diesel generator

[barf]

My APU died almost a year ago. I pulled it off and installed a cheap gas pull start generator. I'm looking at a diesel electric start generator. I have never bought off Alibaba before. Any suggestions or comments on this one.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/cheap-5k...e1eb718224

[snailexpress]

(10-29-2017 )barf Wrote:  My APU died almost a year ago. I pulled it off and installed a cheap gas pull start generator. I'm looking at a diesel electric start generator. I have never bought off Alibaba before. Any suggestions or comments on this one.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/cheap-5k...e1eb718224

I'm running on of this. Little loud but connected to my fuel tanks can run months.
Don't know anything about china market you can get it from USA vendor in Florida.
just google it

[Brewster64]

Centralmainediesel.com....i was looking at Kubota diesel generators on here, few different options and price ranges

[Waterloo]

Honestly Barf, I would go get a Tri-Pac Evolution. Finance/lease one if you have too, most dealers can do that. I just did that, mine is ready to fall off of the truck, literally. A couple grand down, couple hundred a month and I have a tax write off. They are installing in December.

The few guys I personally know with cobbled together systems, or off brand systems are kicking themselves for not just going with the Tri-Pac. My buddy in Phoenix two years ago installed some other mom and pop unit, he is ready to rip it off the side of his truck. He cannot get parts.

The Tri-Pac though...

Parts are readily available
Service centers everywhere
TA and Speedco can change the oil and all of the filters
You will get an inverter
A bunk heater that will heat you out of the truck
Cold weather kit will automatically start the Tri-Pac to warm your coolant if parked somewhere in the winter months. I love this feature, as I have no where to plug in. Start the truck and you will have heat in minutes.
A battery charging system that has been upgraded to properly trickle charge AGM batteries.
The case of the Tri-Pac is now made of ALUMINUM.

Just a whole list of stuff.

The last thing I want to do is babysit an APU. Which I have been doing with mine this past year and a half. It is right at eleven years old and is at the end of her duty cycle, the case is rotted and chunks falling off, but she still works. Eleven years out of an APU? I would say that is a pretty good ROI.

I know how aggravating a poorly operating APU can be, and the headaches it causes on the road. And I know I cannot live without one, just to many benefits to not have one. Just my .02

[barf]

(10-30-2017 )Waterloo Wrote:  I would go get a Tri-Pac Evolution

I went that route. I bought this '09 truck new in '08, and financed a Carrier Comfort Pro right from new. Running salty winter roads, my case rusted out years ago; I put a fiberglass shell on it. I really enjoyed having it for the first 8 years, put over 10,000 hours on it. It just needed too many repairs: generator seized again, exhaust manifold rusted through, muffler was shot, internal radiator didn't leak yet but almost nothing left of the fins on it, AC hasn't worked for a few years, etc.

It's not just the original cost of the unit, it's the cost of maintenance too. Every time it needed repairs was $500 bill. I picked up a gas generator for $300. I'm not sure it payed for itself compared to idling. With a cheap diesel generator, I'll only idle on very cold nights.

It's weight too, some states still don't give a 400lb allowance, and I figure that APU total combined weight was at least 700lbs.

[simon999]

Apu costs $10000-14000 plus maintenance, parts. How many years does it makes to pay it back? If you idle your truck 24h 360days then maybe its worth to have an apu. I idle my truck only in summer about 60 days, thats about $1500 per year.
In winter time I use espar heater, which doesnt need apu, only uses battery to ignite it.
So the apu will take to pay off 7-8 years. After that couple years more that apu will be worn out and thrown away.
I park many time at truck stops when temperature is 60-65 deegrees and trucks still are idling or running their apu's.. I call this stupid .. or only company drivers can do that.
So having apu is probably comfort ..but not a way to save money.

[Jon Mastin]

Myself personally I can't justify $12k for an APU. Like barf said it's almost a $600 repair for anything done to it. I'm interested in that diesel gen barf shared. Central maine diesel has a 4500kw for just under $2k which would probably be a better long term "value" though. I have my mini split on the back of the cab and it works amazing. Heat and Air in one unit.

[Waterloo]

I hear you guys... But, I am not a mechanic, nor an engineer. I want something that just works. I live in this truck during the week, and I just want something that I do not have to Mickey Mouse with to keep running or build from scratch. I waste enough time on this POS truck of mine just trying to keep it running and in good shape.

My current Tri-Pac I have only had to take in once to ThermoKing, and that is when I bought the truck. It looked like a bomb went off inside the case and did cost $1500 to get running, it is now an 11 year old unit. This thing was severely neglected and abused, and that was four years ago. In regards to parts, if you know where to shop the parts are about what you would pay in town at the auto parts store and is not that difficult to work on.

If not for the age of the unit, it still has the original AC compressor on it and blows ice cold, I would keep it. But the case is to far gone, it looks like hell and quite frankly it has reached the end after 11 years of use. For a couple hundred a month I will throw a new Evolution on with the aluminum case. With good care, the worst case is an occasional alternator, belts and hoses. This will be my fifth one, I had one of the first ones they sold, and this is the only one that has given me issues, but again, this unit was severely abused prior to me purchasing the truck.

This is a PRO for me... In the Winter, the unit pays for itself. I love the fact that I can set this thing and it will keep my BATTERIES CHARGED and the BLOCK and CAB warm, as I have no where to plug in. And keeping the cab warm, that is huge with all of the electronics on these trucks. Cold = moisture, and we all know what moisture does to electronics and computers. These trucks are what, 60% to 70% electronics and computers? It just makes sense. And then the stuff we add on, the stereo, the GPS, that camera, the microwave, the refrigerator. None of that stuff is cheap to replace.

And then the big thing, if you have the EGR/DPF/SCR systems still intact, you would be a fool NOT to have one of these.

With proper care, I check it weekly and service every third oil change at TA or Speedco, along with hitting it with the garden hose every couple of months... Do that, and it should not give you any issues. Neglect is the biggest thing with these units, you have to check it and keep it clean internally. A driver could care less, but this is my unit, and I will take care of it. That is the difference.

Let me also add, my truck is paid for, I have no real bills to speak of other than cellphone, fuel, parts, repairs and tools to write off. So, in my position, this is a smart thing to do.

Hey, just my .02

[Ragindirt]

True waterloo the guy I lease to has evolution units and when I ran his truck and parked mine it was nice just to touch a button and all is well, or for my 34 at home I left stuff in frig.

My truck has a generac 2200, so basically I have to pull start at nights and leave off when I take a 34 at home. If I try to run ceramic heater and block heater at once it pulls unit down to much, but I did keep the weight down with tool box and extra fuel to 350 #'s. Only issue I had with was friggin rough roads, so I installed rubber pads to get it from beating to death.

No frig or micro in my girl, just keep her simple and lite on the 42" sleeper; my products go my tons, or bushels...hell full legal set of chains for I-70 is 300 plus #, which is only dollars lost but adds up after a year and with new blower I will be lucky to get 83,900 vs 84,000.

Guess I need to think about spreading truck like my wagon and his. Never overloaded axles on the trailer, all ways the drives.