Perrin Manufacturing says it has a new, more compact version of its PowerCube auxiliary power unit that fits the mounting space requirements of the majority of North American sleeper-cab tractors. The APU is 19.5 inches wide, but packs the same HVAC power of its predecessor.

“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,” said Dan Koch, Perrin’s president and CEO.  

Like the original PowerCube APU introduced in 2008, the Slim version is aimed at owner-operators and small-fleet owners who want strong heating and air conditioning performance along with ample electrical power for house loads, Koch said. 

Both products deliver 24,000 British thermal units of cooling and 30,000 BTUs of heating, which Perrin said is more than any other APUs on the market.

Both units are quiet, with the PowerCube Slim emitting only 75 dB under full load, about 30% quieter than an idling Class 8 diesel, and use one-quarter of the fuel.  

Like the original PowerCube, the Slim model uses a two-cylinder Caterpillar CO.5i diesel that carries an Environmental Protection Agency rating of Tier-4, denoting the lowest emissions for its classification.

Koch has testimonials from customers who are happy with the products’ performance in extreme climes, and its dependability.  

PowerCube has an integrated condenser, and its 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.

Installing a PowerCube usually takes between eight and 10 hours, depending on the vehicle make and model, he said. 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 installation network.

Perrin Manufacturing claims 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 SAE certified J1503 testing on all of its HVAC products, Koch said.

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.