My Problems with a Blackrock APU
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BLACKROCK APUs are no longer being manufactured, as the company has gone out of business.
Subject: Misrepresentation of online advertising of Blackrock Evolution Auxiliary Power Unit (APU).
Complaint: I researched APUs for about a year and in September 2008, finally decided to purchase a Blackrock Evolution because 1) It is available with a 5.2 kW generator, 2) It has an optional “Quiet Comfort” kit, 3) It has a programmable digital electronic control unit (ECU) with a battery monitor, which keeps the batteries charged 4) There is a nearby service center, and 5) It has higher BTUs than any other APU I researched. The old control unit had a battery monitor, but it only told you when the batteries were low, it did not keep them charged.
After the APU was installed on my truck, I was told the one I purchased did not come with an programmable digital ECU. I was told mine was an older model (Rev 6), and if I wanted the programmable digital ECU, I would have to upgrade and purchase one for about $1,200.00 to $2,000.00 (every time I was told I could purchase it, I was given a different price). When I purchased the APU, no one told me it was an old unit. Blackrock uses the term "Rev" to mean "Revision".
It took many phone calls and communications with both Blackrock and their dealer, Cleveland Brothers, before I got any satisfaction from either; then it was only from Cleveland Brothers, Blackrock never even responded to my certified letter of complaint.
Why I feel the programmable digital ECU should have been on the APU I purchased:
I have screen shots of Blackrocks website, stating that the programmable digital ECU is standard, not an option or an upgrade.
Since I contacted Blackrock on 24 September 2008, concerning this matter, they added one web page, buried under “News”, stating the battery monitor is a retrofit option for
Revs. 1 – 10 Standard Feature on Rev 11 forward”
and added one web page (also under “News”) stating,
"modular electonics is available as a BLACKOCK® APU product upgrade, our team of engineers have designed a feature that moves the APU’s electronics to a protected environment. This upgrade will protect the APU’s electronics from corrosion and debris. Offered as an upgrade only Available for Revs 1 – 10”, then below that it says, “revs 1 – 11”.
and changed one web page "Options" by adding
"New Programmable Digital Electronic Control Unit (for revisions 14+)”
Still on their web site (as of today, 04 March 2009), is their Product Specification Sheet, which lists the ECU as a feature, and it is not included in the options section. It does not mention any upgrade, or any particular model or Rev., and Product Specification Chart, which lists the ECU as a feature, and it is not included in the options section. It does not mention any upgrade, or any particular model or Rev. Also, if you click on “Electronic Control Unit” on http://www.blackrockapu.com/BLACKROCK-EVO.php it describes the ECU, but does not mention it being an option, an upgrade, or only being on certain models or revisions.
I cannot prove the added or changed pages were added or changed after I called Blackrock, but I can show screen shots of Blackrocks various web pages, or screen shots of various pages of their pdf files (e.g. user guide) showing dates ranging from March 2008 to August 2008 (before we purchased our APU). All of these pages either list the ECU as a feature, or omit it as an option. Not one of them say anything about an upgrade or being available only on certain “revisions”. In the Evolution User Guide Version 1, Rev 1, http://www.blackrockapu.com/EVO-User-Guide.pdf which describes the operation of the ECU, it is not listed with the other options under the options section.
DETAILS
I have been researching APUs for about a year. One of the ones I looked at was a Blackrock. I thought I would like the Blackrock for several reasons, among them the high BTUs; the many features of the digital programmable digital electronic control unit (ECU), with new battery monitor which keeps the batteries charged; and the fact that there is a Cleveland Brothers Equipment service center within 20 miles of where I live, which is an installation and repair center, but not a dealer; the Quiet Comfort option; and the availability of the 5.2kW generator. The Hunker, PA facility is over three times that far from me.
After looking at Blackrocks web site and reading all of the information numerous times, I called, the contact person listed on Blackrocks web site, at Cleveland Brothers Hunker, PA facility.
When I asked the contact person a couple of questions about the unit, he referred me to Blackrocks web site for details. After calling him several more times gathering additional information, I finally decided the Blackrock Evolution, with the Quiet Comfort option, was the APU I wanted. I asked him if he had one in stock, or if it had to be ordered. He said he had one in stock. I asked if it had a 3.7 kW or a 5.2 kW generator, and he said it had a 5.2kW generator.
On 28 August 2008, I called Owner Operator Services, Incorporated [OOSI] (a division of Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association – OOIDA), to apply for a loan. I was faxed the paperwork. I filled it out and returned it on 02 September. Upon learning of our loan approval on 04 September, I called Cleveland Brothers and scheduled an appointment for installation. The appointment was scheduled for 15 September. This date was chosen as I was leaving on vacation on 18 September and I would be able to pick the truck up before I left, as I was told the installation would be finished on 17 September.
I notified OOSI that we would be picking up the truck on 17 September, and was told that after we inspected the unit and it met with our approval, the money would be wired to Cleveland Brothers, and that it would take about two hours for the transfer.
On 12 September, I took the truck to Cleveland Brothers to leave it to have the installation done. On 16 September, I called Cleveland Brothers and was told the truck would not be ready on the 17th. I told them as I was leaving on the 18th, I would have to wait until the 22nd to pick up the truck. They said that would not be a problem. I did not call OOSI and tell them that we would be picking up the truck at a later date.
On the 22nd , I went to Cleveland Brothers to pick up the truck. Upon arrival, I found out that OOSI had already paid for the APU on the 17th.
