generators etc

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
What is the lastest and greatest in generators/AC/heat for sleepers? The ability to use shore power and have heat and air I think would be a must. Are people going to a generator only using RV type roof mounts or are the sticking with systems that direct drive a compressor? Whats the scoop? Layoutshooter
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I'm hearing of more trucks being built now with an Onan and roof a/c like in motorhomes. I've also been talking to someone who has built a lot of expediter trucks who says the Rigmaster is doing a good job. There appears to be about a $4k premium for the Onan/rooftop over the Rigmaster. I may give the Rigmaster a shot next time but I may go ahead and pay the extra and go rooftop.

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

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
What about some of the battery opporated systems? they use 2 6 volt hi-cap deep cycles to run them. They are claiming a 10 run time on a charge and a 4-6 hour re-charge. Anyone have any experiance with them? Layoutshooter

check out www.nitesystem.com
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
For a van with a bulkhead and minimal space to cool it might be ok but with only 3600 btu cooling it isn't going to do a great job. It would certainly be better than nothing but isn't a match for an APU yet. You also have to consider 4 hrs idling the main engine to recharge is equivalent to approximately 16 hours of APU time. I think it's a good idea that needs to evolve further.

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

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Thanks Leo,

Never looked at it that way. I like the concept but it may have a way to go yet. I really like the 6volt hi-caps. I would like to see them in a traditional storage setup. WAY more capcity and much better life cycle. Layoutshooter
 

garman351

Expert Expediter
(It all comes down to how much you want to spend)

Proheat is JUNK I have heard from to many dealers telling me they are a very bad product.

I'm looking at buying a Thermoking "Tripak" Thermoking has been making refrigeration units for reefers for many years. The best price installed is $8,600 These units will turn them selves on & off automatically and will run on a gallon of diesel fuel for five hours compared to 1 1/2 gallons per hour from idling your truck.

What else is nice they keep your engine water hot in the winter because they are tapped into your trucks water lines. Also if the battery's are discharged to a certain level a senser will start your Tripak to charge up the battery's automatically. My unit will have an outside water proof recepticle so I can run 110 volt it is a $50 option but well worth it.

garman351
 

Broompilot

Veteran Expediter
The problem with T-King is the units heating and cooling accessories will not fit in our expedited trucks. The Pro-Heats and other brands are small enough to fit, (I LOOKED) You have to give up and refit beds etc.. to get it to fit.

I do like the idea of the repair facilities they have.

Yes my pro heat is junk. I have been willing to work through the problems but they just keep comming, I have though now expierenced my first month and half without being in the shop and using it on a regular basis. My total aggrivation on this company is that I have purchased 2 of them. Now this is the real business world and you think I could get an exteneded warranty? NOPE, any reimbursement for DH hundreds of miles NOPE, or when the unit was in to TSI acting up but could not get it to act up even though it showed symptons because it was not broken had to leave. Four nights later it was running and heating but no charge going to the batteries, than it happened completely killed the batteries causing it to stall.
At 2 AM Sunday I was left in freezing rain and snow with NO WHERE TO GO, no lights inside of the truck no nothing and I was behind a Mickey Ds with truck parking. NO WHERE TO GO, called a road service co. that showed up at 8 and charged me $178.00 for a jump. Never was reimbursed, no sorry no nothing bills mailed in also. Now I feel that a company has a responsibility to stranding a customer when one is pointing out that something is wrong. (Main computer board was failing showing all kinds of mishaps to the unit like not starting properly switching temps etc..)

TSI has seen this unit 3 times, 14 repairs since purchased.

My other unit 1 repair in 10 months, I kept the crappy one on my TRUCK go figure....

Research Rig Master, MY VOTE IS FOR NO MORE PRO-HEATS.
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
GEEZ! Sounds like Pro-Heat might not be the way to go eh? I have not looked at the Thermo-King units yet. I know a guy that has one on his truck and he seems to like it. Layoutshooter
 

highway star

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Combining the cooling systems could create a problem. If there is a problem with the APU cooling system you also involve the truck. If there is a problem with the truck you can at least run the APU and stay warm or cool. If you want to keep the engine warm just plug it in.
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Like Thermo King, Carrier Transicold has been building cooling systems for many years. Carrier now has a line of generators but they do not build them themselves. The same may be true of Thermo King. I'm not saying it is, I'm just saying it's something to check before putting your faith in the Thermo King name in a generator purchase.

