Type B Aftermarket HVAC System Unveiled

A picture of the Webasto a la carte aftermarket HVAC kit system

A new HVAC kit-building system from supplier Webasto North America will be available in the Type B motorhome aftermarket. The company called it a first in the industry.

The A La Carte Aftermarket Van HVAC kit provides customers the ability to upfit a Ford Transit, Ram ProMaster or Mercedes Sprinter chassis with auxiliary HVAC systems more quickly. The company stated its system creates less inventory and lowers cost.

“Webasto has been making aftermarket van HVAC kits for years, and we alone made 22 separate systems, each designed to fit the leading van makes and models,” said Mike Cicioni, HVAC application manager. “Our systems work seamlessly, but our distributors had to carry multiples of all 22 kits if they wanted to be stocked and ready to meet the marketplace variables.”

The company noted those previously seeking auxiliary, tie-in heating/cooling or stand-alone HVAC kits would have to first obtain a model-specific system designed to fit a particular vehicle.

“However, with the popularity of vans and the variety of models out there, chances are that one of the 25-30 most popular kits might not be in inventory locally or otherwise readily available,” Webasto stated.

The supplier realized many of its HVAC components were common among varying makes and models, with others purpose-designed and manufactured. The company noted unbundling the components might make things easier for upfitters, body builders and fleets to get “what they wanted with more speed and consistency.”

“Our objective was to find a way to remove the burden from our customers, enabling them to carry a reduced inventory of the constituent components, instead of 22 or more vehicle-specific kits,” Cicioni said. “Essentially, the concept was to provide lower-cost unbundled components that could later be re-bundled, based solely on application and demand.”

The company stated its approach enables Webasto to cover 90% of the van market with 30 a la carte HVAC components. With the new system, Webasto stated less inventory is required, increasing responsiveness to fluctuating demand. The system puts customers in a more “favorable position” to capture a wider variety of work truck applications beyond Webasto’s existing van-specific HVAC kits.

Webasto developed a “decision tree” method that helps customers choose the right system components based on answering eight questions. Webasto is introducing a product brochure that includes the eight-question product specifier.

“We have taken a complex task and made it easy for customers to check a few boxes and specify an HVAC system that is precisely optimized for their unique application,” said Matt Wheeler, head of the HVAC light- and medium-duty sector. “We did the hard work to make our customers’ work easier.”

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