Introduced in 2008, the original PowerCube APU quickly gained favor among independent owner-operators and small fleets because of its ability to quickly and sustainably heat and cool a sleeper cab’s living quarters in even the most adverse weather conditions. The exceptional performance characteristics of the PowerCube are directly linked to its heating and cooling capacity as measured by British Thermal Units (BTUs).

“I operate my rig in one of the hottest regions in the country,” Rick Reynolds, owner of Darn Transportation, out of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., said. “The PowerCube is the only APU I’ve found that can overcome the types of intense heat and sun loads we regularly encounter out here in the desert.”

The original PowerCube and the PowerCube Slim both deliver 24,000 BTUs of AC cooling strength and 30,000 BTUs of heating power, more than any other APUs on the market. Both units are quiet, with the PowerCube Slim performing at only 75 dB under full load, about 30 percent quieter than an idling class-eight diesel truck.

Perrin has broad experience designing and manufacturing HVAC and APU systems for heavy-duty, off-road and exotic commercial work vehicles, under its Tridako PowerCube APU brand. Perrin has its own state-of-the-art testing facility and conducts Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) certified J1503 testing on all of its HVAC products. The PowerCube and PowerCube Slim are currently the only APU designs on the market that undergo and meet the SAE certified testing guidelines.

“We set our sights on building the highest quality and most effective APU for owner-operators and small fleets,” Dan Koch, president and CEO of Perrin Manufacturing, said. “When independent operators buy an APU, they want it to do its job, to last a long time and to be hassle-free, so we engineered the PowerCube to give them exactly what they want.”

Both PowerCube units utilize a two-cylinder Caterpillar CO.5i diesel power plant that carries an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rating of Tier-4, denoting the lowest emissions for its class. PowerCube APUs attach to the sleeper cab’s existing fuel tank and operate on just a quarter of the fuel needed to idle a standard class-eight diesel engine. Both PowerCube models significantly reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission-related soot accumulation and the regeneration frequency of a vehicle’s diesel particulate filter (DPF).

Unlike other APUs that require mounting a separate condensing unit on the exterior of the vehicle, the PowerCube has an integrated condenser. The PowerCube HVAC unit fits under the bunk and is fitted with a dual 600 cfm high-performance blower. With four separate vents, the PowerCube has twice the capacity of other APUs, which augments its ability to rapidly heat and cool a cab and to maintain the desired temperature.

Up-fitting a sleeper cab with a PowerCube usually takes between eight and 10 hours, depending on the vehicle make and model. Once installed, a PowerCube can be serviced at any of the 2,200 Caterpillar dealers across North America, and many of those dealers are part of the PowerCube network of installation professionals.

“We’ve installed a lot of PowerCubes over the years,” Steve Leuch, sales manager for Stowers Cat of Knoxville, said. “We have total confidence in the PowerCube product and we’re excited that Perrin has chosen a CAT diesel engine as the heart of its PowerCube product line.”

Both PowerCube models can be ordered in custom colors to match cab bodies and can also be fully finished in chrome. Units come with mounting hardware, wire harness system, integrated muffler, fuel pickup apparatus, under-bunk HVAC unit, flexible ductwork and an easy-to-operate, handheld digital temperature control unit.

Additional information is available and can be obtained by contacting Perrin Manufacturing or by visiting: http://www.powercubeapu.com