How to choose a refrigerator: 5 questions before buying

Temperature, volume, pallets, chassis and equipment — a short checklist that will save you money and nerves.

A refrigerator is the most expensive body in the range, and mistakes when choosing are costly. Here are five questions worth answering before ordering.

1. What temperature does your cargo need?

Chilled goods (dairy, vegetables) — 0…+6 °C, which a body with 60–80 mm panels achieves. Freezing (meat, semi-finished products) — −18…−20 °C, requiring thicker panels and a more powerful unit. Ice cream — down to −24 °C and below: this is a separate body class.

2. How many pallets per trip?

Count pallet spaces, not cubic metres: a europallet takes 1.2×0.8 m of floor. The body length — and therefore the chassis class — depends directly on the number of pallets.

3. Which chassis?

Up to 8 pallets — medium-tonnage trucks (GAZon, JAC N90, Isuzu). More — already KamAZ, Hino, large equipment. If you already have a chassis, the body is designed for it.

4. Which refrigeration unit?

Engine-driven units suit the city. For intercity and freezing — self-powered units. For distribution with frequent stops, consider eutectic plates — they 'store' cold at night.

5. What is the body made of?

Look at the components that wear out first: the rear portal (at COND — stainless steel), door seals (a three-chamber profile), edging (anodised aluminium). They are what determine how long the body really lasts.