Recommended electric sleeper A/C?

Apu? Or if frame is long enough, side box with generator and portable ac unit in the cab . Generator on to of cat walk too. They are under $400.

 

An APU or a generator with an AC unit (room or window) are about your only options. ACs pull too much power to be ran from your batteries. But you probably knew that.

 

In Phoenix you need a diesel APU , trust me the electric will make you miserable in that extreme climate.

I have the Dometic electric apu and love it but it's not for regular use in extreme temps like Phoenix.

I'd go Carrier if you want the ability to plug into electric to run the AC system. Get the shore power option installed.

 

Just get a motel if it’s too hot. You are a rich O/O now.

 

You should look into a used APU. Thermo Kings are the most popular, and they have service centers all over the nation. You can also find how to do the maintenance and some repairs on YouTube.

New Thermo King APUs now come with DPFs, and as we all know, that is just another repair bill. I have a Thermo King Tripac APU, and does not come with a DPF. I think the Tripac Evolution would carry a DPF.

By the way, APUs cannot handle temperatures over 90-95 F. The manual recommends to idle the truck and then turn on the APU. In extreme heat, like Phoenix, I idle my truck for 30-60 min when it is 1-2 hours from sunset. After sunset, the APU works well even if the temperature outside is over 100 F.

 

I have used the ParkSmart APU, but not enough to say how good it is, or if it’s worth it in the long run. One of the common complaints I hear about the electric APUs is that they are not practical for OTR. Electric APUs assume you will be driving every single day or not need to use it for over 10 hrs. Diesel APUs do not have these issues. Diesel APUs also means you will have electricity in your truck for a fridge, microwave, coffee maker, etc. and even protect your batteries from draining. Diesel APUs turn on when batteries are low and recharge them.