Description
The Thermo King SL-400e is the capacity model of the SL trailer range, fitted with the electric standby package. It is the unit to specify when the box is long, the setpoint is deep, or the ambient is punishing — a 53 foot van running frozen through a Gulf Coast summer with a driver opening doors at six stops a day. Listed at $9,500.
Thermo King SL-400e Specifications
- Type: high-capacity single-temperature trailer refrigeration unit
- Standby: electric standby, 460 V / 3-phase / 60 Hz
- Engine: Thermo King four cylinder direct injection diesel
- Drive: belt-driven open compressor with dual drive
- Control: Thermo King microprocessor, programmable setpoints, automatic defrost
- Application: 48-53 ft vans, deep frozen and high-ambient service
- Condition: new and inspected used units available
- Price: $9,500
Sizing for Pull-Down, Not Hold
Almost any working reefer unit will hold a pre-chilled load in a sound trailer. What separates a big unit from a small one is recovery — how quickly it gets a box back to setpoint after the doors have been open for twenty minutes at a stop in ninety-degree heat. Undersize the unit and every stop costs you temperature you never fully recover, until the load at the last drop is out of specification. If your route is multi-drop and your product is frozen, buy the capacity.
Applications
Ice cream and frozen distribution, protein and seafood, 53 foot vans, and southern and southwestern lanes. For lighter chilled work the SL-200e costs less to buy and less to run.
Freight and Fitting
Ships on a flatbed with forklift loading; freight is quoted to your delivery ZIP code. Installation on a trailer bulkhead belongs with a Thermo King dealer or an experienced reefer shop. Contact us for engine hours, standby test results and a delivered price.
What to Check on a Used SL-400e
Hours first, then a full cycle test — cooling, heating and defrost — with the box actually pulled down rather than a brief run at idle. Inspect the evaporator and condenser coils for corrosion and fin damage, listen for belt and idler bearing noise on the high-speed cycle, and confirm the electric standby runs under load and not just when energised. Ask us for these checks and the hour meter reading before you commit.
Trailer Condition Matters as Much as the Unit
A high-capacity unit cannot compensate indefinitely for a trailer that has lost its insulation value. If an older van is struggling to hold temperature, have the box tested before you buy a bigger unit — delaminated panels, failed door seals and a leaking floor drain will defeat any reefer on the market, and they are cheaper to fix than a unit is to replace.
Related Units
Lower capacity with the same standby capability: the SL-200e. Comparable capacity on a Tier 4 final platform: the Precedent S-700 or the Carrier X4 7500.
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