Are you staying cool in your sleeper?

ATeam · Jul 21, 2006

No one needs to tell expediters how the weather as been nationwide in recent days.....HOT!, alomst everywhere in the country.

This is the weather that pushes sleeper HVAC systems and generators (gensets, auxilary power units, etc.) to the limit.

I'd love to hear about the different brands being used out there and to what success. So would people thinking about their next trucks. On hot days like these, what's working out there and what's not?

jaminjim · Jul 21, 2006

You first.

guest · Jul 21, 2006

No matter what kind you have there all not doing the job as well as we thought. We have two truck's with a Aluimi Bunk sleeper's and there not keeping the driver's that cool the other Two have Bentz sleeper's and there not doing any better. it's just HOTTTTTTT.

Drive safe

Dave Mayfield
FEDExCC/Roberts Express O/O Since 3/1/1995
C1847,C2045,D3397,D5047

LDB · Jul 21, 2006

I've been running a Willis APU on my current truck. It went in service last December so there's been some cold weather and some hot as well. It ties into the truck HVAC system so you have climate control from both the dashboard and sleeper systems. I like this because you have more capacity that way and additionally you can have each set on a lower setting and still maintain comfort without the hurricane effect of only one system.

With the front and rear units both set to the coldest dial setting and both fans on the lowest setting the temperature drops to about 60 degrees by morning when it's been in the 90's day and 70's night ambient. Midday with clear skies, direct sun and upper 90's ambient, front fan on 3 of 4 and rear on 1 of 3 the temp inside is low/mid 70's. Cooling seems to be no problem and I could turn the fan up 1 notch in front and 2 in back if need be.

Winter overnight temp of -2 with heat turned to max heat setting and max fan both front and back the temp at 0700 in the sleeper was 91. I had a hotel room provided to me so I wasn't cooking in there. I ran it at max to see what it would do. Staying warm isn't going to be a problem either.

Unlike the Proheat on another truck and other units I'm familiar with, this unit has 2 idle speeds. It only kicks up to the high speed to run the a/c system or the air compressor. For heat or electricity only it runs at low idle on half as much fuel. Run time is about 8 hours per gallon on low and 4 hours per gallon on high. The Proheat was about 4 hours per gallon and ran on high all the time.

I'm fully satisfied with the heating and cooling capability. I'd like to see a shore power option for times when one could plug into an outlet. I'd also like to see an option to adjust the low voltage restart when in monitor mode to be able to match the low voltage cutoff level of the truck. Finally, I'd like to have a way to run the a/c or heat without having to turn the key to the accessory position. Other than those things I wouldn't change a thing about it.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5507, 5508, 5509
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

greg334 · Jul 21, 2006

I find that there is still lacking the knowldge of proper insulation in some of these sleepers. I looked at a few sleepers while they are being put together and find that even though they are using spray on foam and heat barriers there is some lack of knowledge of air space requirments and how to design effective insulated spaces.

I wonder how Phil has decided to fight the latent heat from the engine and tranmission below the cab/sleeper seeing he did this all from scratch? I have here says that the space below contributes up to 35% of the heat in the cab and sleeper area.

I can tell you that since I used the silvery bubble stuff (can't think of the brand name) and tacked it to the interior of the van, I reduced the noise a lot but the heat reduction wasn't noticable until I had an airspace between the heat barrier and the metal. I since have come up with these little plastic standoffs that get mounted to the roof cross members and the stuff sticks to them. Oh I also found that the stuff you get at the depot isn't as good as the stuff they use in aircraft, I got a roll of that last week and it is heavier and want to see the difference when I install the A/C unit.

ATeam · Jul 21, 2006

> You first.

Our truck is nearly new so it may not be a fair comparison to trucks that have a few years on them and have had time to get loosened up from vibration and such.

We're running a Carrier Air V roof unit and Onan, Quiet Diesel, 7,500 watt genset to cool the sleeper. The sleeper is 132" long, built by ARI. That combination with the good insulation in the ARI sleeper is keeping us cool, even sitting in the sun, in parking lots, in 100-degree-plus days. We have yet to turn the Air V unit above the low cool setting and leave it there. If we do, the sleeper gets uncomfortably cold. When driving the truck, the Volvo AC and ARI-installed under bunk unit in the sleeper do the job. Shore power wiring is installed so if we are parked near an ordinary household outlet, we can run the roof unit and all sleeper accessories from there.

