• Sweet dreams start with a cool cabin
• How auxiliary A/C prolongs the life of your engine
• Critical factors for reliability
• Innovations of Dometic’s Blizzard Turbo
• Beware the false claims of some A/C brands
Inside This Special Report:
INSPIRED BY COMFORT
Engine-Off Air
Conditioning
Table of Contents
Being Comfortably Cool While The Engine Is Off. . . 2 How Battery Systems Work . . . 2 About The EPA’s Smartway Program . . 3 No More Engine Wear & Tear While Resting . . . 3 The Commonality of R-134A Refrigerant . . . 3 Dometic’s Split-System Blizzard Turbo. . . 4 Blizzard Turbo Key Advantages . . . 5 Watch Out For False Claims! . . . 6 The Real Test: How Cool Does It Feel? . . . 7 Critical Factors For Auxillary
Air-Conditioning . . . 7
BEING COMFORTABLY COOL WHILE THE ENGINE IS OFF
Finding ways to stay comfortable inside a truck’s sleeper compartment has become easier over the last 30 years. From televisions to refrigerators to more powerful air-conditioning systems, the quality of the days and nights aboard a long-haul truck has simply become better as technology has improved.
A plentiful, reliable source of power, however, has always been crucial to making truck cabins comfortable. For many years running the truck’s diesel engine provided enough power to operate an entire host of appliances within the sleeper cab. Today, with noise and emissions regulations firmly in place in most states, engines must be shut off after only 30 minutes of idling.
The dilemma, then, is finding power. The most common sources are onboard generators, shoreline power and battery banks. Of these, battery banks are the quietest and offer the most flexibility of movement—or non-movement.
Without having to rely on truck stops for power, drivers can plot their routes more efficiently, avoid crowds and stop when they need to—all the while staying comfortable. Having efficient battery power that can run an efficient A/C system is important to keeping drivers happy and comfortable. The goal is to have enough battery power to run the A/C for 8 to 10 hours. Meeting these goals helps trucking companies comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Program.
These Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) have become more and more common aboard tractors, and installation is becoming more streamlined and efficient.
In addition, today’s split-system air-conditioning systems have benefited from better engineering and more rugged components, so they can keep truck cabins more comfortable and withstand the rigors of the road. Of course, there is unlimited system run time when shore power is available.
Did you know?
• Ever-increasing restrictions on diesel-engine idling have made it harder for long-haul truckers to stay comfortable in their sleeper cabs. • Daily driving restrictions and
mandatory breaks mean that truckers are often parked when daytime temperatures are running high.
Did you know?
• Whenever possible, start running the battery-powered system while the cabin is already cool— maintaining a cool temperature is much easier than achieving a complete cool down of a hot space.
Stay cool and comfortable without running the engine
HOW BATTERY SYSTEMS WORK
While driving, a tractor’s alternator converts the diesel engine’s mechanical energy into electrical energy to charge batteries and power A/C, heat, and other systems. In most cases truck’s alternator produces far more energy than needed which is usually not harnessed.
That’s where a battery-based APU comes into play, capturing the excess energy and storing it in batteries. Absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries are the norm, and are often positioned on the tractor’s frame rail.
When the engine is off, the driver switches on the APU system, and an inverter converts the 12-volt DC energy into 120-volt AC, delivering electricity identical to home or shore power electricity. Shore power can also recharge the battery bank.
Did you know?
• The SmartWay Technology Program is a testing, verification, and designation program to help freight companies identify equipment, technologies and strategies that save fuel and lower emissions.
Did you know?
• A typical heavy-duty truck diesel engine can burn approximately one gallon of diesel fuel for each hour it idles, generating significant amounts of pollution, wasting fuel, and causing excessive engine wear.
ABOUT THE EPA’S SMARTWAY PROGRAM
The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay® Program is a public-private initiative between EPA, large and small trucking companies, logistics companies, commercial manufacturers, retailers, and other federal and state agencies. Its purpose is to improve fuel efficiency and the environmental performance (reduction of both greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution) of the goods-movement supply chains.
Launched in 2004, SmartWay® is an EPA program that reduces transportation-related emissions by creating incentives to improve supply-chain fuel efficiency.
SmartWay aims to accelerate the availability, adoption and market penetration of advanced fuel-efficient technologies and operational practices in the freight supply chain, while helping companies save fuel, lower costs and reduce adverse environmental impacts. EPA helps SmartWay Partners move more goods, more miles with lower emissions and less energy.
