Unit Provides Even Heat for Greater Comfort

SPARKS, Nev., Feb. 22, 2007 — Record icy-cold temperatures and above-average snowfall may be the norm throughout the United States and Canada this winter. But that doesn’t mean truck drivers have to wake up to bone-chilling cold or idle their truck engines and risk large fines.

The Willis Auxiliary Power Unit, manufactured by Auxiliary Power Dynamics, offers an alternative with heating and cooling capacity that’s among the highest in the industry. It also keeps truck drivers and their companies from being slapped with hefty fines for idling their truck engines since it provides auxiliary power as soon as the truck is parked. Its three-cylinder, 18-hp Kubota engine makes it quiet, powerful and inexpensive to maintain.

“When drivers operate the Willis APU, they can stay warm in their truck and sleeper as if they were running the truck engine,” said Will Watson, vice president for sales and marketing for the Sparks, Nev-based APU manufacturer. “The Willis APU offers heating and cooling similar to the truck’s heating, air conditioning and ventilation system since it’s integrated into the truck’s system.

“That’s an important distinction, because when you look at other APUs and battery-powered idle-reduction technologies, they simply don’t offer the capacity to warm or cool the cab and sleeper as completely as the Willis APU,” Watson said.

Standalone units use their own ducting, taking up valuable space from the driver and providing air often from only one vent, he added. That’s why these units create pockets or layers of hot and cold air throughout the cab and sleeper.

“The Willis APU heats the cab and sleeper quickly and evenly, so drivers don’t have to huddle around heaters or vents to stay warm while they sleep or wrap themselves in several layers of blankets or clothes when they get up to start their shifts,” Watson said. “That means drivers get more comfortable, restful sleep and start their shifts ready for the rigors and demands of driving trucks.”

When technicians install the Willis APU, they integrate it into the truck’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. So, drivers don’t give up valuable personal space. And since the air blows from all of the vents in the truck, not just one, the Willis APU provides more even and comfortable heating.

The Willis APU also keeps the truck engine warm for easier starting since it heats the truck engine’s coolant using a custom-made cast aluminum heat exchanger that harnesses exhaust heat from the APU engine header. From the heat exchanger, the pre-heated coolant is pumped through the APU engine and then through the heater cores in the truck to provide heating to the sleeper and cab. Then the pre-heated coolant is circulated through the engine block to keep the truck engine warm. The APU microprocessor control provides for a high RPM mode to provide more heat for extreme cold conditions.

Watson said financing options are available, including a lease option that allows owner-operators or fleets to get the Willis APU installed for little or no money down.

“Depending upon how much idling you or your drivers currently do, the amount of money you save in fuel costs may actually be more than your monthly lease payment,” he added.

Fleets with certified technicians on staff may also be eligible to get Willis APU service training for those technicians so that they can install and service the Willis APU at the company’s maintenance facilities for faster installation and greater operating efficiency, Watson said.

For more information about the Willis APU, including a list of certified installation sites, visit www.willisapu.com or call 253-638-3145.