Official APU Thread: What Brand?
- Thread starter Lawrence
- Start date
Teleflex Proheat Gen4 (later Carrier Proheat, then ComfortPro, now Impco Technologies Comfort Pro). Love the Kubota engine, but all the other electronic crap attached.... notsomuch. Good luck finding "the guy that's been to school for it" or the dealer in the Carrier network that wants to fart with it. I believe simpler systems with easily-acquired components (separate heat, air, and generator like the fairly common Onan setup) are the best way to go, IMHO.
So no, not again. Shopping for an Onan now.
So no, not again. Shopping for an Onan now.
Rigmaster
No
Sent from my XT907 using EO Forums mobile app
No
Sent from my XT907 using EO Forums mobile app
The million dollar question is whether there is a good one? Haven't found it so far. That is going from Rigmaster, Proheats, Thermoking, and yes Onan. Onans are ok IF you do your own service work. If not, there are places to work on them (rv dealers & cummins) but seldom do they get you in right away and half the time they have no parts. TA and most speedcos won't touch them. That is probably a good thing. Been our experience so far.
Since they have redone the proheat, it seems to be the best of them so far. One year on the newest of those and so far trouble free. Can't say that on any of the others.
Since they have redone the proheat, it seems to be the best of them so far. One year on the newest of those and so far trouble free. Can't say that on any of the others.
purgoose10
Veteran Expediter
I'll second this. I have 3 new Pro Heats on new trucks. So far so good but they're only 6 months old.
I also had a RigMaster that was the worst of the worst.
ChanceMaster
Expert Expediter
Had one of the first tripacs ( even before TK acquired them ) a real work horse, but under extreme Laredo type temps. It would barely keep stock sleeper comfortable.
Proheat, IT SUCKS! 11K out the door installed. The shore power sorta works. It heats and charges. The A/C has never worked on shore power. The A/C is barely keeping up here in Houston today. Does OK if it is just sorta hot out. The heat can keep up but not in extreme cold. We can, however, use a "cube" heater along with the APU heat since this model, the standalone, Proheat has a 6K generator. That works correctly.
I could have bought a car with working AC for what this junk costs.
I could have bought a car with working AC for what this junk costs.
psm127_dad
Seasoned Expediter
I have heard the new Comfort Pro is much improved. I have a question about your A/C vents... are they on or near the floor? If so, I'd find a shop or do it myself & move the vents up high. The Proheat A/C is 12,000 BTUs. Roof mount A/C is mostly 13,000 BTU unless you get the upgrade to 15,000. These roof mount units will freeze you out, but it is because the air is coming from the top & working with the laws of physics.
ELW out of Columbus, Ohio will install a new Pro Heat for about $8,600 out the door. www.elwcompany.com/
hope this helps,
That is who did our install there in Columbus on the last one. 8500 (including install) and they used bentz duct work so the ac blows out the top vents. Seems to work pretty good and trouble free so far. Only thing outside of oil changes is having them change the belts. So far so good.
I have one vent on the floor, one in the center and one up near the roof. Mine, the stand alone model, with shore power was 11K. I will NEVER own another APU that runs off of the truck cooling system, that shut me down and caused a TON Of troubles.
Mine was new less than a year ago. The ONLY thing that works well is the generator and engine, at least so far. It will be going BACK into the shop for the 5th time when I go home in September. PURE JUNK! Right now it is 96 outside and the best it can do is 82 in the sleeper. MUCH hotter up in the cab. USELESS! Total waste of money. I figured it would be. I ONLY bought one because I am more or less required too to meet the stupid idle laws.
How would it shut you down? You should have valves up at the engine/cab that shut off the coolant in the event of a leak. If not, I would put them on. Cheap insurance and easy to install.
On the AC, it sounds like low freon or dirty condensor. In Laredo at 107 outside it cooled the inside to 70. Might be stressed in Arizona if it was 115. The 107 is the hottest we have had it in. Been in AZ but not stopped long enough to see what it would do.
On the AC, it sounds like low freon or dirty condensor. In Laredo at 107 outside it cooled the inside to 70. Might be stressed in Arizona if it was 115. The 107 is the hottest we have had it in. Been in AZ but not stopped long enough to see what it would do.
How did it shut me down? A line blew while driving and that was that. I had shutoff on it. We did not know it blew until the gauges went whacko and it started overheating. Got it off the side of the road and shut it down. Had to have a truck come out and replace lines.
The freon was JUST checked on Wednesday last week. It was right a 3.5LBS. New pressure switch put in. the condensor was checked and it was clean. It worked fine until today. Who knows what went out this time, expansion valve maybe?
OOPS! Sorry, I was talking about the truck AC. The APU was just serviced 3 weeks ago at Carrier of Detroit. The freon was right. Condensor is clean. It has NEVER cooled the truck from day one. They did replace a "relay" on the shore power, told me it worked now. It ran for 30 minutes at the house and shut down again. JUNK!
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Ok...I guess I am not understanding. We carry a couple of gallons of anti-freeze and that should have been enough to top of the engine with the valves closed.
No answer on the AC. If they said they fixed it, I guess it would depend at what temp it was blowing at the vent. If not between 55 and 60 degrees, that is a AC problem. It won't fix itself if the truck is poorly insulated and that is the problem. The temperature at the vent is the main thing. No answer on the shore power. We haven't had any issues with that part.
No answer on the AC. If they said they fixed it, I guess it would depend at what temp it was blowing at the vent. If not between 55 and 60 degrees, that is a AC problem. It won't fix itself if the truck is poorly insulated and that is the problem. The temperature at the vent is the main thing. No answer on the shore power. We haven't had any issues with that part.
Do you do your own oil changes and that type of stuff?