Making some changes to my generator's appearance

[Rev.Vassago]

So there has been some active discussions regarding my generator system that I've been building for my truck. As promised, here are some pics of it.



The box is made of 1/8" steel, and is bolted to the frame in six spots.



There is a double door that splits in the middle.



With the top open, everything inside is fairly easily accessible. The generator is bolted directly to the box, which is lined with sound deadening material. More sound deadening material will be added tomorrow (I ran out).



There is a 12V radiator fan in the rear which moves 500 cubic feet per minute. There are two vents - one on the left side, and one on the right.



The exhaust runs the entire length of the frame, and exits out the back.

I removed the fuel tank already, and Peterbilt will be running fuel lines to the generator for me on Monday.

I have a little bit of work to do tonight, and I'll take some pics of the A/C system.

Any and all criticism on this build is welcome. As I am flying blind here, if you think I've done something incorrectly, by all means - point it out.

[Heavy Duty]

You sure it's not this one.


Looks good, a few hours of test running in summer heat should find any flaws. make sure you put a in line fuel filter and leave the fuel pickup a inch or two above the bottom of the tank. mine is water cooled and I use a point and shoot infrared thermometer to check the running temp.

[Rev.Vassago]

Looks good, a few hours of test running in summer heat should find any flaws.

Since that fan is designed to cool a car, I have no doubts it will cool this generator. My only concern is the exhaust pipe, and that the heat will affect the sound deadening material. I may get some exhaust wrap tomorrow to wrap the area that is inside the box.

make sure you put a in line fuel filter

It's on my list of things to get tomorrow. :wink:

and leave the fuel pickup a inch or two above the bottom of the tank.

The fuel pickups are already installed in the tank. Peterbilt was nice enough to install a supply and return line at the factory specifically for running an APU.

mine is water cooled and I use a point and shoot infrared thermometer to check the running temp.

I think I may invest in a thermometer to see what kind of running temps I'm getting.

Here's some pics of the vents:




Now on to the air conditioner. Please note that I will be having a louvered surround built for it to cover the exterior, which will be painted the same cream color as the truck.





The only issue I've run into with the AC is that the water drips down the side of the truck. I think the best solution for that is to have a small channel built to direct it away from the truck about an inch or so. I'm sure I'll always run into issues with it splashing on the truck, but I wash it on a regular basis, so I don't see that it will stain the side of the truck.

The AC unit sticks out about one inch on the top, and about 3/4" on the bottom. I've had several people look at the truck already, and most didn't even notice there was an air conditioner in the window.

The AC puts out 12,000 BTU, and I've had it running on and off for a couple of days already, and it keeps the sleeper at a nice temperature. It does not seem to have enough power to keep the cab cool though. As far as noise, it compares to a standard metal 12V fan, so it isn't too terrible. The body of the AC is over the bed about 6 inches, which I can live with.

[allan5oh]

Aren't the side vents of the AC system supposed to be outside?

[Rev.Vassago]

Aren't the side vents of the AC system supposed to be outside?

I thought the same thing, but the only vents that really need to be outside are the ones for the condenser (which are at the back of the unit). The front ones are used for fresh air, as opposed to recirculating air. Since I'm recirculating air anyway, it isn't an issue. I discussed this at length with someone who services AC units.

If you feel the outside of a window mounted AC unit, you'll notice that all the heat is at the rear of the unit. That's because the condenser is mounted at the rear, and is the only part that gets hot.

[Big John]

Do you now how much it weighs Rev.?

[mike3fan]

Rev,look for gutter spouts at any Rv dealer I use them on my camper to keep the rain from running down the sides of the wall,they redirect the water about 2 inches away from the edge.You may have to do some modification but I think you can handle it :wink:

[Rev.Vassago]

Do you now how much it weighs Rev.?

Somewhere around 400 lbs, including the AC. The generator is 219 lbs, the box is around 100 lbs, and the AC is about 60 lbs.

Rev,look for gutter spouts at any Rv dealer I use them on my camper to keep the rain from running down the sides of the wall,they redirect the water about 2 inches away from the edge.

Thanks, I'll look into that.

You may have to do some modification but I think you can handle it :wink:

[Big John]

I like that box Rev. Very sharp but I think I would have painted it with some mexican chrome instead of black.

I just put a rigmaster on and I think you saved alot of money their with your apu.

[hamboner]

To have such a nice truck that exhaust pipe looks pretty hideous! Is there not a way to dump the exhaust where it will be hidden? I just can't see someone screwing up the good looks of a truck like that by jamming a window unit in a sleeper window! You never cease to amaze me Rev. at some of the **** you come up with! With as much money as you spent on that truck a couple a months ago you could have the best APU on the market and could have probably put a big sleeper on it too! No way I could ruin a truck by doing that. If you put a louvered cover on that condenser you are going to drastically reduce the cooling suface area of that unit and it is not going to work half as good as it does now. I hate to be so critical, but IMO you just ruined the looks of that truck. I would hate to hear that thing rattling in the window going down the road.

[Rev.Vassago]

Here's what I have invested in the system at this point:

Generator - $809
Air Conditioner - $216
Box - $600
Misc parts and labor - $300 (approx.)

______________

TOTAL - $1925

It should take me between 1 1/2 - 2 months to recoup the costs of this system.

[Rev.Vassago]

To have such a nice truck that exhaust pipe looks pretty hideous!

Considering the exhaust pipe is completely hidden, I don't see where the issue is...

Is there not a way to dump the exhaust where it will be hidden?

