rumor has it that David wrote:
> Idling for long periods is hard on diesels because it cokes up the
> injectors. The heat problem in sleeper cabs was actually solved long
> ago, though it requires some capital investment -- Stewart-Warner and
> several other companies make little diesel-fired furnaces for cab heat.
> Some of them can even preheat the coolant for cold starts. A/C in hot
> weather is a tougher problem, of course.
There are small diesel-engined generators - usually called an "APU"
(auxiliary power unit). These provide heat for the sleeper and engine,
A/C for the sleeper, and are _much_ more efficient and clean then the
12-15L main engine.
The down side is space, cost, and weight.
Space isn't a big deal anymore, with the generous overall length
limits.
Cost isn't bad - partly 'cause an APU will decrease operating expenses
and so the cost can be recovered. Eventually.
Weight has been the big one. With a gross weight limit, the lighter
the truck is the more money-earning cargo it can haul. The weight of
an APU can then decrease the trucks earnings. However, I did read that
there is some proposed regulation changes that could make the weight
of an APU exempt from the trucks gross weight. This sound like good
motivation, but might be tricky to implement.
Philip, who dislikes using a sleeper
that's below freezing.
