A device for drying articles, in particular vehicle bodies, having a) a drying tunnel which is arranged in an insulated housing; b) a plurality of tunnel sections (16.1, 16.2,..., 16.n) which each comprises at least one air outlet and at least one air inlet; wherein c) a heating unit, which can be supplied with air from the at least one air outlet of the tunnel section (16.1, 16.2,..., 16.n) and in which a hot primary gas flow can be generated, is associated with each tunnel section (16.1, 16.2,..., 16.n); d) the hot primary gas can be directed into a circulating air heat exchanger of the heating unit, in which circulating air can be heated by hot primary gas, which circulating air can be supplied to the tunnel section (16.1, 16.2,..., 16.n) again in a circuit by way of the at least one air inlet; e) the heating unit comprises a distributor device by means of which the air exiting a tunnel section (16.1, 16.2,..., 16.n) can be divided into a circulating air flow and an exhaust air flow; f) the heating unit comprises a thermal afterburning device to which the exhaust air can be supplied and by means of which the hot primary gas flow can be generated, characterised in that g) the heating unit comprises an exhaust air heat exchanger into which hot primary gas can be directed and in which the exhaust air can be heated by hot primary gas before it arrives at the afterburning device; h) the quantity of hot primary gas supplied to the exhaust air heat exchanger can be adjusted by means of a first regulating flap; i) the first regulating flap is arranged in a bypass line by means of which hot primary gas can be guided to bypass the exhaust air heat exchanger. a) a drying tunnel which is arranged in an insulated housing; b) a plurality of tunnel sections (16.1, 16.2,..., 16.n) which each comprises at least one air outlet and at least one air inlet; c) a heating unit, which can be supplied with air from the at least one air outlet of the tunnel section (16.1, 16.2,..., 16.n) and in which a hot primary gas flow can be generated, is associated with each tunnel section (16.1, 16.2,..., 16.n); d) the hot primary gas can be directed into a circulating air heat exchanger of the heating unit, in which circulating air can be heated by hot primary gas, which circulating air can be supplied to the tunnel section (16.1, 16.2,..., 16.n) again in a circuit by way of the at least one air inlet; e) the heating unit comprises a distributor device by means of which the air exiting a tunnel section (16.1, 16.2,..., 16.n) can be divided into a circulating air flow and an exhaust air flow; f) the heating unit comprises a thermal afterburning device to which the exhaust air can be supplied and by means of which the hot primary gas flow can be generated, g) the heating unit comprises an exhaust air heat exchanger into which hot primary gas can be directed and in which the exhaust air can be heated by hot primary gas before it arrives at the afterburning device; h) the quantity of hot primary gas supplied to the exhaust air heat exchanger can be adjusted by means of a first regulating flap; i) the first regulating flap is arranged in a bypass line by means of which hot primary gas can be guided to bypass the exhaust air heat exchanger.