NATDA Magazine Nov/Dec 2019 NM_Nov2019_Final | Page 69

When they looked around at other providers, Dallman says it was easy to see that Polar Temp could offer something different. “A lot of people, while they build good equipment for the purposes they intend, are taking general purpose trailers and insulating inside walls. That’s fine, but it’s a not a walk-in cooler or freezer. We’ve got that in our favor because we have that other experience and the technology to build those.” Polar Temp’s insulation methods, compared to other companies in the industry, might seem foreign. However, it simply comes down to the fact that the company has been building coolers for a long time. “Our 5x10’s for example. We foam all that in place. We put that all together, we stick it in the fixture and we inject the foam. It adds to the strength and rigidity of the entire box when you do it that way.” The seven-foot-wide trailers, from the 10’ to the 16’ are put together with walk-in panels. They lock together with a cam-lock. For road use, Polar Temp uses 3M VHB between the panels. So, once you lock them together, they’re not coming apart or shift going down the road.” Dallman says, “We build a trailer that doesn’t want to flex.” In addition to its refrigerated trailers, Polar Temp has units that fit into the back of a truck. However, the trailers themselves are proven to be the top seller. “The trailers are pretty popular,” Dallman explains. “You can pull it in somewhere, drop it off, rent it out and still have the use of your pickup truck while the trailer is out making money for you at an event.” www.natda.org www.natda.org For dealers looking to add refrigerated trailers to their inventory, Dallman says manufacturer knowledge of how to build a good, insulated panel should be paramount. “That’s a big part of the refrigeration system that you have up front or wherever it’s mounted. If you’ve got good insulation, you’ve got a refrigeration system that’s going to do the job for you without having to worry about heat infiltration. Polar Temp’s 7’-wide trailers have 4” thick walls, meaning their trailers, according to Dallman, have a thermal resistance rating, or R-value, of at least R24. “I don’t know what the R values would be of general-purpose trailers that are being manufactured and then insulated to turn them into refrigerated trailers. I’m not sure if they’re using 2” walls, how deep they’re going or if they even know what to do.” Whatever these companies do, though, affect the refrigeration system. If you don’t have a lot of insulation, you’re going to have to over-size the refrigeration system. To help combat this, Polar Temp devised a two-system refrigeration unit. So, if one goes down, another system can keep the unit cool for a while. For dealerships that still want to purchase general-purpose trailers, Polar Temp also has a wall-mount refrigeration system. It’s a “modular, plug-and-play system.” With dedicated representatives in California, Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, Polar Temp has become the go-to manufacturer for dealerships looking to provide high-quality refrigerated units to their customer base. NATDA NATDA Magazine Magazine 69 69