Tax Credits, Big Fleet Advantages and APU Prices

[Duck]

He does raise a legitimate point though.

And there is a "factory option" to it also. Tripak has their " stand by mode" as well as having a toggle switch to control standby

I have considered installing it for just the reason duck suggested. Which is harmful to the espar heater allowing the burn chamber to foul.

Some trucks are set up so the bunk heater stays on when you start the truck but shuts off when you release the brakes. That would be OK except for they would re-light when you set the brakes again, like at the fuel island. If it would turn off & stay off, it would be better.
Or just have it fully manual with a switch on the dash but thermostat in the bunk.

 

[mndriver]

Id love to wire the bunk heater that way. The big issue with wanting the engine shut down is to ensure that both the apu and the mai n alternators don't try to "charge" the other one. Bat things happen to them when that happens.

Partly why I don't get too worried about wiring in a bypass switch. Other things have been my priority. Like turbos and wiring in a factory pyrometer.

 

[Duck]

Id love to wire the bunk heater that way. The big issue with wanting the engine shut down is to ensure that both the apu and the mai n alternators don't try to "charge" the other one. Bat things happen to them when that happens.

Partly why I don't get too worried about wiring in a bypass switch. Other things have been my priority. Like turbos and wiring in a factory pyrometer.

I was talking about the espar heater.

 

[mndriver]

We both are. The purpose of standby though is to stop the engine from running to prevent double charge situations. Tripac setup the controls though so that it all shuts down, espar too.

Annoying? Yes. Tolerable? Yes.

 

[Duck]

We both are. The purpose of standby though is to stop the engine from running to prevent double charge situations. Tripac setup the controls though so that it all shuts down, espar too.

Annoying? Yes. Tolerable? Yes.

On the control panel there's a button that turns off just the APU. Why can't they just have it kill the APU & leave the rest of the system alone?

They just don't think things through.
Probably some college boy who thinks that as soon as you start the truck, it's instantly warmed up.
I don't start up cold truck engines and immediately put them to work.

 

[mndriver]

So long as you use your head about it, you can. Start it, let it get oil pressure and go. You don't need it to full operating temp to leave.

 

[Duck]

So long as you use your head about it, you can. Start it, let it get oil pressure and go. You don't need it to full operating temp to leave.

You do with this truck.
If you try giving it any kind of throttle at all when it's cold, it does a nice impression of a bull at a rodeo.
It's a Cat thing I guess.

 

[8978]

Have multiple alternators will not overcharge batteries. They have voltage regulators in them. A battery charger does not and goes all out and keeps going to the point you boil the batteries. A battery tender has a voltage regulator like an alternator and is meant to be left on 24/7

An ambulance has two 300 amp alternators running all the time when the engine is running and is also plugged into shore power when at the station. Shore power is also a battery tender and will not overcharge your batteries. You can even idle the ambulance and have it plugged into shore power and no harm will be done.

Many companies have the Tripac startup every time the engine is shut off and stay on until the truck engine is started again. This is to keep the batteries in top notch charge all the time. Times have changed a lot in the past 10 years. TV's, microwaves, fridge, DVD player, laptop charging and the biggest pig of all is the Espar. You can only drain a battery so many times before the plates become so thin they have no reserve cranking power.

 

[8978]

I have considered installing it for just the reason duck suggested. Which is harmful to the espar heater allowing the burn chamber to foul.

Yup, that will carbon up the unit. It does need to come up to temp. During the initial startup of the Espar it goes into what is called Boost mode where the chamber gets very hot then settles back down.

 

[Duck]

A battery tender has a voltage regulator like an alternator and is meant to be left on 24/7

Not all of them.
The cheaper ones are nothing but a 1500 milliamp power supply. If left on something like a motorcycle with a small battery, it'll eventually boil out all the acid.

 

[8978]

Not all of them.
The cheaper ones are nothing but a 1500 milliamp power supply. If left on something like a motorcycle with a small battery, it'll eventually boil out all the acid.

