APU....? hard to say all depends on ware you run and what you need 8k-10k is alot to spend if you don't NEED it for us and the run we have it would take (@ $4 a gal) over 7 years to save what an APU cost. not counting breakdowns and maintenance BUT we only idle at most 16hr's a week when it's hot or cold in chicago.

i don't like battery APU's, why...? only good for maybe 10 hr's so it's no good for a 34hr restart. your fuel milage will be less as you are using the BIG motor to recharge the batteries, more wear and tear on the alternator having to recharge the batteries everyday.

diesel APU's..... 8-10 grand, at or over 400LB....... loud well over 72db (ever parked next to one...?), STINK (ever walk passed one). may not be legal in CA and other states.

if i was to get an APU it would be a Propane APU Pricing at $4,400 for the base APU less than 320lb w/ac, only 63db. is epa & carb approved for all 50 states and anyone can install the base apu at home and add the ac later.

just m 2 cents

Thermoking in Sikeston, MO is doing a special on the Tri-Pac. I was quoted $9,000 installed, and they put on a "stand-by" switch which allows the unit to ONLY charge your batteries and keep engine temp at 150*. They told me the newer models have this as the pre-2011 don't. I asked the difference and he said it only runs on half-power while your away or something so it consumes .01 gal fuel compared to the .02 it uses per hour when you are running the a/c and inverter???

I'm going with Thermoking only because they can be serviced in more places and also the warranty seems beter from those I know who have them compared to Blackrock and Rigmaster

I am completely satisfied with my tri-pac , I didnt need any kind of stand by switch, you just turn the unit on, hit the control button until no heat or air mode is selected, it will then just monitor batteries and engine temp, maybe that is what he was talking about, what is real nice is when I get home, I can leave it in monitor mode and I can leave my refrigerator running and not run the batteries down

Probably. My company requires that I park my truck at a secured yard when I'm off (due to haz-mat load) and seeing it gets down to -30 here in Chicago during the winter, it would be really nice to not have to haul my generator and batt charger with me each time I go to start the rig.
Hopefully tho, I will be able to just drop the trailer this winter and park it indoors at my shop this winter :)

APUs are now available with add-ons that make them CARB compliant beyond 2014. There are so many varieties that you can’t generalize. Mine is quieter than most (sitting in the sleeper, you can’t even hear it most of the time), and it’s got a “Tier III” motor that is legal on my truck for three more years at which time I can add a DPF to keep it legal if I choose. I also don’t have to use it to keep my batteries charged when I’m home, I just plug into an outlet and forget about it.

My first APU was a TriPak we bought new in 2006. It was okay, but the Espar heater would roast you if you weren’t careful and the AC system wouldn't keep the truck cool enough to be comfortable if you were parked out in the desert in the summer. We also had the package that monitors your engine temp. The problem with that was that that little APU wouldn’t generate enough heat to keep my CAT motor’s engine hot, so it would run nearly all the time.

I agree that APUs in their current iteration are not the perfect solution, but right now it’s probably the best solution. Battery technology isn’t sophisticated enough yet and IMO propane or any other compressed gases are dangerous and inconvenient.

musicman what apu do you have?

Comfortmaster. The funny thing is, that as good as this APU is, I really wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. The company has been having some real problems and for the last year or more, I get the feeling they really aren’t even up and running. I did just see where they are selling some new units at a discounted price, but I don’t know if they are really back in business or what.

The concept and design of this APU kicks butt and all the parts can be bought from outside sources, but still… if I had to do it over, and I’m sure I will the next time I buy another truck, I’d probably get a TriPak. I think they and most other APUs underperform, but I could make do with one and you can get them worked on just about everywhere, and that is extremely important, IMO.

When I did my research, i found that the Blackrock would suffice for my needs. and seeing how it's constructed doing the servce on it isn't that ig of a deal, You probably could do it yourself. I was considering going that route, and I even had the chek ready to mail out one nice afternoon to buy one of them, than the next day the turbo blew. lol. back to rsearch mode I went...

musicman, i never heard of that apu before. it seems kinda big though? i do like that you can mount the unit to the catwalk though.

i have kicked around the idea of doing a honda generator. i'm looking at a 780 volvo that has the inverter already in the truck. portable ac unit/heater. the problems i see are.. a pain to keep getting gas, and cant really charge the truck batterys if needed.

How is it a pain to keep getting gas? Carry a 3 gallon can and walk around front of the truckstop and get some. I mean, I know you can't park at the gasoline fuel islands and go take a shower and all, but a little feets travel never hurt nobody LOL

And as for the batteries, just carry a small craftsman portable charger with you. If they go dead and u cant restart the truck, then just hook it up to your generator.

I honestly would just prefer a regular old APU but to each their own.

Blackrock went out of business....... so you can scratch that idea.

http://www.blackrockapu.com/