Van insulation and conversion into a reefer

An ordinary or insulated van is converted into a vehicle with a temperature range. This costs less than buying a new refrigerated truck: the work is done on the body already fitted.

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How a van body is insulated

A van body is insulated from the inside: walls, floor and roof get polyurethane foam or sandwich panel, cold bridges are removed, doors get a three-chamber seal. Thickness follows the mode: 50 mm for 0…+6 °C, 80 mm for −18 °C, 100 mm for −18 °C at +40 °C outside. Then a refrigeration unit is fitted and the pull-down is tested.

Quote is based on body, chassis and temperature range.

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In detail

What the conversion includes

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Body insulation

Polyurethane foam and in-house sandwich panels. Thermal bridges along the frame are eliminated.

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Doors and seals

Door insulation and replacing the seal with a triple-chamber profile — the point where the cold escapes.

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Refrigeration unit installation

Selection and fitting of Carrier, Elinge or eutectic plates to suit the temperature range and the route.

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Floor and lining

A sealed deck, wash-resistant interior lining, optionally chequered aluminium.

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Measurement and design

The survey is done on site and the insulation thickness is calculated for the target temperature.

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Duty check

After the work, reaching the target temperature and holding it under load are checked.

Thickness

What insulation thickness a temperature range needs

Panel thickness is set not by the type of body but by the temperature it has to hold, and by how hot it is outside while it holds it.

Panel thickness	Range inside	When it is enough
50 mm	chilling at 0…+6 °C	chilled goods on a short urban run
80 mm	freezing down to −18 °C	frozen cargo in ordinary conditions
100 mm	freezing to −18 °C in hot weather	a Kazakh summer, +40 °C outside and a long run

Hence the difference in the cost of a conversion: 50 mm for chilled goods and 100 mm for freezing in the heat mean a different amount of work and a different unit output. The panel takes thickness off every side, floor and ceiling included, so at 100 mm the usable volume drops noticeably.

What you end up with:An insulated van Refrigerated van Eutectic plates

Panel van conversion:into a reefer insulated body FRP wall lining van floor

FAQ

FAQ about insulating a van body

The cost depends on the insulation thickness, the area of the body and whether a refrigeration unit is fitted. Insulating for 0…+6 °C and for −18 °C in the heat differ both in the amount of work and in unit output, so the calculation follows a survey.

Yes, that is the main conversion case. The body is insulated from the inside, the doors are insulated and given a three-chamber seal, and then a refrigeration unit is fitted. The change of design is documented.

By two panel thicknesses on every dimension, floor and ceiling included. At 50 mm the body loses 100 mm in length, width and height; at 100 mm it loses 200 mm. That is why the usable volume for freezing in the heat is noticeably smaller than in a dry van of the same external size.

Insulating is cheaper up front, since the chassis and the body already exist. It makes sense when the body is in good condition: intact lining, straight door geometry, a dry floor. If the panels have delaminated or the floor has swollen, the repair is costed first and the gap to a new body narrows.

Yes, if the temperature range is not needed all the time. An insulated body slows heat exchange, and the cold comes from eutectic plates: they are frozen from the mains while parked and hold the temperature through a shift. This is chosen for seasonal work and short routes.

When it pays off

✓ There is a panel van, but food has to be carried
✓ The isothermal body no longer holds its temperature — restoring is cheaper than replacing
✓ Chilled transport is needed without buying a new refrigerated truck
✓ You only need the duty in summer — insulation and eutectic plates are enough

Why COND