Your probably right with the cheaper ones. Mine cost me $175. You can read the specs for one right off the box and it will tell you. For small batteries your best bet is to buy one from a Honda lawn mower dealer. They are meant to be left on until the Spring

 

[Duck]

I have two little 1.5 amp maintainers. $20 at farm and fleet. Made in some far away place where they eat dogs & cats & ride around on dragons.

I just put them on a battery once a month and take them off the next day.

 

[8978]

I had to buy a big expensive one. The small ones won't charge 4 batteries while the Espar is keeping the inside warm at 50 degrees when I'm home during the winter.

 

[mndriver]

Have multiple alternators will not overcharge batteries. They have voltage regulators in them. A battery charger does not and goes all out and keeps going to the point you boil the batteries. A battery tender has a voltage regulator like an alternator and is meant to be left on 24/7

An ambulance has two 300 amp alternators running all the time when the engine is running and is also plugged into shore power when at the station. Shore power is also a battery tender and will not overcharge your batteries. You can even idle the ambulance and have it plugged into shore power and no harm will be done.

Many companies have the Tripac startup every time the engine is shut off and stay on until the truck engine is started again. This is to keep the batteries in top notch charge all the time. Times have changed a lot in the past 10 years. TV's, microwaves, fridge, DVD player, laptop charging and the biggest pig of all is the Espar. You can only drain a battery so many times before the plates become so thin they have no reserve cranking power.

It's also been wired correctly for all that to work with isolators too.

Apples and oranges.

 

[Duck]

I had to buy a big expensive one. The small ones won't charge 4 batteries while the Espar is keeping the inside warm at 50 degrees when I'm home during the winter.

At home I just shut down all the electrical stuff except the fridge and shut off the truck and the APU.
In winter, the fridge won't be working much, or at all, if you turn off the espar heater and let it get cold in the cab.

 

[8978]

Not sure what you mean by isolator? That's a type of insulation. But no, no special wiring needed. Keep in mind, you can have a brand new battery in your car and run for 30 days straight and it won't over charge your batteries. A battery charger on the other hand will reach voltages of 17 and 18 volts and won't stop.

 

[mndriver]

I've worked on ambulance too.

twin alternators. BIG ONES.
battery shut-offs. BIG ONES
Batteries. Several BIG ONES
Isolators. pretty much just diodes in them. Allows them to keep the battery banks for starting and for those running the aux equipment separate. BIG ONES.

And semi's are wired no where near like an ambulance is/was. They have life support equipment that has completely different power requirements than we ever will. I can about imagine what a families (lawyers) response would be if someone died because of a cobbled together electrical system.

http://www.batterymart.com/p-303306-001-quick-cable-200amp-battery-isolator.html

 

[Kiwi303]

I'm hall monitor this evening and you sir, are on the "watch" list!

Interesting watch list you have...

Mine is mostly porn!

 

[Copperhead]

My inverter is also a battery charger unit. I just run a Yamaha portable generator that is mounted in a box on the frame rail if I am going to be sitting for a while and using a fair amount of hotel load, to keep batteries up. Box has removable vents, so the generator can run right in the box out of weather and secure. Gets about 10 hours out of gallon of gas. Nice and quiet. When at home, I leave fridge, bunk heater (in winter), etc all on and just plug into shore power to keep batteries up. Oh, and the generator also runs a oil pan heater on the engine for those colder nights. Engine starts almost as well as using a block heater. Heat rises out of the oil pan and keeps the lower part of the engine warm. Even with all of that, the generator lasts a full 10 hr break on a gallon of gas.

Maybe not quite as versatile as a full blown APU, but a darn sight cheaper to buy, run, and maintain. And total weight of everything, inverter/charger, oil pan heater, generator, box on frame rail, is about 100 lb. And unlike an APU, I can pull the generator out of the box and use it around the home property for different things I need power for.

 

[mndriver]

Not sure what you mean by isolator? That's a type of insulation. But no, no special wiring needed. Keep in mind, you can have a brand new battery in your car and run for 30 days straight and it won't over charge your batteries. A battery charger on the other hand will reach voltages of 17 and 18 volts and won't stop.

Last week was a nice reminder why the standby gets left on.

If the engine AND the APU are running, the controller gives an ALT fault and shuts down the engine.