inverter/charger and battery bank for Ice Cream trucks Maybe OT?

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi CB,

The customer took my advice and decided to make the cotton candy at his business and bag it for the trucks.

I suggested a snow cone machine in the truck instead and it looks like it will fly.

At 5.3 amps, and much less counter space, they fit into the project just fine.
http://www.epopcorn.com/arblsncoma.html

He will sacrifice some dipping cabnit space for ice but, since the trucks are never more then 5 miles from home base

they can always make a pit stop at their shop where I have recently installed a new 1800lb cuber on a 1500lb Follett bin.

Nick-

PS, the camra systems that were delivered to me are going back for a better system.. I will keep you posted.

[circusboy90210]

Hi CB,

The customer took my advice and decided to make the cotton candy at his business and bag it for the trucks.
MIght as well just have a large cooler to keep the crushed ice in.. ON the shows we only had one grinding station for the food table and hand delivered to them where they kept the crushed ice in regular igloo coolers for making the sno cones with. there is no need to keep all of this equipment in the truck and use power especially only being 5 miles away. a large iglooo cooler would suffice , space is a commodity. plus grinders cost money and have a higher chance of being damaged or dropped every time the vechicle moves not to mentino the traffic issues and more power usage. p.s. main storage for ice  is in stainless bins with vynil covers on wheels.. really no reason to move the grinder around anymore than necessary. only way I could conceive of transporting that  would be if I did not know how far the route would carry me. but then again the igloo coolers keep ice shavings alive almost all day even outside in las vegas heat outside of the new orleans casino, or the thomas and mack depending on the venue being used, (which does vary in las vegas-unlike other city's I have played)

I suggested a snow cone machine in the truck instead and it looks like it will fly.

At 5.3 amps, and much less counter space, they fit into the project just fine.
http://www.epopcorn.com/arblsncoma.html

He will sacrifice some dipping cabnit space for ice but, since the trucks are never more then 5 miles from home base

they can always make a pit stop at their shop where I have recently installed a new 1800lb cuber on a 1500lb Follett bin.

Nick-

PS, the camra systems that were delivered to me are going back for a better system.. I will keep you posted.

speaking of which does anyone think a 200 amp alternator would suffice to run 14 amps of freezers and a laptop(1.5 amps)  using a 2500 watt(5000 peak ) inverter? without dipping into my batteries?? need somesuggestions .. the laptop is for accounting and gps purposes. need to keep tabs on my new and untried employee

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi CB,

First you would need a hefty battery bank matched to your needs. It may, if your alt. is actually putting

out 200 amps. The problem with automotive alternators is that you are not always running them at maximum

speed and you may be depleting your batteries at long traffic lights and city driving.

Is this in a bus or your car/truck?

Nick-

[belfert]

speaking of which does anyone think a 200 amp alternator would suffice to run 14 amps of freezers and a laptop(1.5 amps)  using a 2500 watt(5000 peak ) inverter? without dipping into my batteries?? need somesuggestions .. the laptop is for accounting and gps purposes. need to keep tabs on my new and untried employee

12 volt would be pushing it as you would need just about full ouput if all 15.5 amp was active all the time.  With freezers you shouldn't have tehm constantly running unless they are open all the time.  I have no idea if a typical 200 amp alternator can handle full output on a regular basis or not.  If this was 24 volt then no problem with a 200 amp alternator.

[circusboy90210]

ok how hard is it to install a second charging system just for the inverter??? 24 (200 amp)volt even,,, I"m thinking a second alternator running 24 volt with third rectifier in a box outside of the alternator(having two). and running a totally dedicated deep cycle 24 volt battery to just run my inverter which of course would have to be 24 volt? but then again I don't plan on running the normal 12 volt  200 amp one (read one alternator install ) at full blast all the time any how just wanting the fact that it runs at 100 amps at idle so that I don't dip down into using my battery's period.

[buswarrior]

Hired help involved?

Too complicated, too much fooling around, employee won't care and will run it until there's smoke in the air, and ask when you will be writing his last paycheck.

Hard to beat spending $2500 or so on a Yamaha or Honda quiet gas 3000 watt model.

With religious oil changes, they will run for a very long and profitable time.

Simple, and when it craps, replace immediately either new or rental.

And, no running the main engine except to move the truck. Have to be some idling rules where this thing is operating....?

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[circusboy90210]

ok I tried the 3k inverter and it's barely not enought.... will be fabricating a 8' x 8' walkin freezer soon anticipating 15 amps for that and killing one freezer so gross amperage will be growing by 3 amps, thinking of 8" thick walls floor and having 12 inch thick roof as heat from the roof will be the major factor I'll be combating.

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi CB,

Your horse power will be determined by the temp you need to keep in the WIF.

8X8x7 box will need 1 hp unit to maintain 10 deg.F

At 0 deg F, you will need 1 1/2 hp

At -10 deg F you will need 3 hp, ect..

To add to your troubles, you will also need a defrost system, a heated drain, and door frame heaters so you can open the door..

With that said, even the 1 hp unit will be 230v and draw 16 amps. Then add all the heaters in on top of that. All these figures are if

you were sitting still... You may have to double the HP if driving down the road at 60mph!

Seems like alot to run off of an inverter. You would be better off finding a used ThormoKing unit off a truck which runs on diesel..

Good Luck
Nick-

[circusboy90210]

what thermoking unit would be able to maintain -20 at those maeusurements??? I'm aware that the doors are heated. thankx  wondering if i could use a rooftop ac unit blowing cold air into the unit from above. is 13500 btu enough?? please educate me to this freezer math. please thank you

[Hartley]

A thermoking unit can run below zero and chill a 40 foot refer van.
It all in the type of refrigerant and type of cooling unit.

You might find one for a box freezer delivery truck that has a dual source.
Like 220 volts when plugged in and a built in small diesel when on the road.

A rooftop a/c unit is limited to about 32 degrees if you are lucky and about that time it's iced up and quits cooling.They weren't designed for refrigeration.

Don't ask me more cause I don't know.. Nick will get you headed in the right direction.. He is a whiz at making stuff cold...

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

what thermoking unit would be able to maintain -20 at those maeusurements??? I'm aware that the doors are heated. thankx  wondering if i could use a rooftop ac unit blowing cold air into the unit from above. is 13500 btu enough?? please educate me to this freezer math. please thank you

You must want to haul Ice Cream with -20 needs?

Ok, let me show you how to convert Horse Power into BTU's. It's simple, 9000 btu's = 1 HP. and there are 12,000 btu's in a ton.

So at -10 deg, a 3hp unit = 27,000 btu's.  This 3hp unit is quite large and consists of a reciever tank to store liquid. Usually 3 phase...

At -20, you would need a 5hp unit and a 45,000 btu evaporator coil/blower for inside the box.

I will find some pics
Nick-

[WEC4104]

Or you could just buy this ...  http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2003-FORD-F650-REEFER-FREEZER-16FT-BOX-TRUCK-NO-RESERVE_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ65Q3a12Q7c66Q3a2Q7c39Q3a1Q7c72Q3a1171Q7c293Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem3353b9299fQQitemZ220447975839QQptZCommercialQ5fTrucks