Dometic Battery-Powered Auxiliary Air Conditioning System - Manual (Page 4)

A belt-driven compressor on the truck’s engine supplies air conditioning
when you are driving or idling. When you shut down the engine,
however, you need a separate air conditioning system that runs on an
alternative source of power.
Dometic has developed an engine-off comfort-control solution that pulls
12V DC power from a bank of heavy-duty batteries and inverts it to
115V AC power, which drives the electric powered air conditioner. The
batteries are recharged by a high-capacity alternator. When 115V AC shorepower is available, it can also be
used to drive the air conditioner.
When looking at battery-based air conditioning, you should think of it as an engineered, integrated
system comprised of several components which have been carefully chosen and tested to ensure reliable
performance.
Air Conditioning Units
There are two basic choices: split systems and self-contained “package” units. In most cases, the split system
is preferred, since it uses less interior space and offers more installation flexibility. We will focus on the split
system. However, if you are interested in a “package” unit solution,
please contact our sales office at +1-804-746-1313 or visit our website
at www.dometic.com/truck.
Dometic’s patented split-system design consists of an outside
condensing unit and an inside evaporator/compressor unit. The
outside unit can be mounted horizontally or vertically on the back of
the cab, but may also be mounted horizontally on the undercarriage.
The inside unit is usually mounted under the bunk or in a side storage
locker for a sleeper, or between the seats in a day cab. The two units
are connected by reusable precharged refrigerant linesets with quick-
connect fittings. The system is designed so that both units automatically
charge to the correct refrigerant pressure as soon as the linesets are
connected. No special tools are required.
The air conditioning system also includes ducts, grills, condensate
drain and electrical wiring, as well as a digital display/control panel.
The air conditioning systems can be ordered for cooling only with built-
in electric heat elements.
Note that the Dometic system is not a “bunk cooler” that blows cool air
on the driver, but a true compressor-driven air conditioning system that
provides ample cooling capacity for the entire space.
Outside condensing unit mounted on back of cab
Inside evaporator unit seen from the side
compartment
the basics
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