We drove a few Freightliner Century Class trucks with factory sleepers and a Western Star also with a factory sleeper before moving into this truck. They were powered by Pro Heat or Rig Master generators. None of them could keep those small sleepers cool on hot days like these.

In a word, the ARI/Carrier/Onan system works, even on the hottest of days.

davekc · Jul 21, 2006

Roof top systems are by far the best as far as staying cool. We have used durotherm and carrier. In the winter, they are marginal at best. We have added ceramic heat for the extreme winters. I would advise the Ateam to follow suit. Roof units work ok until the temp drops under 30 degrees.
A ceramic setup will give you a sauna even when 10 below out.
You can also install 12V flatmount fuel pads on the underside of your sleeper if you want heated floors.
I had to keep my tootsie's warm.

Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

jaminjim · Jul 21, 2006

We are doing pretty well staying hot in the summer and real cold in the winter, wait thats backwards. unfortunatley not what I typed but what the temps are in the truckx( . We don't have a generator.

dieselphreak2K · Jul 22, 2006

I can't remember the last time i shut off the truck or the a/c. An APU is on my list for Santa this year.

rode2rouen · Jul 22, 2006

At the moment, the "Silver Pullet" is not equipped with an APU. I have been using a combination of Breezeway window screens and a pair of computer case cooling fans that I mounted in the upper sleeper windows that pull air out of the sleeper. This set up is pretty effective unless it stays in the 90s. There have been a couple of really humid nights where the M11 has been idled all night.

After much research I will be getting an APU from Executive Air Systems either next week or the week after. Check out: www.etairsystem.com

I wanted a simple unit that has no connection to the OEM HVAC system. Since the International 51" Pro Sleeper doesn't have a huge volume to heat or cool, this unit should do nicely.

Rex

davekc · Jul 22, 2006

Let us know how the system works. My only concern was locations for service. Is there just one or several?

Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

greg334 · Jul 22, 2006

>At the moment, the "Silver Pullet" is not equipped with an
>APU. I have been using a combination of Breezeway window
>screens and a pair of computer case cooling fans that I
>mounted in the upper sleeper windows that pull air out of
>the sleeper. This set up is pretty effective unless it stays
>in the 90s. There have been a couple of really humid nights
>where the M11 has been idled all night.

Rex
I am wondering if you are using those high volume (>100 CFM) fans that can suck the fur off of a cat or the 30 CFM general cooling fans?

rode2rouen · Jul 22, 2006

Greg,

The fans are rated at 34 CFM....the idea here is to be able to sleep comfortably! Combined with the breezeway window screens they move a considerable ammount of air through the cab/sleeper with essentially no noise.

My PC, which my Nerd brother built for me, has 2 100+CFM fans and it sounds like a jet coming in for a landing!!!

Rex

greg334 · Jul 22, 2006

LOL, I know what you mean.

I have five 250 CFM military (24 volt) fans that mounted on a panel for a comm shack. It has a neat controller that stages the fans. One day I hooked it up to my 24 volt power supply and scared the cats into the basement for most of the day. Talk about loud!

But what you did is a good idea - glad it is working.

heel4you · Jul 23, 2006

Greg...
When you can...see if you can remember the materials that your used for noise and heat reduction. I have been looking at some materials on the internet for just this purpose. Mainly for noise reduction. I feel like my hearing is suffering from all of the noise in the truck.
I have not been able to purchase an apu yet. I am enjoying this topic and the information I am getting!! Thanks all!

greg334 · Jul 23, 2006

>When you can...see if you can remember the materials that
>your used for noise and heat reduction. I have been looking
>at some materials on the internet for just this purpose.
>Mainly for noise reduction. I feel like my hearing is
>suffering from all of the noise in the truck.
>I have not been able to purchase an apu yet. I am enjoying
>this topic and the information I am getting!! Thanks all!

Well the silvery bubble pack stuff you can get at Home Depot or Lowes. The aircraft stuff, I have no clue what it is or who makes it - I was given a whole roll and know that the aluminum is really thick in comparison to the other stuff. Now once I put it up, sound went way down and I hope once I decide on what materials to use to remodel the van interior, I will further reduce the noise.

Now the fancy stuff i have used in the past is Dynamat, which can be bought through parts express. there are others out their,

http://www.b-quiet.com/

and

http://www.raamaudio.com

Some of these are really expensive and time consuming to apply. When I ever get the money to finish my burb I will use Dynamat for the entire passenger area, hoping to get Cadillac results.

You must remember that the doors are also a source of road noise.

Hope this helps.