Generator and air conditioning feedback

taternuts

Seasoned Expediter
Whichever GenSet you obtain, It is always a good idea to carry extra filters for your unit as you may find yourself due for a service, and not being able to obtain filters.

Most of the popular units that I have seen and maintained are the Rigmaster, or ThermoKings Tri-Pac...
 

twinpopusa

Seasoned Expediter
Been using a Honda 2000 watt gas generator with a built-in invertor for 2 years now. Bought it for 1000 bucks (In Delaware, no state tax!) It burns around 6-10 hours on a gallon of gas. I built a heavy duty vented wood box with a swing-up door on the front of it, and bolted it to my van's rear door, and used heavy metal L-brackets. In the summer, I run a 6000 BTU window AC, mounted in the window of the van's side door. Does well up to around 100 degrees. Over 100, it only cools down to around 80. In the winter, I use a 750-1500 watt electric heater. So far, I haven't needed the 1500 watt setting. I imagine I will when it drops below 20 degrees. There's a little more maintenance involved with the Honda; pouring gas in it, frequent oil changes, pull starting, spark plug change every 2 months or so, etc... , but since we sit every other day in these vans, it makes for some time-killing chores. At least, that's what I tell myself on a cold windy December night at 3 AM in Wisconsin pouring a gas can into the generator...
 
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highway star

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I've never heard of the built-in inverter thing. What would the advantage be to that, as opposed to just generating electricity? Do you run the inverter when the generator isn't running?
 

twinpopusa

Seasoned Expediter
Maybe I'm not too clear exactly what the true definition of an "invertor" is.. I meant that you don't need an invertor and a battery. You plug right in to the generator. So maybe I defined it wrong? Haha, I just drive my van, and don't know bout dem kinds of thangz
 

davelees1

Seasoned Expediter
We have a Powertech APU with 600 hours and it's been on the truck for about 9 months. EVERYTIME we come back home, it's been down. Freightliner has always fixed it, but it has never been running when we've been home and we went home a couple of time last summer because it was down.
We have NEVER been able to have anyone fix it outside of Freightliner, Columbus, OH or Freightliner, Youngstown, OH. Every call ot an authorised dealer results in the same story, one guy works on them and he's on vacation or at school, everytime it's been like this!
 
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