rigmaster

[germanbmwfreak]

so i was watching trick my truck last night and they were talking about those rigmasters. i did some research on them but i was wondering if anyone has one or knows someone that has one. they cost around $7600 bucks installed but what i want to know is how much of a difference they really make and if it is worth it.

[Rev.Vassago]

I've heard better things about the Proheat APU. They use about 1/10 the fuel to run as the engine does, so instead of using 10-13 gallons to run all night, they use 1-3 gallons.

As far as the amount of heat/AC they put out, I have heard mixed reactions. I am planning to install one later this year, once the temps start rising. Right now, I have a diesel bunk heater which uses about 1/2 gallon to run all night, and the fan is powered by the truck's batteries. From what I understand, they run around $2000-$3000 for the unit themselves. Not sure on installation, since mine came from the factory.

$7600 seems a bit steep - I can get one installed at the local Peterbilt dealership for around 6 grand, and about $1500 of that is the installation itself. The prices of APU's are falling dramatically - 2 years ago, you would have shelled out about 10 grand for one, and the reliability was a crapshoot.

[Capt._Chaos]

The most common problem with the Rigmaster is the Perkins engine that has been very troublesome.

If I ever decide to buy another truck, I will go with a ProHeat.

After going to the Willis APU facility in Sparks, NV I wasn't impressed with their units, especially the wiring harness that's put together with crimp-type connectors instead of WeatherPack sealed connections. The idea of an air starter with their unit to save weight (their unit can be spec'd with an air compressor) didn't sit well with me either.

[Big_Dave]

The most common problem with the Rigmaster is the Perkins engine that has been very troublesome.

If I ever decide to buy another truck, I will go with a ProHeat.

After going to the Willis APU facility in Sparks, NV I wasn't impressed with their units, especially the wiring harness that's put together with crimp-type connectors instead of WeatherPack sealed connections. The idea of an air starter with their unit to save weight (their unit can be spec'd with an air compressor) didn't sit well with me either.
It doesn't take much to insist that they use weatherproof electrical connections.

As far as the air starter, that is an option, you don't have to order your unit that way. The air starter & compressor option might save you 100 lbs.

The thing I liked about the Willis APU's was the fact that they 'hide it' in a step box similar to the factory step boxes that come on most trucks. You don't have to have some gaudy looking box hanging off the frame between your fuel tank and the front drive axle. On a Pete, they can mount it right in place of the passenger side step box or if you have step boxes between your tanks and front drive axle, they can mount it in place of one of them also.

I had the chance to check out a Willis APU that was set up in a Pete 387 a couple years ago. If the guy wouldn't have told me it was on the truck, I wouldn't have known it was there. :wow:

Here's the search results for Willis APU (http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial_s&hl=en&q=willis+apu&btnG=Google+Search)

[germanbmwfreak]

hmm thanks for the input. the price i got was from rigmaster's website i havent checked out pete or anything. i had a bunk heater once and i absoultely hated it. i would want a apu of some sort that i can run 110v off of. i also heard that the perkins engine can be replaced with a cat sponsered motor. (so they said on the site) what do you guys figure it costs to idle your truck a night? or gallons of fuel? basically i am trying to figure out how much a APU will save me? i figured less fuel, longer battery life (since it will charge the batteries) less repairs (due to own a/c , heat, etc.)

[Big_Dave]

The last Pete I drove had a Cat ID in the dash. I was able to pull up idle time & fuel consumption. According to the Cat ID, that truck burned 6/10ths of a gallon per hour at low idle.

Roughly 6 gallons per 10 hour break if I idled the truck that long. 6 gallons @ $2.35 per gallon = $14.10 per night (roughly).

Most APU's burn about a gallon per 10 hours (from what I've heard). So figure about a $12 per day savings in fuel alone.

$12 x 30 days (1 month) = $360 per month or $4320 per year. It'll pay for itself within 2 years just with the fuel savings.......NOT counting the additional wear and tear on your truck motor if you idled the truck every night.

[Rev.Vassago]

the standard that the APU manufacturers use is 1 gallon to 1.2 gallons per hour for a normal diesel engine.

[Uturn2001]

The last truck I drove had a 435 hp Cummins N14 and it would use .7 to .8 gallons of fuel per hour idling at 800 rpm.

