A refrigerated van is a great choice for transporting baked goods and flowers, and a freezer van might be necessary if you transport items that are legally required to stay at a certain temperature, such as medicines or foodstuffs. While these vans are somewhat basic and typically include just an insulated cargo area along with fans and coolers, you might note some common mistakes made by first-time refrigerated van buyers, so you avoid these mistakes yourself and choose a van that is perfect for your transport needs.

Ignoring standard vehicle features

When buying a refrigerated van, you may be so worried about the thickness of the liner in the back, the condition of the fans, and other such features that you forget to check the parts you should consider when buying any vehicle! It's always important to note the condition of the engine, transmission, and tyres of any vehicle, but doing so is especially important when buying a van that you'll outfit with freezers and other heavy accessories. Heavy freezers will put more pressure on the brakes and transmission, so these parts need to be in good shape when you buy a chiller van. 

You also want to check the tyres of the van for uneven wear, as the van might need an alignment. The previous owner may have loaded the van unevenly so that one side pulled or dragged, damaging the vehicle's alignment and tyres. Don't overlook all these details when choosing a chiller or freezer van, as they're just as important as the cargo or freezer area itself.

Going too big

When choosing a refrigerated van, you need space in the back for your cargo, freezers, shelves, a hand truck or other equipment you might need to move your items, and so on. It's also good to ensure there is room around your cargo for cool air to circulate and for you to actually be able to get into the cargo area to load and unload your items!

However, while you want to invest in a van with the room you need for everything you'll be carrying with you, it's also a mistake to get an overly large van. The larger the vehicle, the more fuel it will use, and the harder its fans will work to cool the cargo area. You might also have difficulty getting into parking garages with low overhead clearance and manoeuvring the van through everyday traffic. To avoid these hassles, choose something big enough to accommodate your needs but not so large that it's difficult to control while driving.