Heavy duty trucks are very important to our economy in how they transport goods, haul construction material, or pick up our garbage. Many of these trucks must be operational 7 days a week and 365 days a year throughout all types of weather conditions.
Throughout the warm summer months, making sure your drivers stay cool and alert is an important task. In order to keep them comfortable, one of the most essential pieces of the truck is a proper working air conditioning system.
A/C kits keep the truck cab at an optimal temperature for the driver. Since drivers are often traveling through hot, humid climates these systems must work properly. High-quality truck A/C systems also filter the air, removing irritating pollutants, pollen, and dust from the air. During the cold winter months A/C is often forgotten, but when used properly, the A/C system removes moisture from the cab keeping the windshield and glass clear of fogging from condensation.
What are the A/C Kit Options?
There are two schools of thought when it comes to purchasing and installing an A/C kit.
1. The Cheap Option
Some people believe they will not need to use the A/C units that often and therefore it is beneficial to choose the cheaper option. There is no shortage of low cost A/C parts suppliers out there. While this does keep costs lower upfront, the low cost option may not be built to last like the OE unit, increasing the odds of doing the job again prematurely.
When a compressor experiences a catastrophic failure, metal fragments can be distributed and become trapped in other key components of the A/C system. When this occurs, it is essential that all of these components be replaced to ensure a successful replacement. Even more important, an A/C compressor clutch bearing failure on serpentine belt engines will make the truck inoperable resulting in down time and additional repair costs.
2. The Best Option
The importance of having a high-quality, heavy-duty truck A/C kit outweighs the potential upfront savings of a less expensive option. By choosing a high-quality complete A/C kit, from Everco Heavy Duty, you can end up saving a lot of money in the long run, and up front vs. the OE Dealer parts option. Everco Heavy Duty HVAC products go through extensive product validation to ensure high quality, fewer breakdowns, and less potential downtime when compared to installing a cheaper option.
Components of an A/C Kit
While the quality of an A/C kit can differ, each one will have the same basic components.
- Compressor – compresses the refrigerant gas
- Filter/Drier – protects system components from failure
- Expansion valve or Orifice tube – reduces the pressure allowing the refrigerant to turn from a liquid to a gas
Which A/C Kit Should I Choose?
Our experts at North American Trailer only utilize the best A/C kits to service truck fleets. In our opinion, there is one gold standard of a complete A/C kit on the market, the Everco HD.
The Everco HD kit bundles top-quality components together to build a fully functioning A/C unit. The bundle provides cost savings over purchasing the individual parts separately. Their kits even include premium oil, gaskets, and rings needed to install all components. These kits are adaptable and can fit on a wide range of truck brands including:
- Freightliner
- International/Navistar
- Kenworth
- Mack
- Peterbilt
- Volvo
- Ford
North American Trailer also has several options for refrigerant and service parts. These can help save you downtime and make small repairs to your A/C system on the road. While our large size, 30lb cylinders can save you money by providing multiple recharges from a single canister.
Your A/C Kit Partner
Not everyone loves the idea of installing a top-of-the-line A/C, but in a heavy-duty truck it is not just a desire, but a necessity. Not only does it keep the driver and the cargo at a comfortable temperature, but it also works to filter the air of pollen and pollutants.
In addition, Blaine Brothers stock a comprehensive line of HVAC components and related products, Blower Motors, Condensers and Evaporators to name a few.
If you need an A/C kit installation or service, our experts are ready to help. With over 35 years of experience and convenient locations across the Midwest, you can trust our team with any of your heavy-duty truck A/C system needs.