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JimT · 06-23-2021, **(Subject: diesel generator )**

(06-22-2021 )Rawze Wrote: I ran a tri-pack for more than a million miles. - I can say with full confidence that it is an expense, flat out. Take this statement from a hyper-miler who is all about saving fuel. - From now on, I simply idle the truck when I want power to run things. It is cheaper than the long term care and constant servicing of that tri-pack unit, and the fuel differences do not make up for those costs.

The fuel savings of those tri-packs vs. a well tuned ISX engine with a 320-amp alternator and couple extra batteries idling at 800 rpm just don't add up over the long haul. This considering that the engine can be tweaked to idle at only about 12-15 mg/stroke via some custom programming. When engine is set this way, it competes with any apu and the cost is cheaper in the end to simply run the ISX.

That is my experience with it .. My apu now lives at a junk yard somewhere and I will not install another one. It was nice to have but in all reality, having the ISX idle set at a proper 800 rpm (because 600-rpm is too low for an ISX to idle at) and big alternator, is cheaper in the long run to operate.

The only way I currently see a generator, gas or diesel, or an APU for that matter, to be beneficial is if you are basically living in the truck for weeks on end (like many company drivers). Then having one so you don't need to run the truck engine would make more sense. Also, of course, the big reason why everyone is focused on APU's and generators instead of truck idling is due to the good ol EPA. Anti-idling laws, sure, but the extra load on the DPF and other emissions systems and the associated costs fixing and replacing them are what make APU's and generators more appealing.

That being said, my business has changed from OTR to local/regional with roughly 10-11 hours max in the bunk on weeknights. The rest of the time I'm driving, loading/securing or home. So, I think the 2nd battery bank, 320-amp alternator and maybe a small solar array to keep the fridge/freezer running over a long weekend or the occasional week or two off is all I really need. Find a cheap, small, AC solution to keep the summer heat to a manageable level and I think I'll be just fine.