Different engines will use different amounts of fuel and also the same engine in a different truck will use different amounts.

For example I once drove a Century and it burning right at a gallon an hour at 800 rpm with a 435 N14.

If you are just wanting numbers to plug in to determine costs or whatever I suggest going with 1 gallon per hour of idle time.

[germanbmwfreak]

cool thanks for the input. when i get my truck i think i am going to try to work one in the deal at peterbilt.

[Capt._Chaos]

After going to the Willis APU facility in Sparks, NV I wasn't impressed with their units, especially the wiring harness that's put together with crimp-type connectors instead of WeatherPack sealed connections. The idea of an air starter with their unit to save weight (their unit can be spec'd with an air compressor) didn't sit well with me either.

It doesn't take much to insist that they use weatherproof electrical connections.

Dave, not to start any kind of a bickering match or anything but I looked all around their facility, including their wiring harness assembly table, where I specifically saw one of their crew using crimp-type connectors to put the harness together- no heat-shrink tubing to be found ANYWHERE.

When I saw that, the first thing I thought of was the corrosion that got into the wiring on the AUX Generators unit I had & rendered the emergency shutdown system inoperative just before a brand new belt on the water pump broke. :wow:

Once I saw that (among other things, the difficulty involved in replacing the accessory drive belt for the A/C, alternator, and other items, which requires unbolting & splitting open an aluminum case) I politely walked out of their facility.

I do have pictures I took of that setup in my old laptop that I'd be glad to post once I get the files extracted out of the old hard-drive. ;)

[Rev.Vassago]

i had a bunk heater once and i absoultely hated it.

Just curious, what did you hate about it? I love mine, as I just woke up toasty warm, and probably burned about a quarter gallon of fuel all night.


What kind of truck was it on, and who was the manufacturer? I am wondering if we are talking about the same thing........

[HSLD]

I had the chance to check out a Willis APU that was set up in a Pete 387 a couple years ago. If the guy wouldn't have told me it was on the truck, I wouldn't have known it was there. :wow:



The Alliance unit from Freightliner is the same way. Hidden in a step.

v/r

HSLD

[HSLD]

hmm thanks for the input. the price i got was from rigmaster's website i havent checked out pete or anything. i had a bunk heater once and i absoultely hated it. i would want a apu of some sort that i can run 110v off of. i also heard that the perkins engine can be replaced with a cat sponsered motor. (so they said on the site) what do you guys figure it costs to idle your truck a night? or gallons of fuel? basically i am trying to figure out how much a APU will save me? i figured less fuel, longer battery life (since it will charge the batteries) less repairs (due to own a/c , heat, etc.)

The manuals with my Proheat says it runs on 1/10 of a gallon an hour.

v/r

HSLD

[HSLD]

so i was watching trick my truck last night and they were talking about those rigmasters. i did some research on them but i was wondering if anyone has one or knows someone that has one. they cost around $7600 bucks installed but what i want to know is how much of a difference they really make and if it is worth it.

I'm thinking you can get it for less than $7600.00.

My Pro Heat out the door installed was $6700.00 (with the upgraded control panel). At the time, it was the best price I could find. One company wanted to sell the unit without installation for $7500.00!!!

v/r

HSLD

[HSLD]

cool thanks for the input. when i get my truck i think i am going to try to work one in the deal at peterbilt.

Be carefull with that. Sometimes dealers (salesmen) will pop it to ya when you go adding accessories to the deal. Call the parts and service department prior to signing the deal, and find out what they'd sell and install the unit for. That way, you'll go into the process on the deal for the truck knowing what's what.

v/r

HSLD

[germanbmwfreak]

i had a bunk heater in a freightliner century and i had the hardest time keeping it "decent" in there as i mean i would either wake up too hot or wake up too cold in the middle of the night and that i was constaly screwing with it. i dont remeber the manufacture of it but it was on cr england's trucks. i had a opti idle as well and those things i hate even more. i had nothing but problems with the opti idle.

[Big_Dave]

The Mack I now drive has an Espar bunk heater in it.

The only problem I can see with it is that the controls aren't digitaized to heat or cool as needed due to outside temperature changes.

