Sprinter,loads ,sleeping,snow

[Driveguy 207]

I pretty new to Expediting but I would like to share some information about my last load. It might help to answer some questions. On Thursday I took a load from chicago to Grand Rapids in my Sprinter. 3 skids 1700# and was paid for a C-unit. Im don't even want to talk about the traffic back-up in Chicago. After delivering I found a truck stop and settled in about 3:00am I started up my Mr Heater Porta buddy that uses 1 pound Propane bottles, and left the passenger side window open about an inch for ventilation. I started out with the heater on High until I got ready to go to sleep then turned it down to low to conserve fuel. The directions state that a bottle will last 3 to 6 hours depending on which setting you use. After about an hour of not being to sleep I had to move because I could'nt stand the exhaust smell an noise of the D-unit nearby. It felt pretty cold but at least I had a warm sleeping bag. I was still having a real hard time sleeping. At about 7:00 am I saw that the heater was out so I got up to put in another Bottle. It was really cold, so I turned it up to high and got back in my bag for about 2 more hours. I don't how cold it got, but at 9:00am it was +14f outside. It was still so cold inside I could see my breath and everything liquid was frozen solid. Needless to say I didn't feel very rested. Luckily I got a load from the same company in Grand Rapids going back to the same company in Chicago. I knew a big snow storm was coming and I really needed to get back to Milwaukee for the weekend to clean it up. I had heard that the Sprinter was bad in snow but I was suprised how well it handled. I cruised right by cars and T/Ts with confidence. Anyhoo, I've been cleaning up about 14 inches of snow where I live and am thinking about breaking down and spending the big bucks on an espar heater.

 

[DannyD]

LOL~ I had to laugh at that post. I can totally relate to freezing my backside in a Ford E-250 Ice Box. I asked about keeping warm in another post. I like the ideas I've gotten & will be upgrading my heating system ASAP when I get some money.

For now though, if you don't have a lot of money to spend, you can buy a 12 volt heater for about $20 & a Vector 300Amp jump starter (which you can plug your heater into & not drain the vehicle battery) for about $40.

This will allow ya to stay warm for a few hours. It's not a full nights sleep but it's a start. When you're done you can recharge the Vector via the cigarette lighter as you're driving.

Good luck & stay warm.

 

[whitewolf53]

Let me get this straight,you had heard that the sprinter was bad in snow,but because you had to get back to Milwaukee for the weekend,you just went cruising by cars and t/t who were probably driving for the conditions at hand.You are lucky that you did not cause an accident or end up in a ditch.

 

[Lawrence]

Driveguy 207

Good post. There are very few products that EO endorses - Espar is on of the few that we do. It will pay for itself in a very short time. It’s also the only safe, effective heating method for gasoline powered cargo vans (as well as Diesel & Straight Trucks). The feedback we have heard from Drivers who have one is that they had wished that they would have installed one sooner.

Give Ray Lawrence at Espar a call 800.837.3900 or visit their page here:

https://www.expeditersonline.com/sub/espar/index.html


Lawrence,
Expediters Online.com


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[ACE]

The Espar is a great unit I have it in a E350 Gas Van with a sleeper the cab area is is insulated and the heater keeps me nice and warm.
Ray and his crew do an excellent job in installing these units.

8 yrs. O/O
3 yrs. small fleet owner.

 

[Driveguy 207]

"I was cruising past cars and T/Ts with confidence."
Confidence is the key word. I felt confident that the speed I was driving was right for conditions and the vehicle I was in. Although Im new to expediting I've been driving for a living my whole working life. Mostly for a company with a very strict safety policy that
included manditory yearly Deffensive Driver Training. When the weather is bad, Im the first one to adjust my speed, And the one being passed by everyone who is trying to make up time.If it was windy it could have been a different story.

 

[Tom Robertson]

Has anyone used a ceramic heater in a van?

