[Musicman]

Originally Posted by BanditsCousin

My truck stays very cool in Vegas in 100+ degree weather. I have a newer unit, a white truck, and a 86" studio sleeper. It might be that the unit was newer, but I doubt it. I have no complaints, but it won't cool you all too well up front in the seats.

I've heard a few complaints about the Tripac's cooling ability, so i could be an exception, or easily pleased. I also noticed the Arctic package only makes the APU run more, and I'm still finding out how it warms the coolant (being my first winter). Overall, I'm happy with the Tripac.

I can just about guarantee it won’t warm your coolant worth a damn. I’m sure it will keep it from freezing, but that should be a moot point anyway if you’re running a 50/50 coolant mix. Your Espar heater will roast your butt right out of the truck. That, IMHO is one of the good things about the TriPac.

With our unit, it would barely keep the sleeper cool in the hottest weather if you kept the curtains closed; but with a spouse and a cat in the truck, it’s nice to be able to keep the curtains open when you’re parked for any length of time. I think the biggest problem with cooling is that the TriPac (and most other APUs as well) doesn’t move enough air. That’s one of the primary reasons we bought a different APU for our new truck. The APU we have now blows about five times harder on the highest fan setting as the sleeper’s OEM HVAC system does.

[Musicman]

Originally Posted by allan5oh

Thanks, didn't know that. A few people have asked if you can run both at the same time, how do you actually do it?

Just start up the TriPac while the truck is already running. It’s that simple. If you ever run the batteries down to a point where they will not quite turn your truck engine over, you can start up your TriPac and let it run for ten minutes or so to put a quick charge in the batteries. The TriPac’s starter requires much less power to turn it than does the starter on your truck. You can also start the truck up while the TriPac is running and use that little extra boost from the APU’s alternator to get you going. Just keep in mind if you ever are in a situation like we were, where you needed to run off the TriPac’s alternator, that it is only a 65 amp alternator. When alternators heat up their amperage output drops quite a bit, so after a while you may be only getting 35 amps or so from the TriPac’s alternator. You can run your truck off of the TriPac’s juice, but I would turn off all non essential high power consuming devices, like the truck's HVAC blower, CBs with big amps, etc., especially if it is at night and you need to use your headlights. You can also run your TriPac to keep cool while driving if you lose the AC compressor on your truck. We did that for a day, too and it worked out pretty well. Having an APU gives you a lot of options that others without an APU don’t have, you just have to be creative.

[allan5oh]

Most tripacs are set up to turn off as soon as the key is on.

[Musicman]

I also might add that there is an $80 option available that many companies elect to have installed that will prevent you from running the truck and the TriPac at the same time. If the truck is a company truck, you may not be able to run both at once. Since it was my truck, I wanted the extra possibilities that are available to me by being able to simultaneously run the APU and my truck. In the end it was a good decision, as it saved me a tow in just the 10 months we had it before our truck was stolen.

[Musicman]

Originally Posted by allan5oh

Most tripacs are set up to turn off as soon as the key is on.

That would be the $80 option I was referring to.

[Walking Eagle]

My Tripack has been slightly modified, in that I put a bigger altinator on it. I have 148 inch ARI sleeper with all the goodies, Micro, AC/Heat, oven, freezer, lights etc. and it keeps up with them all ! I have two 3000 watt invertors hooked up to different things but have never got a low volt warning ! If the batteries get low it fires up and charges them. At night, just watching satilite TV, with a few lightd on, it doesn't even fire up (Carrier for 110 volts it has to be running)
Tri Pack is the best around !

[Musicman]

Originally Posted by Walking Eagle

My Tripack has been slightly modified, in that I put a bigger altinator on it. I have 148 inch ARI sleeper with all the goodies, Micro, AC/Heat, oven, freezer, lights etc. and it keeps up with them all ! I have two 3000 watt invertors hooked up to different things but have never got a low volt warning ! If the batteries get low it fires up and charges them. At night, just watching satilite TV, with a few lightd on, it doesn't even fire up (Carrier for 110 volts it has to be running)
Tri Pack is the best around !

Hmmmmm, wonder what I could power with my 400 amps from two alternators?

[big-trucker]

Originally Posted by Sammonman

Look at the Pony Packs. Much more simple and over 20 years of experience.

Whatever you do dont buy a Pony Pack in this case 20 years exp dont mean nothing

[big-trucker]

Originally Posted by TomB985

I parked next to a truck with that Pony Pack APU a few weeks ago...and I ended up moving in the middle of the night! That thing is LOUD!!!!

But, loud as it is, it may be cheaper than an $8k tripac.....

No just as pricey and even more with all the repairs you will need and nowhere to get them done and they are very loud too

[mikeymike]

I have had my tripac a few months now and I LOVE IT. I have a volvo 670 and my tripac heats and cools it VERY well. Also mine has 2 ducts that they installed under/front side of bunk. I got the inverter 1800 watt and it cost me an additional $400. Sometimes I will get that dreaded beep noise for batt power before the unit starts up but I attributed that to 2 things. First thing is I only have 3 batteries (seems that most folks have 4) and then mine are only 700 amp, so i figured that had sumthin to do with it. Any ideas?