If the outside temp changes drastically while I'm sleeping, I end up making temperature adjustments while I'm half asleep. :wtf: Then I either wake up roasting or with ice cicles on my toes. :wow: :rofl:

[germanbmwfreak]

exactly why i dont like it big dave. i havent had a apu before but from what i am reading that is what i want. i want to be able to do everything i can in my truck is running when it is off. i am one of those guys who cant sleep with my chicken lights off. and from what i am reading you can have 110v in the truck but my question is how many 110v items can i have in there? could i have a micorwave, tv/dvd system and everything else on in the truck at the same time with only the apu on?

[HSLD]

The Mack I now drive has an Espar bunk heater in it.

The only problem I can see with it is that the controls aren't digitaized to heat or cool as needed due to outside temperature changes.

If the outside temp changes drastically while I'm sleeping, I end up making temperature adjustments while I'm half asleep. :wtf: Then I either wake up roasting or with ice cicles on my toes. :wow: :rofl:

That's what's nice about the proheat, it's controlled by a thermostat in the cab. It cycles as needed to keep the temp you set.

v/r

HSLD

[HSLD]

exactly why i dont like it big dave. i havent had a apu before but from what i am reading that is what i want. i want to be able to do everything i can in my truck is running when it is off. i am one of those guys who cant sleep with my chicken lights off. and from what i am reading you can have 110v in the truck but my question is how many 110v items can i have in there? could i have a micorwave, tv/dvd system and everything else on in the truck at the same time with only the apu on?

Go to proheat.com

You can get all the info (manual, installation etc...) on the proheat in pdf format.
That should give you an idea of what you're looking for.

v/r

HSLD

[Arky]

Dave, does the Espar heater heat AND cool? Do you know what powers the cooling cycle? I've been curious about this. I had heard that they had a system that could do both, but never heard any explanation of how.

Seems like it would be simple enough to get it hooked up to a digital thermostat?

[Rev.Vassago]

exactly why i dont like it big dave. i havent had a apu before but from what i am reading that is what i want. i want to be able to do everything i can in my truck is running when it is off. i am one of those guys who cant sleep with my chicken lights off. and from what i am reading you can have 110v in the truck but my question is how many 110v items can i have in there? could i have a micorwave, tv/dvd system and everything else on in the truck at the same time with only the apu on?

I have a 3000 watt integrated inverter in my truck (factory installed), and I can run my microwave, George Foreman grill, computer, and DVD player all at the same time..........but I have to be running the truck, or my batteries would be dead within 5 minutes.

The APU will eliminate that problem.

I have a Webasto bunk heater, and it has a thermostat integrated into it (but it isn't digital). Personally, I don't see how it is any different than having to fiddle with the cab heater when the truck is running - if the temps change, you have to fiddle with the controls, no matter if they are for the main engine, the APU, or a diesel bunk heater.

That got me wondering - why don't truck manufacturers put an actual thermostat in instead of the heat control? I know they make them, as I have been in cars manufactured in the 80's that had actual digital thermostats. Then you could set a temp, and the thermostat would turn off and turn on the heat accordingly.

[germanbmwfreak]

very good point there revv!!! there are plenty of cars now that have dual climat and digtal thermostats in them why the heck cant they have one in a big truck???

[Big_Dave]

Dave, does the Espar heater heat AND cool? Do you know what powers the cooling cycle? I've been curious about this. I had heard that they had a system that could do both, but never heard any explanation of how.

Seems like it would be simple enough to get it hooked up to a digital thermostat?
From what I can determine, it doesn't cool.

It does have a thermostat, but I have to set it. If it warms up or cools off significantly during the night, that's when I freeze or roast. :rofl:

[maxmiddle]

I have the ProHeat. For two years absolutely no problems. Then a lot of small (but rendered unit inoperable) situations cropped up. All in all, I really like the unit.

However, Cat has come out with an APU. I suspect it is really reliable, BUT can only be serviced or worked on by Cat.

However #2: Thermo King has a very good looking APU available. When I buy my next truck, it will have the Thermo King. Many many Thermo King shops around the country and most will be able to work on the APU's.
Thermo King has an excellent reputation.

Rigmaster: have heard about too many problems with them.

Many other APU folks getting in (and out) of the business. Beware, if they go belly up, you are stuck with an expensive boat anchor. Do your homework. Most APU's will run in the neighborhood of 6-7 grand.

[Uturn2001]

ESPAR Total Comfort Solution (http://www.espar.com/htm/aircondition.htm)