Running with JCT, Part Deux

The comfort pro cycles just like the thermo king. Its called comfort mode. And it has a battery monitor mode. Just like the tk.

 

Yeah it does. But at least all the work on my APU didn't cost me anything. All I need now is a new generator and i will have a new APU.

The QC was also a pain to fix. They changed out the computer twice before getting one that will work. Tracy was ready to throw my unit under a truck. LOL.

 

Yes, but if you have something plugged in, doesn't it need to run? Say your t.v.for instance.

 

Yes. Yes it does.

 

Yes.
This is no contest really. Mines not worked right since March. Have had it worked on 6 times and every time they've fixed something different. It's worked great for 3 days then quits again.
I'll never get in a truck again that has a apu other than a TK.
With that being said I've managed ok without it. My average monthly fuel mileage is still above 7mpg. Not good but considering my truck runs almost every night not bad either. Good enough that I don't have to stop everything and try to fix this comfort junk everyday. I just try to get it worked on when other things need to be done also.
Except this Tuesday I'm making a special trip to Pottsville AR. Hopefully they can work miracles there.

 

Honestly, this is the first time my APU has broke down on me in a long time. Over 3k hours since the last breakdown. Like I said in an earlier post; 7300 hours on the original starter and alternator is pretty good IMHO.

I still don't like that my APU hates the cold weather when it's time to start it. But, I have a plan for that this year. I'm going to get a length of dryer hose and put it over the exhaust of the truck and the other end over the APU motor and use the exhaust heat warm the APU for about 30 minutes before starting it.

 

And I've got a bleeder! I topped off the coolant since I have that leak and when the engine warmed up and increased the pressure in the cooling system, I got an arterial spray out of the radiator. Well, at least I can pinpoint the leak now. Thought about throwing a half bottle of leak stop in the coolant, but I didn't wanna risk blowing out my warranty.

I loved my TK I had with Werner. That thing was bullet proof, started every time, AC worked (Even though the AC clutch squealed until it got warm), kept my coolant in the engine warm (Not operational level, but enough to move the needle so it wasn't totally cold starting.

TK I had with my next company worked half the time. The other half it was all "Nah...not starting...nah...i'll drain your coolant...nah..." but we were team and only had to use it a hand full of times in 2 years.

The TK I had when I started here, 2 weeks worked fine, then BAM. Apparently wires broke that sensed alternator output so nothing worked after two mintues (Other than the inverter). After that it was "If it's cold, the belt wont grab the alternator, and it will just slide and provide no power". So in the winter, it wouldn't stay on in the middle of the night when the bunk heater drew down the batteries too far. Spring it worked just fine.

Enter the comfort pro. Wires rubbed on the compressor causing it to arc and short, so that's been repaired, replaced and guarded against, and that was at 700 hours. Now I have a leak that I probably had all along just not bad enough to notice, and while driving it was probably leaking too because the heat in the back would make the coolant expand a little.

I kind of wish this had the shorepower installed, because then I could use the shorepower stations I sometimes run across, or get a genset backup in case the main motor takes a dump, like now. That's the one thing I like over the TK, is this thing COULD be plugged into external power and still provide heat, AC, and Hotel Power with the main APU engine off or disabled. The TK wins on Hotel power because if the main APU takes a dump, you can still use the inverter with the truck. Of course if I installed an inverter that point is moot.

The Carrier Vector Reefers use basically the same tech as the APUs: A generator direct driven by a motor, sealed hermetic scroll compressor, electric fans and blower. And youre able to plug them in to shore power. I think that's neat because you could have a whole fleet of them (Dedicated customer), and have a yard set up with power stations, and never use fuel unless you're on the road.


But If I was given the choice, TK or CP...I'd probably do the TK. Mainly because I'm more use to it...but as I get more use to this thing, it grows on me.

 

I will say though...the generator on the CP, it puts out tons of clean power, because I can use my George foreman, my armoa, charge/use my laptop, and run high cool and its workin just fine.

My TK If I tried that, it would start beeping at me every time the George Foreman cycled on. And I had to use a mini inverter to charge my laptop because my laptop charger didn't like the TK Inverter.

 

Be careful doing that. You only have about 30amps total available. The a/c on high is taking about half that. The heater on high takes almost all of it.

 

The heater on high disables the outlet.