How Do Inverters Work?
Topic 17461 | Page 1
Your inverter is powered by your truck battery. However, the APU keeps the battery charged to replace the power drawn by the inverter. As long as your APU is set to run as needed, anything you have plugged in should run even if the truck is off.
APU:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
Be aware..not all companies have APUs
APU:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
APUs:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
Kat, I appreciate the response, however Western Express doesn't have APUs on their trucks.
APU:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
APUs:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
Trucks nowadays with Smart Idke technology will start and shut down on their own. You engage the "opti idle". Once set after a few mins the truck will shut down. If the battery gets down to a certain voltage, the thermostat leaves the defined parameters you have set, and i believe there is another condition based on external temp, will cause the truck to start up and correct the issue. All the while without you lifting a finger.
Patrick C explains:
Trucks nowadays with Smart Idke technology will start and shut down on their own. You engage the "opti idle". Once set after a few mins the truck will shut down. If the battery gets down to a certain voltage, the thermostat leaves the defined parameters you have set, and i believe there is another condition based on external temp, will cause the truck to start up and correct the issue. All the while without you lifting a finger.
Thank you very much for this explanation! I also sleep with a CPAP machine and was wondering how that would work. If I plugged my laptop too long or used a slow cooker, how would my batteries last me the night with my CPAP. Now I don't have to worry about that, at all!
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.
I got a friend that works for western express and from what they told me they don’t have APU or ePub or even a power inverter in their truck at all. Also despite what their website says all their newer trucks no longer have satellite tv in them either. His new truck did not come equipped with a refrigerator either.
Kat, I appreciate the response, however Western Express doesn't have APUs on their trucks.
APU:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
APUs:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
EPU:
Electric Auxiliary Power Units
Electric APUs have started gaining acceptance. These electric APUs use battery packs instead of the diesel engine on traditional APUs as a source of power. The APU's battery pack is charged when the truck is in motion. When the truck is idle, the stored energy in the battery pack is then used to power an air conditioner, heater, and other devices
Kevin, good to hear from you, haven’t seen you in a while. Still doing temp control and still liking it?
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I need to have an inverter in my truck when I go to Western Express because I have to use a cpap. Does the truck have to be on for the 12v inverter to continually draw power? Also, if I plug in a 12v cooler, how does that stay running 24/7 when the truck is off?
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.