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| What is "rough" really depends on your perspective. |
Recently, I participated in a webinar with Chris Harrington of ATBS for Team Run Smart. The subject for the webinar was on obtaining maximum fuel efficiency. We discussed many driving techniques which aids in saving fuel. Some topics included: progressive shifting, driving on rolling hills, operating in your sweet spot and idling.
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| This heating pad from ElectroWarmth kept me warm to temperatures as low as minus five degrees. |
I want to talk today about the subject of idling a truck. Idling on average consumes approximately one gallon of fuel per hour. If you idle for a ten hour rest period, the cost to you would be in the neighborhood of $38.00. Many drivers may think it’s only costing them fuel during idle time however; it’s also wearing out an engine which is very costly to replace. Many in the trucking industry think the only alternative is to have an auxiliary power unit (APU) to stay comfortable during rest periods. I currently have one of these units on my Cascadia Evolution. This APU has definitely spoiled me over the last five years by offering the warm/cool comforts of home.
The above are just a couple of ways to provide heating and cooling in a truck. There is also a third alternative which is not often talked about. We’ll simply regard this choice as
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| This is the fan which kept me cool for over a decade of use. |
roughing it. Prior to having the ParkSmart HVAC System, I employed the use of a 12 volt heating pad to stay comfortable when resting. The heating pad was made from a company called Electrowarmth. These bed warmers are made in the United States and have been around since 1939. I simply pinned this pad to my mattress and the heat rises up to your body. With a comforter pulled over the top of me, this was all I needed to stay warm while sleeping. The other item I used to stay cool was a high quality window fan which I purchased at “Camping World.” As long at the temperature remained below 80 degrees, I would simply turn on the fan for air flow and this kept me comfortable. I used a low voltage battery disconnect switch on the truck in order to never run the starting batteries to a level lower than what was required to start the engine.
The home I grew up in didn’t have air conditioning. We used fans in the summer months to stay cool. Therefore, using the” roughing it” method for many years seemed quite natural for me as well as inexpensive. If you don’t have the finances to purchase an APU system then using these low cost alternatives can help you save enough money to eventually make the purchase for an APU.
Today, I’m enjoying the comforts of the Cascadia Evolution with the ParkSmart HVAC System. It has spoiled me and I wouldn’t want to go back to my old ways, however I can tell you it’s a better alternative to idling the truck and much cheaper.
| Below is my handy 12 volt powered cooler which was the height of my luxury accomodations in the past. I thought it was really something having room for this cooler in a 70 inch walk-in sleeper. We sure have come along way in the three decades of my trucking career . |
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