NO MORE ENGINE WEAR & TEAR WHILE RESTING
Scheduled maintenance requirements are based on the number of hours the engine has run, and that includes the hours you spend parked and sleeping if your truck engine is idling just to keep you cool. Using an auxiliary air conditioning system that keeps you comfortably cool while the engine is off means less wear and tear on the truck engine. Based on hours run, an auxiliary A/C system, like Dometic’s Blizzard Turbo, extends the time between scheduled maintenance, and also extends the engine life of the truck.
Extend the duration between maintenance requirements
THE COMMONALITY OF R-134A REFRIGERANT
R-134A is also known as Tetrafluoroethane (CF3CH2F) from the family of HFC refrigerants. With the discovery of the damaging effect of CFC and HCFC refrigerants to the ozone layer, the HFC family of refrigerants is widely used as their environmentally safe replacement.
R-134A does not contain the chlorine atom and is flammable, explosive, non-toxic and non-irritating.
R-134A is also the most commonly used refrigerant throughout the automotive industry, so system recharging, repairs, and maintenance are easy to come by when out on the road if your auxiliary A/C system uses it, as the Dometic Blizzard Turbo does.
Keeping things simple, including the use of R-134A, helps A/C systems keep on running in the ultra-demanding truck environment. The old saying is, if something can survive being shipped by truck, it can survive anything, and that goes for the equipment that’s already in use aboard the truck.
DOMETIC’S SPLIT-SYSTEM BLIZZARD TURBO
There are a host of physical stressors that A/C systems must withstand, including shock and vibration and long-term fatigue. Designed for the harsh trucking
environment, the both the interior and exterior units of Dometic’s Blizzard Turbo split-system are vibration and corrosion resistant.
Providing 7,000 BTUs, the battery-powered split system allows the noise of the condenser unit to remain outside while the quieter evaporator unit (the CHEB) blows cool air in the cab’s interior. A smart digital thermostat controls the system, insuring precise temperature control and optimal operation.
With a very small footprint relative to cooling capacity, the Blizzard Turbo is powerful and compact. It requires minimal installation space and its flexible refrigerant line sets require minimal holes in the cab floor or panels.
Units and line sets are pre-charged, and refrigerant line connections are made with no-leak quick-connect fittings, allowing for easier and faster installation. Easily accessible external service ports provide quick and easy service access if needed.
This third-generation Blizzard Turbo also features a more powerful blower, improved shock-absorbing brackets and a simplified electrical system for great reliability. The centrifugal blower provides high air flow and it rotates for either vertical or horizontal discharge to increase installation options.
Drastically reduce your fuel consumption and wake up refreshed with this compact and highly efficient auxiliary air conditioning system that keeps your cab cool and comfortable for 8 hours or more in typical systems, depending on the battery system storage capacity, without running the engine.
Blizzard Turbo Key Benefits
• Keeps cab cool and reduces humidity with engine off • Eliminates fuel consumption while you sleep
• Complies with all federal, state and local anti-idling regulations • Split system puts condenser noise outside
• Designed with rugged components to withstand vibration and resist corrosion • Low-noise CHEB component installs under bunk inside the cab
Did you know?
• As the country becomes more environmentally friendly, investing in new technology like the Blizzard Turbo pays off both monetarily and environmentally.
• Dometic’s technical support and customer service are responsive, and any warranty claims are handled without delay. TESTIMONIAL
“I am very happy with Dometic’s support and engineering. No company can even come close.”
Ilnaz Delvarani
President ITM Equipment
Condenser Unit
BLOWER ROTATES TO VERTICAL (SHOWN) OR HORIZONTAL POSITION
HIGHER EFFICIENCY DUAL-CIRCUIT EVAPORATOR COIL
INTERNAL ELECTRICAL BOX WITH EASY-START CIRCUITRY MINIMIZES STARTING SURGE
IMPROVED BASE PAN DESIGN FOR EFFICIENT CONDENSATE DRAINAGE CENTRIFUGAL BLOWER
PROVIDES HIGH AIR FLOW AND HIGH STATIC-PRESSURE PERFORMANCE
BLIZZARD TURBO KEY ADVANTAGES
CHEB Unit
(cab interior)
Condenser Unit
(cab exterior)
12 VDC FAN ALLOWS USE OF SMALLER TRANSFORMER AND ELECTRICAL BOX
QUICK-DISCONNECT FITTINGS AND IMPROVED MOUNTING AND FASTENING ELIMINATE RATTLES INCREASED SIDE INLET OPENINGS
WATCH OUT FOR FALSE CLAIMS!
