apu alternatives?
 

i'm bored and cant sleep.. so i was thinking.. any alternatives?

i was thinking..

a honda quiet eu3000is generator ( YouTube - Honda EU3000is with SUN remote start )
portable ac unit ( Royal Sovereign - 12,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner - White/Gray - ARP-4012H says its heat and ac)
they say that generator has a trickle charger for the batteries..

i basically think i have it figured out. mount right where a traditional apu would go.. naturally make a custom box so no one could run off with it mount it on rubber bushings to cut back on vibrations. get a extension cord in the truck through the bottom with a power strip to plug in what ever you need.

firebird,

Your idea is a good one, IMO, but a couple of things. You might consider mounting the gen on a slide-out "tray". Get a box with a lid that opens up, to allow the gen to slide out while it is running. This will allow the exhaust to escape and give it enough air to run and cool itself. The RV crowd has come up with many set-ups similar to this. Check out rv.net Open Roads Forum and search. You will find lots of threads, some with photos. The rv crowd loves the Honda 3000. Just be sure your gen has a large enough fuel tank to make it through the night without re-fueling. I''m not sure you need a custom box, you might find a nice storage box from one of the companies that makes them for flatbeds, etc.

Many trucks are using roof-mount rv air conditioners now but I have also wondered how a portable would work. Be sure and get a carbon-monoxide detector if you're using a portable gen. and pay attention to the direction of the exhaust for yourself and others. (although apu manufacturers sure didn't consider the truck next to you when routing exhaust)

red clay rambler, the only thing i was thinking with a custom box is making something like a tripac cover.. BUT making it out of the mesh steel. easy to gas start and what not. i was kinda set on a tripac, but i did some reading and some say that its not enough to keep it cool in the summer. so if thats the case why spend all the money? please i'm not trying to knock the tripac but its from what i read. anyway, the way i see it you can get this going for about $3000.

another thing RCR, there is a video online on how to use auxiliary tanks. however i do remember reading there is only so much gas aloud on the truck.. i could have read wrong though. as far as the exhaust goes, i saw a w900 with a tripac, he had made a smaller stack taht went along side the trucks exhaust. i thought it was a great idea.

i also thought about a roof top BUT on a columbia (witch i might get.. if i ever find decent work ) it wont work. a midroof yes.. but i plan on running team. anyway, another thing i saw surfing youtube is a small apu company that basically doing what i'm talking about but with a diesel generator. they're running a ac unit like this (similar anyway) SINGLE ZONE 20 SEER 18000 BTU HEAT PUMP SYSTEM 18KHS72 .i dont know how that would work though...