A refrigerated vehicle can be vital to businesses that need to transport goods at a certain temperature.

For example many food products will need to be transported at a certain temperature in order to prevent them from going off or out of date. There are plenty of different styles and types of refrigerated van available; therefore choosing the right refrigerated van can be an important decision and a costly one if it is not made correctly.

In this blog entry we have put together some top tips and things that you should consider when choosing your refrigerated van.

It is important that you provide the seller or the company converting your vehicle with as much detail as possible so that they can help you work out which type of van will be most appropriate for your industry specific needs. You might want to consider…

What temperature do you require your goods to be chilled at?
This depends on what food you are transporting. For example, ice cream needs to be at -20 and frozen meat no warmer than -15. If you’re carrying bread or cold meat you would be using just chilled operation at around plus 2 or 3, similar to a home refrigerator temperature.

Do you require a chiller van or a freezer van?
Again this will require you to think about the type of products/ goods that you are going to be transporting in these vehicles. Some conversions will allow you to split the temperature in the van so that you can transport good that might require different storage temperatures. All RVR vans have dual compartments, allowing you to carry foods at different temperatures. See more tips on refrigerated van conversion here

Will you need to defrost the goods in your van?
Most vans will defrost on a timed basis. Systems and kits can also be installed to help maintain a constant temperature within the van. All RVR vans have an automatic defrosting system.

Will you need to keep the van refrigerated overnight?
Some vans will allow you to attach a plug in electric stand that will allow you to keep the goods in your van refrigerated and cooled over night without the need for the van engine to be kept running. This can often be a cost effective solution for storing your food at the correct temperature required. All RVR vans have this facility.

How long are you going to need your van for?
Varying contracts can usually be taken out on hiring a refrigerated vehicle. This can range from day hire to weekend hire, monthly hire to seasonal hire or long term contract hire.

Remember a good refrigerated van business should be able to help you with all your refrigerated needs. Therefore don’t be afraid to ask questions you are unsure of. If the company in question are industry experts and know their stuff then they will be able to help you with any queries that you might have.