A Guide to Buying a Refrigerated Van

When it comes to purchasing your first refrigerated van, it’s not exactly black and white. There are so many different van types and models out there with different specifications suited to different uses.

So how do you choose which refrigerated van is best for your business? That’s where we’re here to help run through some of the main issues and alternatives you might want to consider before making your first purchase, and how we can meet your needs here at RVR.

No matter what industry your business is a part of, purchasing your first refrigerated van can help in bringing you more sales and allowing you to expand your reach and customer base.

The considerations we’re about to discuss can depend on your industry and a number of different factors, and these considerations are:

• What temperature does my van need to be?
• Does this mean I need a chiller or a freezer van?
• What will my mileage be and how frequently will I be driving and making drops?
• What will my load’s weights be and how will this affect my wheelbase selection?
• Should my first van be preowned/used or new?
• Is it worth buying or renting?

Now you know what you might need to bear in mind when weighing up your options, let’s break down the answers to these questions.

What Temperature Do You Need in Your Van?

This is definitely one of, if not THE most important question you need to be asking before purchasing your refrigerated van. Different vans are capable of maintaining different temperatures, so depending on your cargo you ought to select one that is an appropriate temperature for the contents.

Some of the most popular industries to use refrigerated vans for their product have an average temperature that their vans need to be, and here’s a breakdown of these industries and what temperature their produce must be stored at during transit, in case they’re applicable to you:

• Drinks – to keep drink cool during transit, they should ideally be stored within the range of 0°C to 8°C.
• Flowers – to ensure the freshness and quality of flowers during transit, they should be stored between precisely 5°C to 7°C to maximise their short life span.
• Ice Cream and Frozen Goods – when transporting items like these that must remain frozen during transit, you should be looking to store them in a vehicle capable of achieving -18°C to -25°C.
• Medicine and Pharmaceuticals – storing these at a cool temperature avoids spoiling and aids in preserving the hygiene of the products. A van with backup power and multiple compartments capable of producing various temperatures is recommended.
• Meat, Fish, Dairy and Poultry – to ensure no cross-contamination, ideally, a multi-compartment vehicle is recommended. If all else fails, a low temperature, but not quite to freezer levels, is ideal for preventing spoilage.

Chiller vs Freezer Vans

So, depending on your cargo, you might need a different type of van. There are four main categories when it comes to refrigerated van types:

• Insulation-only van: these vans may be better for businesses transporting items that won’t spoil or perish during transit, but just needs a small amount of extra insulation (often Styrofoam) as they don’t technically comprise of any chiller or freezer compartments. This means they aren’t the best option for food-based products.
• Chiller conversion van: fitted with the same insulation as the above, these vehicles also often contain a chiller or refrigerator that are able to achieve temperatures of between 0°C to 8°C, making them very suitable for chilled food, flowers and pharmaceuticals alike, able to be kept the same temperature throughout the journey.
• Semi-freezer conversion van: these are great for transporting frozen goods at temperatures the average chiller van can’t quite reach. They’re fitted with slightly thicker insulation and the freezer units can achieve temperatures of -10°C up to -15°C. Some are also capable of undergoing defrost cycles which are ideal for some businesses upon delivery.
• Full-freezer conversion van: this type of van also benefits from the thicker insulation and potential defrost. The main difference here is that the full freezer conversion has reinforced side and rear doors and temperatures can reach as low as -25°C.

Distance and Drop Frequency

Not only will this affect the type of van you might purchase due to choosing the best possible mileage, fuel consumption and longevity, it will also affect the installations within your van.

If you’re making lots of drops and your doors will be open for a while at a time, it might actually be worth selecting a van type capable of providing temperatures cooler than what you require, as you’ll be letting heat into the van every time the doors are left open.

The alternative if you would rather keep to a temperature you know, is to install strip curtains in your van. These curtains can help control and regulate the temperature of your van by creating a barrier between areas of cool and areas of humidity.

If you’re making a lot of stops and your van doors will be opened regularly, choose a van that either already has these installed or is capable of doing so in the future.

Load and Wheelbase Requirements

Wheelbase determines the distance between the front and rear axles of your van. It can affect the space available to store and transport good. Wheelbase is generally categorised into the following:

• LWB (Long Wheel Base)
• MWB (Medium Wheel Base)
• SWB (Short Wheel Base)

The wheelbase of the vehicle affects the load and how much you can store at any one point, particularly if you’re using pallets to transport your goods, so it’s important to choose what’s more appropriate space wise for your products.

Longer wheel bases will feel more stable on the road, whereas a shorter wheelbase is more friendly for those carrying smaller loads. Long wheel base vehicles have a larger surface area due to being that extra bit longer and, therefore have more square footage to play with. However, they can’t actually carry more in payload then a medium wheel base van. This is because of the extra weight added on to the length of the vehicle to make it longer, and for this reason it is important to consider what’s more important for your refrigerated vehicle; square footage or carry capacity.

Used vs New vs Rent?

Much can be said about all three options here. Although with a new van there is more of a guarantee of smooth operation and longevity, there’s nothing to say that a used van can’t do the same if it’s been looked after properly! In terms of the difference here, it’s really more about what’s available in new and used.

For example, if your perfect van with all the correct features is only available used but in good condition, it’s not worth forking out for a brand new van that isn’t quite what you’re looking for or what you need just because it’s newer!

Renting, however, could be an ideal solution for you. At RVR, we offer a variety of different rental contracts to suit your business. The 6 rental types we currently have available are:

• Daily
• Weekly
• Weekend
• Monthly
• Seasonal
• Contract

In doing so, this allows you to pick and choose the ideal van to use for a job only for the time you need it. If you’re not making enough trips to make purchasing a van outright worth it, then renting may be the best option for you.

Take a look at our vehicles for sale and vehicles for rent. We’re more than happy to discuss your requirements and help you find the ideal refrigerated van for the job. Get in touch with RVR today and we’ll help where we can.