Stevens Transport Aviary . . cont'

I've been duped!

 

Snow in Ohio before Thanksgiving=long winter. Hopefully not as long as last one.

 

Hope everyone has safe travels in the snow ice and cold!

 

I wonder how much our maintenance shop actually costs the company a year. My last trip to the yard, my APU was serviced. I have had no issues with it prior to this service. My truck had to be jumped twice before I left the yard, It had to he jumped when I came off home time, and I am currently waiting for another jump start.

I have cables and 3 times a week on average I have to connect them to get the APU to start to charge the truck batteries, but then there is today where that is not even working.

Just what did he actually service?

 

The question is: Why are the batteries dying?
We have two very different uses of our batteries overall. Starting, and reserve power for providing electricity for things like the lights, inverter, etc when the engine is not running.
Starting batteries provide high amperage for a short period of time. But they make lousy storage devices. When we use them (as we do) to run the inverter, etc., we actually weaken these batteries considerably. This is the reason most of us replace them far before their normal lifespan should be up.
Take a page from the RV industry. They have two different sets of batteries: The starter batteries, then the deep cycle storage batteries (that don't do a good job of providing short term, high amperage power).
If we were to do it right, we'd have both on board, but the extra weight, the additional circuitry is both unwanted and more expensive (not to mention, where do you put 4 more batteries).
KMac, I'll bet your batteries are getting weak. I found mine were good for no more than 18 months. Then they wouldn't hold a charge, much less provide the power needed to crank the engine. Towards the end, they wouldn't jump, run my cab light more than 5 minutes or anything else.

 

I am sure they are getting weak, just seems awful odd that this starts within hours of when if was serviced. The issue as I see it is the APU not starting. I woke up the other morning to the click click click of it trying to turn over. Even after hooking up the cables to the reefer, it never did start.

On another note, this is the first three battery set up I have ever seen. I get a fourth would help a bit.

 

I had to replace my pickup's 24-month battery 25 months after I bought it. I think it's called planned obsolescence. And Emul is right about RV batteries. Mine has a battery to start and two batteries for the RV itself. I replace the starter battery much more often than the power battery.

 

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Nothing like getting a REALLY BIG, REALLY LOUD email photo.

View attachment 74773

 

And then trying to click on it and find out there's no more information given.