Home made APU

[Rawze]

(03-12-2017 )Waterloo Wrote:  Which AC unit are you using? Could you throw up a link? Oh, looks pretty good!

We simply used a wal-mart A/C unit. I made a special mounting bracket out of wood that fitted it into the drivers side window for when we were parked. I used a second fan to blow the cold air into the bunk area. This worked well unless you were in el-paso in mid summer. It just could not keep up very well if it was 100+ outside but at least you didn't suffer. I thinking I could cut out the back wall of the bunk and install it there, but I never did. We got a real APU the next year instead.

Its quite funny as a lot of truckers that saw it would ask me where they could find a window A/C unit for a truck too.

A real APU is much more efficient and can keep up even in the worst heat. It is also nice to have it run at the same time as the engine so that when your romping around shippers parking-lots you don't suffer. We also put a 120-amp alternator on ours and it has saved out booties a few times when we have had power issues. Drove the truck for a week with a bad alternator once and it worked great.

Personally, with all of todays technology, there is no excuse as to why all trucks don't have a built-in separate engine for power, amenities like A/C, etc. - It is just ridiculous.