY PACK. IT DOESN'T WORK.
REX stopped putting BOSCH pumps on the PONY PACK , to PUSH the water. Know why ? I don't either. My Guess ? The BOSCH pumps require a Constant flow of water, to cool the parts, or the pump CAVATATES, runs dry , and OVERHEATS. Resulting in Warranty Claims. Those pumps ARE NOT CHEAP ! Over $200.00 ,as of 15 months ago. You have to order them in Quantity , and the lead time is about 6 months , as they are shipped from Germany !
One Final comment : I bought this PIECE OF JUNK , SOLELY on a Recommendation from PITTSBURGH POWER.
Turns out , by REX's admission ,he and the OWNER of PITTSBURGH POWER , Are OLD FRIENDS.
Good Luck with your PONY PACK, AKA , APUs BY REX, LLC.
Another thing : After Failures of relays, "Plural ", as certain ones kept failing, as well as REX's "Trunk Opener " , ( over $100.00 for it alone ) , Which I still cannot find , via the Entire Internet , and Mutiple searches, as it only seems to be available thru REX, As well as Fuses constantly blowing , I moved the" Control Box " off the engine , and into my cab. This cured many problems. And Voided my " Warranty ".
It was during this , that I confronted REX about the Aluminum Wires. Aluminum Wiring was not allowed in Class 8 trucks, by HIS own admission .
He tried to tell me it was his "suppliers " fault , and that maybe it was "Aluminum Coated Copper Wire". Ever Hear of THAT ? I hadn't , either.
Since REX and his "assistant " put this JUNK together in their "Shop" , him claiming to "Not Know" his wiring systems were aluminum is an outright LIE.
I Cut his Wiring into LITTLE BITTY PIECES , LOOKING FOR EVEN A HINT OF COPPER. Sorry, Dorthy , You're not in Kansas anymore.
PAWPAW1