Dometic Corporation, Environmental Division, has announced a number of product upgrades, along with a distribution agreement with Fontaine Truck Equipment Company. Under the arrangement, Fontaine will install Dometic's line of battery-powered truck air conditioning systems on new trucks at Fontaine's nine locations across the country.
The systems help eliminate engine and are fully compliant with CARB clean-air requirements.
The new upgraded battery-powered auxiliary air conditioning system has been designed specifically for daycabs.
The 7,OOO-BTU system provides two hours of cooling without running the truck's engine. Its uses a bank of Group 31 absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries.
The system has two key components: a compressor/evaporator/blower unit that fits between the seats and a rugged external condensing unit that mounts on the back of the cab or under the truck.
The inside unit has a newly designed molded composite cover to protect the unit from spills and to provide noise abatement. There are multi-directional air vents for maximum comfort.
The digital thermostat control panel is mounted on top of the unit for easy driver access.
New family
Dometic's new family of redesigned auxiliary truck comfort products are based on the company's split-system HVAC technology. It consists of a redesigned compressor/heater/evaporator/blower (CHEB) unit that mounts inside of the truck and an external compressor/fan (CF) unit.
Running on the company's new Qt-series digital controls, both units are connected by precharged, reusable refrigerant line sets with quick-connect fittings.
The CHEB has been engineered to minimize compressor noise inside of the truck. The low-profile CF unit, which can be mounted horizontally under the truck or vertically on the back of the sleeper, has been reduced in size and weight.
Available in 7,000, 10,000, and 14,000 BTU capacities, the new HVAC family runs on 115-volt AC power, which can be supplied by a bank of batteries, an onboard auxiliary power unit, or shorepower.
Battery box
Dometic's battery-powered HVAC systems are available with a “minimum footprint” prewired battery box. This six-battery position box stores the batteries and inverter stacked on two levels.
Roughly the same dimensions as a typical auxiliary power unit, the box mounts easily on the side of the truck frame. It is prewired for the batteries, as well as for the system's circuit breaker and inverter, helping to lessen installation time.