A variety of these devices are available at Home Depot at prices considerably less than other alternatives. Some appear to have wide bases and automatic off's if the unit is somehow turned over.
Also some listed on the internet as 12V direct wire.
Just wondering if anyone with an inverter has attempted to use one of these for a solution.
I have no idea about about battery drain on one of these units, but it would seem to me that an inverter with an isolation switch would allow one with a thermostat to keep a van at a very comfortable temp.

 

[mikecop]

I agree with Lawrence that Espar of Michigan is a good place to get Espar or Rigmaster. Ray Lawrence, owner of Espar of Michigan, is a decent and honest guy, and his technician Matt is a good, conscientious guy. I use them for service on my Rigmaster unit. They are just East of the Detroit Metro airport. Mike

 

[truckerbuddy]

I went to a army surplus store and spent 75.00 on a sub zero sleeping bag that is rated foe 20 below zero and it has a hood for your head with a face cut out, and I also have a sprinter now i dont need a heater at all because it really keeps you very warm. now if you get a small heater to plug in to a ac/dc unit that will help also but for just keeping warm while sleeping that army sleeping bag was the best.

 

[whitewolf53]

Does confidence mean hitting a patch of black ice?that you cannot see?You were passing cars and tractor trailers in inclement weather,in a sprinter that you had been told was not suited for that kind of conditions.I don't mean to get down on you about it,but my wife was killed by a man in a trctor trailer who was going to fast for the conditions at the time.All i ask is be CAREFUL.!!!!!!!!!!
Mike Connelly

 

[Driveguy 207]

Whitewolf53: Im very sorry to hear about you wife. However,I am no longer going to respond to your Personal attacks.

 

[Driveguy 207]

First of all I want to thank everyone for their responses on this Post and for my Past Postings. I carry an Electric Heater with an Extension Cord with me In case I get a chance to plug in somewhere. As far as using an electric Heater with an inverter. A heater takes a lot of power.I found this link is very helpful to calculate battery life. A typical Deep Cycle is about 80 amphours. ttp://www.xantrex.com/support/howlong.asp

 

[Trucker don]

I use a 12 v matterest warmer. The only problem is getting up when it so cold and starting the truck. When it's that cold, I idle. It cost me 250.00, Canadian to get my truck going on Dec 24th. I shut it down for the night. I will be getting a espar for the motor and one for the bunk as well. I will use isolated batteriers. I want that sucker to start in the morning.

I can remember my first trip in my cabover with the orange truck. It was so cold.\, frost on the ceiling, windows and on my beard. Luckily that thing started. I just had to reach over and fire it up.

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[merkurfan]

I've never been a fan of the sprinters. I like my E350, it's wider and just as tall (has a hightop, 9.5 foot clearance) and seems to handle the weather a bit better (maybe it's those snow tires...) as to keeping this rolling ice box warm in the winter let me tell you it is sometimes impossable. They sent me out to Washington a few weeks ago when the weather was awful. 40 bellow AIR temp (I don't even want to know what the wind chill was) my van has a power stroke in it. I had straight number 1 in it and more howes diesel treat than the bottle said it needed. I still almost gelled. Anyways, at those temps even at highway speeds with the cold front on the engine would not make heat. I was joking with a buddy on the cell phone that i could blow a hose, lose all the coolant and never know it (or need it). How did I stay warm? I ran the espar will rolling. Probably not the best idea but it kept me from frezing to death. My van does not have a bunk, I like the extra space. So I have a air mattress I blow up and sleep on in the back (Yes, I have slept on top of freight before if I know it won't be damnaged) with the cargo devider it can still get cold in the back of the van with no heater back there. That is probably the next thing on the list to do. Install a simple rear heater. I think it would probably be lighter than trying to insulate the back of the van.

 

[TJ959]

The guy I bought my inverter from told me to try to limit the use of heat element appliances as they are hard on inverters. For what I paid for it , I took his advise. I doubt whether the batterys would hold up for long anyway.