Buy your auxiliary A/C from a company that is expert in designing and manufacturing reliable systems. Many companies claim to have high BTU ratings that, when tested in a controlled lab environment, fall far short of their stated cooling capacity and grossly mislead the consumer.
Lab testing has shown that some manufacturers who advertise systems with 10,000 BTUs actually produce a system with output capacity that is up to 70% LESS than advertised, coming in with fewer than 3,000 BTUs.
Laboratory testing shows Dometic’s Blizzard Turbo 7,000 BTU system actually has a higher cooling capacity than competitors’ products claiming to provide up to 10,000 BTUs. The Blizzard Turbo scores the highest output rating in actual testing, producing over 99% of its stated capacity.
Laboratory Test Results
Test Dometic Brand B Brand I
Claimed BTU/Hr Output vs Actual
BTU/Hr Output 7,000 claimed 6,941 actual
(achieves 99%) 8,500 claimed 5,952 actual (achieves 70%) 10,000 claimed 3,466 actual (achieves 34%)
Net Sensible Capacity 2,329 BTUs Dehumidifying
4,612 BTUs Cooling 1,174 BTUs Dehumidifying 4,778 BTUs Cooling 725 BTUs Dehumidifying 2,741 BTUs Cooling
Run Time 10+ Hours Less than 10 hours Less than 10 hours
Efficiency: Power consumption Watts vs Output
BTU/Hr
935 Watts
6,941 BTUs 782 Watts 5,952 BTUs 712 Watts 3,466 BTUs
The Dometic Blizzard Turbo achieves 99% of its BTU rating while other brands fall far short of theirs
The efficiency of an air conditioning system relates to how many BTUs are produced for the amount of energy consumed (Watts)
Performance comparisons done in Dometic’s precision computor-controlled, semi-automated environmental test lab
Another important factor when evaluating an air conditioning system is how the temperature feels to you. This involves the dehumidification capability of the system and means the difference between “cool and clammy” and the much nicer “cool and comfortable.”
In technical terms, this is the Net Sensible Capacity of an air conditioner. The more BTUs that are devoted to dehumidification, the more comfortable the conditioned air will feel. It gives the air conditioner the ability to remove moisture more efficiently and more quickly.
Dometic’s Blizzard Turbo devotes 2,329 BTUs to dehumidification, which is 33% of its actual BTU output. You’ll see in the chart below that the competitors devote far fewer BTUs to this important aspect of cooling comfort.
The numbers to the right indicate BTUs devoted to dehumidification and the numbers to the left indicate BTUs devoted to cooling. Higher dehumidification BTUs mean more overall comfort is achieved more quickly.
The DOs and DON’Ts
• DO choose a system that is quietand powerful
• DO choose a system that is built to withstand rugged road conditions
• DON’T choose a system that misrepresents its cooling capacity • DON’T choose a system that
produces excessive operating noise, squeaks and rattles
CRITICAL FACTORS FOR AUXILIARY AIR-CONDITIONING
THE REAL TEST: HOW COOL DOES IT FEEL?
TESTIMONIAL
“Almost all of our trucks have the Dometic Blizzard A/C. Drivers stay comfortable.”
Mark Hefner
Body Shop Manager Cargo Transporters, Inc.
Critical Factors Dometic Competitor
B Competitor I
Cab stays cool while engine is off
4
4
4
Designed with rugged components towithstand vibration and resist corrosion
4
8
8
Low-noise CHEB component installsunder bunk inside the cab
4
4
8
Split system puts condenser noiseoutside
4
8
8
Stated BTU output verified by
2000 N. Andrews Ave. Ext. | Pompano Beach, FL 33069 Phone: 888-767-3362
Email: [email protected] | Web: www.dometictruck.com
We offer delivery from manufacturing plants and warehouses located close to our customers with a global distribution and support network to take care of aftermarket service.
Products are sold through multiple distribution channels under the well-established brand names and labels of Dometic, WAECO, Marine Air, Cruisair, Condaria, SeaLand and Mobicool. Our brands and labels have a solid reputation and are recognized for high quality and innovation.
Dometic GROUP is the preferred development partner and equipment supplier for RV manufacturers, boat builders, commercial- and
passenger-vehicle manufacturers, hotels, retailers and more than 12,000 dealers and technical service companies all over the world.
Assembled in the USA Environmentally Responsible
