When it comes to transporting goods, products, or materials, there are a lot of things to think about. After all, you will want to make sure that the transport vehicle is specialised for the job that you are doing, and in some cases, this might mean that you have to add a refrigeration system into your van or truck.
Understanding the Components of Refrigeration
To properly convert your vans into a fridge vans, you will want to understand how the process works, what components there are to the refrigeration, and how they all work together to keep the van cool and comfortable for the products you are transporting. The first thing to think about is going to be insulation. No matter how powerful of a cooling system you can add to your van, it won’t mean anything if there isn’t enough insulation to keep the temperature inside of it. There are different types of insulating material that might be chosen for the van refrigeration, and this depends entirely on what you are planning on using the van for and who you are working with to get the refrigeration process done.
Some people might use insulating boards, which are often used because of their low conductivity. Other people might make use of foil, but in environments where the temperature outside is significantly higher than the temperature you need the van to be, it may not work as efficiently because although foil can be useful, there comes a point where it cannot stop the heat transfer.
Many refrigeration companies will make use of an insulation box, rather than covering the van with an insulation material. It is time-saving and it is often very effective at keeping the temperature where you need it to be, regardless of how hot it gets outside. The one problem is that sometimes, it may limit the space you have compared to the full area of the van.
Getting the Van to the Right Temperature
This is the most important part of converting a van into a freezer van, as you might be able to imagine. There are a couple different ways of getting the van to be the right temperature and the main mechanism you use will depend heavily on what you need from the van and what materials are available. Never DIY you fridge van! Seasoned pros will need to install it to ensure its fit for purpose and wont leak and ruin your van.
There are refrigeration units that may just chill the van slightly, keeping it above a freezing temperature but making sure that it doesn’t quite dip below the freezing point if you do not want the products you are carrying to be blocks of ice. This is useful for when you don’t necessarily need a freezer for your van, but you do need to keep it somewhat chilled. Likewise, there are freezer units that will make sure that not only is the temperature of the van below the freezing point, but that it stays there no matter how hot it gets outside. Naturally, the latter of the two can be larger, bulkier, and may be more expensive as they have to work harder to maintain a much colder temperature.
What Does it Mean for Your Van?
When you bring your van in to be refrigerated, you will often talk with the technician there about what requirements you need to meet and other specifications to help determine what kind of insulation you will need and what type of a refrigeration unit you will need. These will often be installed with the mechanic talking you through how each step of the way works and what it means for your van.
