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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Do you now how much it weighs Rev.?

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:

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.

Thanks, I'll look into that.

:lol:

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

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

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 shit 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.