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Battery Powered HVAC

jjoerger

jjoerger

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Army
Is anyone using a battery powered HVAC unit?
I am interested in something like the NITE or Climacab system.
How well will it heat and cool a 72 inch sleeper?
How long will it run before recharge?
How long does it take to recharge while driving or idling?
Any recommendations?
I have seen Schaffer and Crete trucks with some type of battery powered system mounted in the side door under the bunk. Does anyone know who makes it?
If anyone who makes it to MATS this month sees anything like this I would appreciate any info you can find. I doubt I'll be able to get there this year.
 
jjoerger

jjoerger

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Army
greg334 said:
All good questions but this should be in the truck forum.
Click to expand...

I asked it in the General forum as I thought the replys might be of interest to all members, not just those that are interested in technical issues pertaining to a specific vehicle. I for one really have no interest in the charging system of an E350.
As Expediters we all have to deal with the issue of staying warm or cool while waiting for the next load. And since this is a great forum for gaining real world information on a specific subject I welcome all replys about these systems.
A lot of the discussions I read in the General forum should be in the Soapbox or Layover Lounge.
I always attempt to post in the forum that I believe will garner the most constructive replys from the audience I am targeting.
Questions specific to my truck go in Truck Talk.
Questions specific to my carrier go in the FedEx forum.
And questions regarding general information go in the General forum.
 
greg334

greg334

Veteran Expediter
Whoa, take it easy, I didn't mean to ruffle feathers, my comments weren't directed to you, but to the mods themselves.
 
jjoerger

jjoerger

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Army
greg334 said:
Whoa, take it easy, I didn't mean to ruffle feathers, my comments weren't directed to you, but to the mods themselves.
Click to expand...

No feathers ruffled. I was just explaining why I posted here. Now the mods will understand too.:)
 
greg334

greg334

Veteran Expediter
Have you called Espar of Michigan by the way?

I would call them and talk to them too, and see if they have some literature they can send you.
 
jjoerger

jjoerger

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Army
I have talked to Espar of Michigan and they will be installing my heater when I get up near them.
I am really interested in the Climacab system by Glacier Bay as it seems to be more efficent and more powerful than NITE. More expensive too.
I am also really interested in the ones in the Crete trucks. Had a driver tell me he ran the AC for 24 hours without recharging, but he couldn't remember who made it and was in a hurry to leave at the time.
My thinking is that if I can get 12 to 14 hours of battery time and recharge in 6 hours I would be burning less fuel than a diesel APU and not have any additional maintenance.
(For California I'll just drive onto the Interstate and sit in traffic until it's recharged)
 
Turtle

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
I run a battery powered H and V, but not the AC part of HVAC. I have an Espar heater which handles the H, and a FanTastic Fan Vent which handles the V.
 
piper1

piper1

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I run the Arctic Breeze system, have had good luck with it. I have a friend with a fleet who runs the Nite system and he has good luck with his.

Few things to remember,

1)good, proper batteries and proper charging of them will make all the difference
2) whatever the sales guy promises you for cooling performance, discount it by one third
3) if its 95 and humid, none of the systems will pull your bunk down to 65 and last 8-10 hours
 
highway star

highway star

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
The systems you mentioned are good for an OTR driver that takes a 10 and continues on, not so much for the extended sitting times we experience in expedite.

Greg's right, this a truck forum subject. With the thread titled as it is, you'll get folks that want to read or respond to this issue.
 
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greg334

greg334

Veteran Expediter
I forgot to mention that if this is in one of those 'add on' sleepers, make sure that you rip out the insulation and put new stuff in unless it was made within a couple years.
 
jw-bama

jw-bama

Seasoned Expediter
i have ran one of the nite systems for the last 2 years and loved it. it takes about 4 hours of charging to get it to about 80% and it will run about 8 hours. thats with the 4 battery system. if i was layed over somewhere i would chillout in the truck stop during the hottest part of the day and then run my truck about 4 hours then shut it off and go to bed.if you have questions i will try to help.
 
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