sleeper question

I can't help you on your first question, but as for the inverter......

There are 4 types of Inverter hookups:

1. Hard wire to the battery- Theres no clamps or anything just a NEG and POS wire just like the ones that connect the batteries to the truck.

2. Clamps to the battery- I believe this is what you bought

3. Alligator Clips- You can connect through the fuse box inside the truck

4. Cigarette Lighter- Obviously it goes into the Cigarette lighter socket

Companies make a big deal about Inverters because if they are not installed properly they can cause a truck fire. Inverters that go through the fuse box or in the Cig lighter can blow fuses. Inverters in general can and do run the battery's down, and for drivers that don't carry jumper cables that means the company now has to pay for road service to come jump you.


For the one you bought you could just get out when you park and connect it and unhook it before you go to sleep, just run the wires out the door or window.




American Trucker

 

I would never consider changing out the fuse going to your cig lighter.
The wiring in that truck for that component is not made to handle more allot more power than that.
Same with trying to run that TV and PS3 on a small inverter. You will risk burning that truck to the ground, this happens allot.
Same with putting a power strip to a one outlet inverter. That thing has only one outlet for a reason. It is not made for multiple appliances.
I had a 20" TV and an XBox 360 in my truck for a while. I used a 1500w inverter and had no issues.
In most trucks you can find a hole in the floor behind the drivers seat under the carpet or mat.
There should be a rubber cap in it. Remove this and put a good rubber grommet in the hole. This way you can run your wires here. Make sure the wires cannot rub on metal or you will risk a fire.
Also when wiring in an inverter you are supposed to have a fuse close to the battery. This way if the wires do wear it will blow that fuse before it gets too hot up stream.

Many company's do not allow inverters due to fires. This was not an arbitrary rule. It was due to drivers burning trucks and loads up.
Mostly due to overloading the inverter and wires rubbing on metal and shorting.
They are not something to play with.

 

(reage3)

Sorry Chrome when I worked for Central the o/o's had them. I thought Central was mostly o/o's now anyway. For some reason I wasn't thinking company driver when I posted that.

 

Just talked to KLLM recruiter last week. They are not putting APU's on trucks they buy. Their idle policy costs .01 per mile if your idle rate is over 40%.

 

Roehl actually DOES have APUs in the majority of their company trucks and all of the new company trucks waiting to be put into rotation. They also have 1800 watt power inverters on most (if not all) of the trucks with APUs. They're not outfitting the older trucks with the APU due to the $8500 cost, but those trucks are scheduled to be replaced shortly anyhow.

 

Does anybody know if Prime has APU's in their trucks?

 

I've seen them on Prime trucks, but haven't payed enough attention to notice if they were lease or company trucks. Nor do I know whether the APUs are nearly universal there.

...But I've seen them on more than a few Primes.

 

Those cheap truck stop inverters can fry delicate electronics in a heartbeat. You need a good pure sine wave inverter if you want to be safe...

 

There is no need to go getting a pure sine wave inverter. The cost alone is rather steep, and it's rare that a good modified sine wave inverter will fry anything. The only time I would look at a pure sine wave inverter is if I was going off the grid with my house. Modified sine wave inverters cause things like your furnace's motor to squeal like a banshee.