Installing Solar on the truck...

[Waterloo]

(09-22-2020 )JimT Wrote:  Keep updating this thread once in a while. I think I'm gonna follow your lead in a few months and do the same with my rig. Would love to see the long term results.

I will, I'm sitting here making hot water for coffee, 0400, parked 9 hours and 45 minutes ago. I ran the APU for around an hour to get the sleeper nice and cool and then shut her down, it has yet to turn on since. The batteries are normally drained by now, with the solar keeping them topped off going down the road all day long, it is getting rare for the apu to start, unless I physically turn it on. When I took ten, pre solar, it ran ten hours straight, at nearly a gallon an hour... Say $20 a night savings, that starts to add up quickly. Speak of the devil, now she is firing up... Nope, that was the neighbors truck, LOL! Batteries are sitting at 12.6 volts right now.

Another thing I did too, was take the electronics I use in the sleeper off of the ignition key switch. My key in the dash is in the OFF position, not on accessory. But my desktop is running, typing on that right now, refrigerator is holding at 38*, cabin fans are running, inverter is running to make the coffee, lights are on, etc. I use the desktop for a radio/TV and or an iPad with a bluetooth speaker for entertainment.

Well, the ELD is telling me I have to go to work... Excelsior Springs, here we come!

[Waterloo]

UPDATE

Well, after a few months of solar, I am very happy! Been working nights, and it is rare that the APU ever turns on. Of course, it has been cold, so need need for AC, but I have been running the bunk heater, which always triggered the APU within a few minutes. Not so anymore, the solar is keeping up with the bunk heater power draw. The batteries are still acting as if they are fresh, truck fires right up without hesitation. I would say the ROI on this system is going to be rather quick, if not already.

[hhow55]

What kind of bunk heater you have?

[hhow55]

The reason I ask is
I have ordered a new apu and having a new Webasto installed

[Waterloo]

An Espar unit, this one... https://www.heatso.com/eberspacher-airtr...toQAvD_BwE

[barf]

I was thinking of going Espar or Webasto brand names, but hated the cost. I see your link is $950. I bought a Chinkese one less than $200 approx 3 years ago. This fall, it was acting up. I don't know if it was just a fuel filter or something major, but for less than $200 I just bought an entire new one. Now I have a complete 2nd system if anything happens and I want to try changing parts. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GH2...8c79e7253f

I can park overnight for 10 hours with the heater running and an electric bar fridge running off my inverter and still be at 12.2 volts in the morning. Solar would be nice for daytime layovers.

[Waterloo]

(12-05-2020 )barf Wrote:  I was thinking of going Espar or Webasto brand names, but hated the cost. I see your link is $950. I bought a Chinkese one less than $200 approx 3 years ago. This fall, it was acting up. I don't know if it was just a fuel filter or something major, but for less than $200 I just bought an entire new one. Now I have a complete 2nd system if anything happens and I want to try changing parts. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GH2...8c79e7253f

I can park overnight for 10 hours with the heater running and an electric bar fridge running off my inverter and still be at 12.2 volts in the morning. Solar would be nice for daytime layovers.

Trust me, I did not pay $900+, LOL!

I bought mine at a Thermo King dealer in OH, just west of Beaver Dam, I paid $550 installed, and he through in a new exhaust pipe. It was a simple swap, great guys down there and they do not rip you off.

On those heaters, and I would think this is true with all of them, is that you need to run them at least every month year round. It keeps them cleaned out and that little fuel pump operating properly. Do that, and it is rare that you will have any issues.

[Rawze]

(12-05-2020 )barf Wrote:  I was thinking of going Espar or Webasto brand names, but hated the cost. I see your link is $950. I bought a Chinkese one less than $200 approx 3 years ago. This fall, it was acting up. I don't know if it was just a fuel filter or something major, but for less than $200 I just bought an entire new one. Now I have a complete 2nd system if anything happens and I want to try changing parts. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GH2...8c79e7253f

I can park overnight for 10 hours with the heater running and an electric bar fridge running off my inverter and still be at 12.2 volts in the morning. Solar would be nice for daytime layovers.

bunk heater troubles, here is a related article from a while back...
http://rawze.com/forums/showthread.php?t...0#pid31140

[Nilao]

I like my 3 deep cycle AGM for hotel loads and the maxwell 1800 start module for starting the engine. After 12 hours overnight with my fridge running I'm still atb12.5-12.6 in the morning.