I am being assigned a truck that has a APU on it. I am wanting to run a fridge and microwave in the truck while I'm out. My question is, while I have the truck running and running down the road, does the APU still provide power to the plug ins in the truck? The plugs in the truck look just like the ones in your home. Any info on these would be greatly appreciated!

 

It has to be running to power the generator for 120 volt use.
You can run the unit while rolling if you have to.
You run the fridge off the truck inverter, so it always has power when it needs to run.

The apu's run their own heat and A/C system and supply power through the generator, and they have an alternator to maintain the truck batteries.
They are programmable and use a thermostat to maintain systems while the truck is off.

Up north we love them, because of our sub-zero temps, they run our battery and engine block heaters.

 

It depends which APU you are getting. A Carrier comfort pro gets it's AC power from a generator that supplies power only when the APU engine is running. A ThermoKing doesn't have a generator, it's AC power comes from an inverter, so I would imagine it could supply AC power constantly.

 

I should add, my apu experience is with one of those early generation RigMasters... mutter-mutter-mumble
...it was loud too, as bad as some of the old reefers.

450 lbs. of dead weight to me.

 

Thanks for all the replies. I am not sure as to the type of APU that is in the truck. I have never had a truck with a APU on it so this is all unfamiliar ground Im walking. If the APU does not supply power while the truck is running, I need to run a inverter, correct? Is there somewhere on the internet on how to select the correct size and how to install it correctly?

 

I used a small power inverter I got from a truck stop, that you plug into a cigarette lighter outlet. It would power my cell phone charger, elec. shaver, etc. but the most you can draw from them I think, is about 175 watts off a 12v system. I think that might be enough to run a crockpot, but you will need the apu's generator to be able to run a small (700w) micro.

Your fridge or cooler, even TV's come with 12v and even dual power hookups. 110v/12v
My TV is a Slyvania flatscreen/dvd player that runs on both 12v or 110v.

The inverters can be dangerous, as they can overheat your wiring, so you should talk with your boss about installing an inverter, before you spend any money on one.

 

this the truth. best thing i ever did was up grade from the factory inverter with my tripac. i upgraded to a 2000w inverter. i run my LED tv, laptop, and like stuff and if i dont have ac on the apu will go on every 4-5 hours for 15 min.

 

I hear tripac is the pick of the litter, if you have a choice.

 

if you buy a Tripac, they will install the correct inverter with it. you will have 120 volts at all timse,. when the truck is not running, the apu will keep your batteries charged , the tripac has a voltage monitor on the inverter, when the unit is in monitor mode, it will start the apu when the voltage drops to 12.5 volts. also you should get the Arctic option which will monitor engine water temp and start the unit in the winter when needed to prevent engine freezing. I had mine installed in 2008 and it's still going good., I have replaced a couple of belts and the alternator. I highly recommend it. I figure it saves me about 200 a week in fuel.

 

2 of my 3 trucks have tripac apu's and drivers love them. You don't have to worry about dead batteries bc your inverter drained and stuff like that. Recommended investment for any OTR truck. About to put one on my last truck.