CapnLoki wrote:So what type of battery do trucks big enough to sleep in have? I had always assumed they had a 4D (200 AmpHours)
I just asked my husband (who is a big rig driver) he says 4 big amp batteries like 200 AMP (couldn't remember exact amp).
Says not deep cycle type though. They won't power a cpap machine all night AND start the rig in the AM unless the truck is left idling all night. Too much of a drain on the battery.
DC power with cigarette lighter would work but truck would have to idle all night.
A good many companies now have APUs and inverters in their trucks (my husband's does) which makes it simple.
Companies don't want to have their drivers idle all night due to cost of fuel so more and more are putting in APUs and inverters to make the trucks more comfortable...so stuff like TVs, coffee pots, microwaves, computers and fridges can be used to make the drivers life as comfortable as possible.
Making coffee running off DC power...he says he had one of those coffee pots once and it took 45 minutes to make 4 cups of coffee.
All trucks that his employer uses will support cpap machines via APUs. He says just recently his safety officer called him to ask about cpap usage in the truck because they knew I used one and the question was "will these machines run a cpap machine because a driver was saying it wouldn't and that's why he got a ticket for non usage"....the driver is trying to say that his non usage was because the cpap machine couldn't be used and wants to get out of the ticket and get out of using the machine but he can't because it's on his medical card. His truck has an APU and inverter and powers all sorts of electrical devices so his excuse doesn't fly.
Also he says that his company is aware of special power needs for cpap users and when they hire someone with that need on the medical card that they already are making accommodations for that driver to use the machine but it's the same accommodations in the truck that is offered to all drivers. It's so common now that it really isn't looked at as making "special" arrangements for a cpap machine.
APU use saves fuel and that's probably the main force behind APUs...not the incidental benefit of convenience of allowing the driver to use computers, microwaves, fridges, TVs and coffee pots and cpap machines. Though to some extent they want to keep good drivers so will offer some of these comforts in an effort to keep good drivers because the competition companies also offer it.
Not all companies do this tough...some companies play hardball about powering anything in the truck and won't provide trucks with APUs and severely restrict any extra power usage. He calls them "cheap ass bastards" and simply wouldn't drive for a company that didn't offer trucks with the equipment necessary to make his "life" in the truck comfortable.
Fortunately he shows no signs of sleep apnea so cpap usage is a non issue for him but he is quick to tell other drivers who whine about it to suck it up and use it or find another line of work. It's simply part of the rules now and they have to abide by it or go do something else.
Now I asked my husband about the OP's situation where a different truck was used every night and he says that it all depends on how the truck is equipped but admits it could be a sticky situation if the trucks weren't all equipped the same way.
It does make preparing more difficult for sure but not impossible.
Having a machine like a Respironics machine that easily runs off DC power would be a huge plus though.