LOUISVILLE, KY. Dometic Group is seeing additional growth opportunities for climate-control systems in day cabs and smaller sleeper cabs. As a result, the company is expanding its product line, it announced at the Mid-America Trucking Show here.
“We are encountering increased demand for engine-off climate control in Class 5, 6 and 7 trucks as well as sleepers,” said Lou Siegel, senior vp of Dometic’s trucking business unit. “Fleet operators are looking for ways to reduce fuel consumption and air pollution and meet regulatory anti-idle requirements without sacrificing driver comfort. Since our battery-powered systems emit no exhaust, they fully comply with the most stringent clean-air regulations, including those in California.”
The company has added a 12-volt DC air conditioner that provides up to 3,1000 BTUs/hr of cooling.
Dometic’s current battery-powered day-cab, 7,000-BTUs/hr system consists of a ruggedized external condensing unit that mounts on the back of the cab or under the truck, and a compact compressor/evaporator/blower unit that fits between the seats.
The inside unit has a molded composite cover with multiple adjustable air vents to distribute the cool air in the desired direction. A digital thermostat control panel is mounted on top of the unit for easy driver access. The inside and outside units are connected by flexible refrigerant linesets with reusable quick-connect fittings.
The Dometic turnkey package includes a 2,000-watt inverter that converts 12-volt battery output to 115-volt AC power to run the air conditioner, and a 270-amp alternator/regulator that charges the batteries quickly and keeps them fully charged when the engine is running. It uses Group 31 absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries.