There is. Along the frame rail, where I have it now. I may end up painting it with high temp black paint, at which point it will blend in even better. With a trailer hooked to the truck, you'd have to climb underneath to even see it at this point.

I just can't see someone screwing up the good looks of a truck like that by jamming a window unit in a sleeper window!

It's hardly "jammed". A lot of planning went into the placement of the AC unit. I chose the location because of the fact that I could put it back to stock quite easily.

You never cease to amaze me Rev. at some of the $&!+ you come up with! With as much money as you spent on that truck a couple a months ago you could have the best APU on the market and could have probably put a big sleeper on it too!

Really? Here I thought that the "best APU on the market" cost about $11,000, and large sleepers cost between $80,000 and $100,000. I wasn't aware that I spent between $91,000 and $111,000 on the work I had done.

If you put a louvered cover on that condenser you are going to drastically reduce the cooling suface area of that unit and it is not going to work half as good as it does now.

Considering the cover will be approx. 2" away from the unit, I fail to see how that is possible.

I hate to be so critical, but IMO you just ruined the looks of that truck. I would hate to hear that thing rattling in the window going down the road.

I'd hate to hear it rattling in the window too. It's a good thing that it doesn't, but rather is secured with 8 bolts, and is mounted to a 1/4" steel table.

As I've stated on several occasions, this is the solution that works for me. I don't have $9000 - $11,000 to invest in an APU system at this time, but I still needed to come up with an idling solution. This idling solution works for me. Will the window unit become permanent? I don't know. I've already taken the AC apart to see how it is put together, and have contemplated separating the condenser from the main unit, so I can install the condenser on the back of the sleeper, and the main unit under the bunk. But I lack the time to do that at this point.

One thing I pride myself on is the fact that when I experiment with things like this, I make sure that they are capable of being disassembled and returned to stock. This is no different than when I installed the seats from a 64 Impala. I could have this entire APU system off the truck in about a half a day, and you'd never know it was ever there.

[Doghouse]

You could get an exhaust elbow that has a 1&1/4 fitting welded to it , then the exhaust just goes up your stack.
Did you have to install a fuel pump?
You should def. put a thermometer inside there to check for heat, if it gets too hot, you could always just open the top while you run it. Its better to make some noise than start a truck fire.
Your roof is flat isn't it? if so a roof RV AC unit is a possibility in the future.
My unit cools my sleeper down to 63 degrees even when its 100+ out.

[BigDiesel]

Someone humor me please..... Where does the window go when the A/C unit is in, and what about rolling down the road ??? Does the A/C unit come out ???

[Heavy Duty]

With as much money as you spent on that truck a couple a months ago you could have the best APU on the market and could have probably put a big sleeper on it too!

Big sleepers are for fat old drivers, besides no one can afford one where he works. Plus they are a lot of trouble.

Best think about covers for the vents before winter. louvers won't hurt the output of the AC as long as they don't restrict airflow. How many watts is the generator?

[Big John]

Rev what is the diamond plate cover above your microwave oven for?

[Rev.Vassago]

You could get an exhaust elbow that has a 1&1/4 fitting welded to it , then the exhaust just goes up your stack.

That would work if my exhaust were anywhere near the generator, but it isn't.

Did you have to install a fuel pump?

No. It has a fuel pump already built in, which is one of the reasons I went with this unit.

You should def. put a thermometer inside there to check for heat, if it gets too hot, you could always just open the top while you run it. Its better to make some noise than start a truck fire.

Chicks dig fire. If heat becomes an issue, I've got room to install a second (or larger) fan.

Your roof is flat isn't it? if so a roof RV AC unit is a possibility in the future.

It is, but there's a wing in the way. I had originally planned for a rooftop AC unit, but there just isn't enough room.

My unit cools my sleeper down to 63 degrees even when its 100+ out.

My AC will cool down to 60 degrees. I'm not sure if it gets that cold, but I've gotten goosebumps while sitting in the sleeper.

Someone humor me please..... Where does the window go when the A/C unit is in, and what about rolling down the road ??? Does the A/C unit come out ???

No it doesn't. I disassembled the window to put the AC in. I had planned (and even built) a new removable plexiglass window, but I found that the size and bulk of the AC unit made it impossible to move in and out. The unit is only out as far as it needs to be, which is about an inch.

With as much money as you spent on that truck a couple a months ago you could have the best APU on the market and could have probably put a big sleeper on it too!

Big sleepers are for fat old drivers, besides no one can afford one where he works. Plus they are a lot of trouble.

Yeah - I hear refilling the water tank is a bitch.

Best think about covers for the vents before winter. louvers won't hurt the output of the AC as long as they don't restrict airflow.

The entire unit will be removed during the winter months, and the original window reinstalled.

How many watts is the generator?

6000 watts.

[Jumbo]

The only thing I can point out is how much bracing holds up the unit on the inside? It doesn't look like alot in the picture but I am sure you either have it hidden or aren't done with it yet. The balance is off and might vibrate on bumpy roads more then you think.

[Rev.Vassago]

Rev what is the diamond plate cover above your microwave oven for?

When I installed my 20" flat screen TV, I had a big opening where the old TV went. I turned it into storage by installing a hinged door.

Here's some more pics of that "hideous" exhaust
(pardon the crappy pictures, as I've been using my camera phone all day and it was getting dark out)

[allan5oh]

I thought the same thing, but the only vents that really need to be outside are the ones for the condenser (which are at the back of the unit).

So then where does the air go after drawn through the condenser?

edit:

where does it come from rather... it goes out the condenser...