What counts as converting a vehicle?

Fitting a new body superstructure to a chassis (refrigerated, insulated or dry-freight van, dropside platform, tarpaulin), fitting refrigeration equipment, and any change of weight, dimensions or vehicle category compared with the factory data.

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Service

Vehicle conversion in Almaty

Converting a vehicle means fitting a new van body or refrigeration equipment to a chassis. As a manufacturer, COND converts the truck for the required cargo and issues the documents needed to register the change in the vehicle registration document.

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What vehicle conversion means

Conversion is an official change to the design of a vehicle. It covers fitting a body superstructure to a chassis (a reefer, insulated or dry-freight van, a flatbed platform, a tarpaulin), installing heating and refrigeration equipment, and changing the body type, weight or dimensions of the vehicle. COND carries out conversions in Almaty and across Kazakhstan on any make of chassis — GAZ, JAC, Kia, Hyundai, FAW, Hino, Foton and others.

What we do

Types of conversion at COND

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Fitting a van body

An insulated, dry-freight or refrigerated body, a drop-side platform or a tarpaulin is built and mounted on the chassis to suit the cargo and the logistics.

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Installing refrigeration equipment

A Carrier, Elinge or Kaida refrigeration and heating unit is fitted, and the insulated van becomes a refrigerated one.

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Registering the change and the note in the vehicle document

Paperwork is issued for the body that has been built and the registration of the change is supported: without a note on the change of body type the vehicle will not be registered. How it works — on a separate page.

A body for a specific chassis: Custom van bodies built to order — how an order works

How a conversion goes

1 The task is clarified: chassis make, cargo type, the body or equipment required
2 A solution is selected and the specification agreed
3 The body is built in-house and mounted on the chassis
4 We hand the vehicle over with the manufacturer’s documents for the body

Bodies

Which bodies are fitted during a conversion

The type of body determines both the cost of the conversion and the entry in the vehicle registration document.

Body	What it is
An insulated van	100 mm sandwich panel, temperature held without a unit for a limited time
Refrigerated van	an insulated body plus a refrigeration and heating unit
Dry-freight body	a dry body, 25 mm panel, cargo with no temperature requirement
Ice-cream van	eutectic plates or a unit set to a low-temperature range
Bakery van	a tray body with side hatches for bread trays
Dropside platform	an open platform with sides and a floor for lashing
Drop-side with tilt	a drop-side with a frame and tarpaulin, loaded from above and from the side
Curtainsider	a curtain-side body opening along its full length

Fitting refrigeration equipment to a body already built, and insulating a dry van up to an insulated one, are separate operations.

Separate services:Refrigeration equipment installation Van insulation Trucks in stock

Requirements

What is required of the chassis

The body is not fastened to the frame directly but through a subframe, which spreads the load along the chassis frame and absorbs shocks on rough surfaces. Metal inserts for fastening sides, lashing rings and equipment are built into the subframe.

Body length is limited by the free length of the frame behind the cab, not by the volume wanted: a 4.2-metre body does not fit a short wheelbase. Width and height are limited by the dimensions permitted on public roads.

The gross weight after the body is fitted determines the vehicle category: up to 3,500 kg is B, above that is C. The weight of the body itself reduces the available payload and is therefore taken into account when choosing a chassis.

Choosing a chassis:Chassis comparison Van configurator

Legality and the note in the vehicle document

Any conversion changes the design of the vehicle, so it has to be registered and noted in the vehicle document. Otherwise you risk failing the technical inspection, questions from the insurer and problems when selling. As the manufacturer, COND provides the body documents usually required for this procedure. More on the page Changing the note in the vehicle document.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about conversion

Fitting a new body superstructure to a chassis (a reefer, insulated or dry-freight van, a flatbed platform, a tarpaulin), installing refrigeration equipment, and any change of weight, dimensions or vehicle category compared with the factory data.

Operating a vehicle with a modified design without registering it can lead to an administrative fine and a failed technical inspection. Check the exact amount and procedure with the traffic police — the rules change from time to time. To avoid this, register the note in the vehicle document as soon as the body is fitted.

Yes. Once a van body or refrigeration equipment has been fitted, the change of design must be registered and noted in the vehicle document. As the manufacturer, COND issues the documents required for this.

The body or the refrigeration equipment is built and mounted on the customer’s chassis, and the manufacturer’s documents normally required to register the change are issued for it.

Related sections

Repair body COND — HINO 300 with damaged front wall body before repair

How much does converting a vehicle cost?

The cost is made up of the type of body, its dimensions and the equipment: a dry van with a 25 mm panel and a refrigerated one with a 100 mm panel and a unit differ several times over. The calculation follows the configuration — chassis make, body length, temperature range and the set of options.

Can a body be fitted to any chassis?

A body can be fitted to a chassis of any make, but its dimensions are limited by the free length of the frame behind the cab and by the permitted overall dimensions. The gross weight after fitting determines the vehicle category: up to 3,500 kg is B, above that is C.

How long does a conversion take?

The lead time depends on the type of body and on the production load. The body is built on an in-house line, so a conversion does not wait for a finished body to be delivered from elsewhere.

Request

Conversion enquiry

Describe the chassis and the job — we will choose the body or equipment and calculate the cost.

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+7 777 233-69-28 💬WhatsApp
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