Originally Posted by Meralain

Try going to your local Peterbilt dealer and asking about a Webaso system. It burns about 1 1/2 cups of diesel in 8 hours, and will keep a condo semi-sleeper warm in below zero weather. They are very spendy though, about 11-1200 smackers. The actual unit is about the size of a loaf of bread and uses a 12V fan to power. To use you would have to have some darn good batteries, most semis have 4 batteries and they draw down a lot using these things. I have had them pull 4 batteries down to almost no start condition in 10 hours when it is in the teens below. Throw in your heater grid to get a cummins firing in that cold and you might have a problem.... Just a thought!

Originally Posted by Dr. Evil

Scott39 - you are looking for a WEBASTO or ESPAR hydronic coolant heater. I have an Espar and they are the best thing since sliced bread.

http://www.webasto.us/am/en/am_auto_heaters.html

Espar - Automotive

Originally Posted by Dr. Evil

Not true in the pickup application - the pickup heaters are much smaller than the semi version.

The only time, mine didnt start was when I ran it for 2 hours in -44 temps.

Originally Posted by spoolinaround

anyone have a idea of the wattage/amperage from the cummins block heaters? our electric bill went nuts this month and was $375 instead of $230-$260 and the only thing that has changed was plugging my truck in at night, hell at that rate I could just let it idle and warm up every morning cause at a gallon a morning (being generous) thats $2 a day vs $4.50 a night for plugging it in