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Thermo King TriPac Auxiliary Power Unit

One of the biggest factors in choosing an anti idling device for many truck operators is the engine tie in.  Some just are not comfortable having the same coolant run through their APU as runs through the drive engine because they feel that there is an increased risk of a coolant leak.  Although I don’t agree with the severity of risks as some with a tied in system, in my book you don’t get much more foolproof than a properly inspected hose, I will admit that in the case of a hose rupture or, God forbid, a radiator rupture it would be great to still have the use of your APU for the (many) hours it takes the hook to show up.

The amount of integration between an anti idling device runs the gamut from excessive, like the Willis that integrates into the trucks coolant AND A/C AND engine fan, to completely independent, like the Rigmaster.  Unfortunately, as easy as it would be to offer the option to be integrated or not per the operator’s wishes, very few manufacturers will let you have it your way.  This is not Burger King.

My personal favorite unit, if you only need an alternator/inverter combo instead of a dedicated generator, has been the Thermo King TriPac Hybrid Auxiliary Idle Reduction and Temperature Control System, or just TriPak for those of us who aren’t Thermo King PR people.  It is super quiet, provides excellent HVAC capacity, adequate power for most uses, and has an outstanding dealer network.  The TriPac has had an excellent feature that starts/stops the APU opposite of your drive engine so you don’t even have to think about turning it on!  The down side to this feature is that you cannot run the APU if your drive engine is running, which would REALLY help a driver out if there was an alternator failure.  Enter the TriPac’s newest option, closed loop cooling.  In addition to being the solution to the above problem, closed loop cooling on the APU also reduces installation complexity, reduces operator fears regarding coolant leaks, and is better for trucks that operate consistently in warm climates.

It is available as an aftermarket option, but if you already have a TriPac installed, chances are you don’t have any hangups over drive engine tie in.  I would like to know, if anyone has the answer comment below, for those of us in cold climates, how does the drive engine stay warm on ridiculously cold Minnesota nights?  If the solution is only to plug in a block heater to your inverter, taking up 1500 watts of your power, a dedicated generator would? be missed even more.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 at 11:39 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.