Who makes Carrier generators? Pro Heat. Carrier purchased exclusive distribution rights to Pro Heat not too long ago. The Pro Heat company continues to build them. Carrier sells and services them.

Broompilot's comment about the circuit board brings up a point. If you have a careless welder working anywhere on the truck, problems can develop, often mysterious problems. Voltage surges from a poorly grounded welder on a truck where sensitive electrical components have not been disconnected may do no harm, may blow out a component, or may weaken a semiconducter in a way that causes intermitent or mysterious readings or outputs in the future.

There is no way for me to know if that is what happened on Broom's truck, and probably no way for anyone to ever know for sure. It's just a theory that maybe welding that occured on Broom's truck when or after the generator was installed that may have contributed to the generator's mysterious problems.
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Does anyone ever make anything themselves anymore? I find it kind of amazing that in this day and age that there is no good alternative to the exsiting systems. They have been using fuel cells in the space program since the 1960's. I wish I had the brain power/money and time to work on this. There has to be a way to greatly reduce the need for a generator if not eliminate it. Layoushooter
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
That's good thinking, Layout. I've read articles about exactly that. People are working on a fuel-cell replacement for truck generators. I think some prototypes are already made, but I don't recall where I heard or read about them.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
>That's good thinking, Layout. I've read articles about
>exactly that. People are working on a fuel-cell replacement
>for truck generators. I think some prototypes are already
>made, but I don't recall where I heard or read about them.

NO NO NO, the brain power needs to be used to get an engine that gets better mileage and lower emissions by burning any fuel first.

As one comical philosopher said in an interview, “it is utterly amazing that we can put a man on the moon in my lifetime but we can get a car that gets better than 30 MPGâ€. He is right I think that our priorities are screwed up.

Also I want to know which expediting company will be the first to accept a hybrid van to be used in regular loads? For that matter the neat hybrid tractor I saw a while ago would be good to see on the road. It would be interesting to see some of the creations of the kids that I have seen. Some of these have been on the road and show better promise than that of the UPS DOE/DOT project. I rather like the 30 MPG on the highway with the serial hybrid.
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I used to get 32mpg from my 1966 Pontiac Tempest. A Model T got better than that. Fuel is not the problem. Engines are not the problem. Weight is. Weight must be moved. It takes BTU's to do that no matter where you get them. Batteries pollute. Burning fuel pollutes. So does breathing.
I am just looking for a cheap way to live on the road. I really find it hard to belive that we have not got past generators etc. I talked to LEAR at M.A.T.S. They are working with the feds to develope a fuel cell. The problem seems to be a sorce of hydrogen that is clean enough. No fuel we have today meets the need. It needs to be cleaner that B-100.
By clean I mean the sulphur content. ( I forget the numbers.) The answer is out there. I just wish I would be the one to come up with it. I would not have to drive anymore then, but then, I would not need a cheap way to live on the road, would I? LOL. Layoutshooter
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
Well Fuel cell technology has come a great distance but until we stop producing hydrogen from sources that produce co and co2, it really defeats the purpose.

I still want to look at those hydrogen generators for trucks, it seems to be something about using brown gas (that is what the end product is from the generator) and IC engines.
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Those hygrongen generators looked interesting at M.A.T.S. The hype bothered me. I don't trust too many hucksters. Fuel cells should take a clean source of hydrogen and it's only by-product will be H2O. I need to figure this out. Let's see, 2 o4 6 volt hi cap batts............. etc.
Whew, tired already. Layoutshooter
 

FAMILYEXPDT

Seasoned Expediter
http://www.blackrockapu.com/



This generator is pretty awesome...not integrated into truck systems...stand alone ...most available cooling and also can come in a 3 cylinder engine. Also after talking to everyone...and I do mena everyone at manufacturing plants for other generators mentioned.....blackrock is only one that condition tests their generators in death valley to make certain they can cool down a truck under the most extreme conditions....very important since our trucks range from 84-102 in sleepers. Check them out



charlotte
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
I heard about them. I saw one at D-C.

I almost got one free today (APU that is), had to make a stop at my local clinic for a random and had a truck lose his APU on the off ramp - he kept going through the turn until he realized something was wrong. He hit something hard in the consturction zone that took this and his flaring off.

Must have been one of those 24 hour trained company driver?
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
The only drawback to the Blackrock system is the limited number of dealers and service facilities. If they get a shipment of defective belts or idler pulleys or whatever (both of which were defective on my current APU through no fault of the APU company but still caused downtime) that will require a trip to a service center of which there are fairly few.

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