When he was installing the Webasto Air Top Evo 40 Air Heater in the service bay of the new 2014 Peterbilt 337, the maintenance technician had no idea that it wouldn’t be removed again until 2022. Fuel-operated air heaters just don’t generally last for that long, particularly in the climates around Sainte-Julie, near Montreal, Canada. The tech also knew that the warranty on the Air Top Evo was a very standard two years or 2,000 hours.
The heater would spend the next eight years heating the mobile workspace of the 337 Pete. Owned by Excellence Peterbilt, a family-owned truck dealership with six locations in Canada, the vehicle is just one of eight big mobile service units that are heated with Webasto Air Top Evos, allowing them to work year-round to help the company keep its customers on the road.
When the unit started showing signs that it needed attention, Simon Hamelin, the Excellence Peterbilt service technician who originally installed it, decided to run a diagnostic report. He accessed the Air Top Evo 40’s electronic brains via his laptop computer through USB and serial port connections. In addition to being able to read fault codes and review proper diagnosis and repair procedures, it allowed Hamelin to access real-time and historical data on the unit.
BEYOND EXPECTATIONS
Disappointingly, the diagnostics showed Hamelin that the unit reached the end of its service life. However, two lines in the report really stood out. The unit delivered 19,554.38 working hours and 38,207.12 operating hours.
The working hours metric measures the amount of time the heater burns fuel, while operating hours denotes the amount of time the timer clock records that the unit receives power.
“So as soon as the switch is turned on, and the signal goes to the Air Top Evo and gives it power, it’ll start activating that hour meter for the operating time,” Hamelin says. “The Air Top Evo might have power being delivered to it and so it’s considered ‘operating,’ but unless it’s engaged in burning fuel, it’s not ‘working,’ and until then, working hours aren’t logged.”
The diagnostic report showed that this one Air Top Evo 40 had not only operated faithfully for eight years, six years beyond its warranty period, but at 19,554.38 working hours, it performed almost 10 times longer than reasonable expectations would dictate.
“To put it simply, I was astonished,” Hamelin says. “And so I started showing folks around the dealership, and they were astonished as well.”
One of the people Hamelin showed the report to was his boss, Dany Grant, service coordinator for Excellence Peterbilt.
“When he popped up the numbers, we just looked at each other, and I think I said something like ‘Come on, are you kidding?’” Grant muses. “And I had to laugh, because it’s not like Simon didn’t use the heck out of that unit; he starts his Webasto heater, and as long as it’s cold, it’s not shutting off. Sure he turned it off in the summer, but he turned it right back on as soon as the cold weather hit.”
DETAILS MATTER
According to Francois Deslauriers, Webasto’s regional sales manager for Eastern Canada, having the right size heater for the application is essential for optimal performance. He stresses that over-specifying a heater can lead to inefficient performance and an increased buildup of carbon.
Alternatively, choosing a heater that’s too small for the space would result in a higher percentage of working hours, straining the unit and potentially reducing its lifespan. Hence, correctly specifying a Webasto Air Top Evo 40 air heater is crucial for efficient functioning.
Deslauriers speculated that because of the way it was specified, it was burning at medium or high most of the time, not at low. He suggested that at medium and high, the burners were not accumulating carbon on them. That way, the heaters ran clean, and this was the secret of Webasto success in this particular case.
Further adding to the success of Webasto’s products at Excellence Peterbilt is the quality of installation and maintenance. Deslauriers praised the technicians at Excellence Peterbilt for their thorough training on installation and upkeep of the Webasto Air Top Evo 40 air heaters, as well as their communication to customers on best practices for fuel-operated heaters.
He also emphasized the importance of regular maintenance, even during the summer when heaters are not actively used. Ensuring the unit is run occasionally prevents potential misuse and misunderstandings regarding the product, increasing performance and longevity.
“There is a reason why Webasto gives an industry-standard two-years, 2,000-hour warranty,” Deslauriers notes. “But this one Webasto Air Top Evo 40 air heater went way beyond our expectations, and I believe it’s because when Webasto units are spec’d correctly, they’re installed correctly, people are trained on how to use them correctly, and then when all users perform preventive maintenance correctly, you can expect to maximize product performance.”
EARNING THE BUSINESS
“We estimate that over the course of the almost 20,000 working hours on our amazing little Webasto Air Top Evo 40 air heater, Excellence Peterbilt saved approximately $133,000 in fuel by not idling the vehicle’s engine for heat in the tuck’s service compartment,” Grant says. “And that value doesn’t even take into consideration the savings from reduced maintenance, fewer replacements of our diesel particulate filters, or the environmental impact of burning so much less fossil fuel.”
When asked about the comparison of Webasto heaters to other brands, Grant had a straightforward response. Given the remarkable performance of Webasto’s heaters and the consistent support provided by the team, he didn’t see a need to consider any alternatives. The Webasto Air Top Evo 40 air heater had proven to be the perfect fit for their needs, and they intended to stick with it.
In the end, the success of this one Webasto heater’s ability to beat the odds can be attributed to a few key factors and a little bit of luck. It’s also a testament to a well-engineered product, supported by an attentive sales force, ultimately used by an intelligent value-oriented customer.
“Buying a product is always easy,” Grant explains. “But it’s after the sale when you have questions or just can’t seem to put your finger on a problem—that’s when the true test begins. It’s kind of analogous to that running timer on the Air Top Evo 40, and at this point in our relationship with Webasto, the stats still look exceptional.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Find out more about the Webasto Air Top Evo 40, visit www.webasto-comfort.com.