The contact person started the APU, and showed me how it had been installed, how it worked, etc. When he picked up the control unit, I asked for the operation manual and for him to show me how to program the unit. He said the APU was not shipped with an operation manual, but he had one faxed from Blackrock and gave it to me. He said they would mail me a copy of the original. The one they faxed and the one they mailed to me were copies of the one from the website, and both had the operating instructions for the programmable digital electronic control unit.
He also told me the control panel was not programmable. He said that he had just discovered that Blackrock had upgraded the control panel to a programmable one, but it would cost $1,800.00 to $2,000.00 dollars, and I would have to pay for it if I wanted it.
As OOSI had already paid for the unit, I took the truck home. Immediately upon arriving home, I called Blackrocks customer support and spoke with service representative, Julie Adams, and asked about the programmable digital ECU. I was told that Cleveland Brothers had ordered the APU they installed on our truck in February 2008, before the control unit had been upgraded. Ms. Adams told me to talk with Cleveland Brothers, but there was nothing Blackrock could do, except to sell me the upgrade.
I asked her how I was supposed to use the control unit which came with our APU, as the instructions were all for the new programmable digital ECU. She faxed me seven pages of a user manual containing the instructions for the control console that came with my APU. The faxed copies were almost unreadable, and the “pictures” were just black blobs.
On the 23rd, I spoke with the contact person at Cleveland Brothers and he told me that he did not know about the upgraded electronic control unit until the 19th, when a customer called and asked about it. I told him that when I researched Blackrocks web site, it showed the programmable digital ECU, and nowhere did it say anything about the unit being upgraded, or there being an older non-programmable unit. He said that after I got home, I decided I wanted something better, and thought I could get it without paying for it. He also told me that was not possible that I had seen the programmable digital ECU on Blackrocks website before I purchased mine, as Blackrock had just added the new unit to their site sometime after 12 September.
However, on Blackrocks web site, it had a PDF of the user manual for the Evolution, which explained in detail how to program the digital electronic control unit. I had downloaded and printed this manual. I had read it several times before I decided to purchase the Blackrock Evolution. The document properties show this manual was created on July 15, 2008.
Blackrocks web site also had a Evolution product specification sheet (PDF) which clearly states that the Programmable Digital Electronic Control Unit is a feature (not an option). According to the document properties this is dated 31 July 2008.
It also had a Evolution product specification chart (PDF) which listed options, but again, the ECU was listed as a feature, not an option. This chart was dated 07 August 2008 on the document properties page.
There was also a news release on Blackrocks website, dated 27 March 2008 introducing the Blackrock Evolution. In that release, it states, “it comes standard with the same robust, high performing features as its big brothers, including a battery monitor to keep batteries charged and an electronic control unit that can be programmed to perform a wide range of functions.” The news release also lists the options, but once again, the ECU is listed as standard, not optional, and does not say anything about it only being on certain revisions.
Also, Blackrock has a picture of the of the programmable digital electronic control unit on their web site and I have a screen shot of the image properties, which shows it was added to Blackrocks web site on 29 July 2008. No where on their site, did it show or mention the control unit which came with my APU.
The Cleveland Brothers contact old me the only recourse I have is to purchase the programmable digital electronic control unit at Cleveland Brothers cost. He then told me to wait and he would see what he could do.
On 24 September, I checked Blackrocks web site and found it had been changed. The digital programmable electronic control unit is now listed as an option – on one page only – the other pages (specifications chart, specification sheet and press release), still do not list the programmable digital ECU as an option. There were also two web pages listed under “Update”. One says the battery monitor is a “Retrofit Option for Blackrock APU Revs. 1 – 10. The other upgrade page says the APU electronics have been moved to “a protected environment”. However; both the product specification chart, the product specification sheet, and the press release are still on the Blackrock web site.
Also on 24 September, I had not heard from Cleveland Brothers contact, so as I am a member of Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), I called them about this matter. Blackrock is a corporate supporter of OOIDA and I thought they could give me some advice regarding this issue. I spoke with a man named Bruce, explained our problem and sent him some of the screen shots. He told me he would call me back. When he called me, he told me he had spoken with “the owner” of Blackrock and told him of our problem. Within 15 minutes of my being informed of Bruces call to Blackrock, the Cleveland Brothers contact called me and told me told me that Cleveland Brothers would order and install the ECU. I asked if there be any charge, and he said, that although he didnt think it was right, there would be no charge.
He also told me that Blackrock would be unable to ship the ECU until November. I was not happy about that, but accepted it.
On 25 November, having not heard from Cleveland Brothers, I called just to see the when the ECU would be in. The contact told me that it could not be shipped for several more months yet. He also told me that Cleveland Brothers would only pay for the installation, not the programmable digital ECU. When I told him that is not what he told me in September, he again started saying that I knew what I was buying and that after I got home, I decided we wanted something better. If that were the case, why would I have asked him to show me how to program the programmable digital ECU while I was still at Cleveland Brothers facility dealership when I was picking up the truck on 22 September and then immediately call Blackrock as soon as I got home?
After much discussion, the Cleveland Brothers contact agreed to initiate a three-way phone call with himself and his “boss”, Tony, myself and Blackrock on 02 December. By 12 December I had heard not one word from the contact. If he were having difficulty getting the call together, he could have called and told me that. By not contacting me at all, I can only surmise that he was avoiding me and thought that if he put this off long enough, I would go away.
On 12 December, I called the contact and left a message. He promptly returned my call. He told me again that he can not get the
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