Refrigerated van finance
Insulated, sealed and temperature controlled — fridge and freezer vans funded for the businesses whose stock is ruined if the unit stops.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance a refrigerated van?
Yes. Refrigerated vans are funded as converted commercial vehicles, with the insulated body and the chilling unit included on the same agreement. Used fridge vans are fundable, and there is an active second-hand market. The thing that surprises buyers is that the funder is really looking at two assets at once. The van has a mileage and an age; the fridge unit has running hours and a service record of its own. A low-mileage van with an exhausted unit is a weaker proposition than a higher-mileage van with a recently serviced Carrier or Thermo King on it.
Used kit: Yes. Used refrigerated vans are funded regularly, but expect lenders to weigh the age and hours of the fridge unit at least as heavily as the age of the van it is mounted on.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
What would a refrigerated van cost per month?
Asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what the buttons show, with the equivalent APR beside it. Your exact rate depends on the asset, the term, the deposit and the lender.
Prime is an established, profitable business with clean credit. Specialist covers newer businesses and credit that needs explaining — the asset itself carries part of the risk, which is why finance is often available where an unsecured loan is not.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 5.15% flat rate (equivalent to 9.9% APR representative), you would repay around £628 a month; total amount repayable approximately £30,150, of which £5,150 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Rates shown are indicative flat rates with the equivalent APR alongside — the two are not the same number. Indicative only and does not constitute a quote or an offer of finance. Subject to status and lender approval.
How lenders treat it
Fridge vans are specialist but well understood, so the panel is narrower than for panel vans without being difficult. Funders assess the conversion first — a wet-laid GRP insulated body from a recognised converter is the benchmark, and a body with failed insulation or water ingress is close to unsellable. The chilling unit is assessed separately: make, model, hours run, whether it is direct drive or standby-capable, and when it was last serviced. Chilled-only and dual-temperature freezer specification affect value differently. Food businesses are a sector some lenders watch closely because margins can be thin and seasonality is real, so accounts and banking matter. Declines usually involve a unit with no service history, an unbranded conversion of unknown origin, or a new-start food business with no contract and no deposit.
Makes and models we fund
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Ford Transit Custom fridge van | Chilled medium van for food delivery |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter fridge van | Large chilled van for wholesale rounds |
| Vauxhall Vivaro refrigerated | Value chilled van for catering supply |
| Peugeot Boxer freezer van | Deep frozen conversion for ice cream |
| Renault Master fridge van | Large fridge van with side door |
| Citroen Relay chiller conversion | Insulated van for chilled produce |
| Volkswagen Transporter chiller van | Medium chilled van for farm shops |
| Ford E-Transit fridge van | Electric chilled van for clean air zones |
| GAH fridge unit | Van refrigeration unit and controls |
| Hubbard van refrigeration | Chiller and freezer packs for vans |
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
Who buys one
Butchers and fishmongers delivering to restaurants, catering wholesalers, ice cream and frozen food distributors, florists, and pharmacy or laboratory couriers moving temperature-controlled samples. Often a business that has been paying a chilled courier per drop and realised its own van pays for itself over a year of deliveries. Also common where a food safety audit or a new supermarket supply agreement has made owned, monitored chilled transport a requirement rather than a preference.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
We publish the deals we arrange, with no client named and no rate quoted. See what we have funded in vans and fleet.
How it is treated for tax
Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
Refrigerated van finance questions
Do lenders check the fridge unit separately from the van?
In effect, yes. Underwriters want the unit make, model and hours run, plus evidence it has been serviced. Refrigeration units are the expensive part to replace, so a tired unit pulls the whole valuation down even if the van itself has covered low mileage.
What is the difference between a chiller van and a freezer van?
A chiller holds an above-freezing temperature for things like meat, dairy and flowers. A freezer van is built with thicker insulation and a more powerful unit to hold well below zero. Freezer specification costs more to buy and run but is essential for frozen distribution.
Can I add a refrigeration unit to a van I already own?
Yes, and the conversion can often be funded in its own right, with the converter invoice treated as the asset. It is usually cleaner to fund the van and conversion together if you are buying both. Talk to us before the work starts rather than after.
How long does a fridge van conversion last?
The insulated body typically outlives the original chilling unit, provided it stays sealed and dry. Units are usually replaced or overhauled well before the body needs attention. Water getting into the insulation is the thing that ends a fridge van — once it is wet, efficiency is gone.
Can a new food business finance a refrigerated van?
Often yes, especially with a deposit and a supply contract to point at. Lenders are conscious that food businesses are seasonal and margin-sensitive, so anything concrete — a wholesale agreement, a round you have bought, proof of trade experience — makes a material difference.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
Also in van and light commercial finance
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- Pickup truck finance
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- Catering van and food truck finance
- Mobile valeting van finance
- Curtainside van finance
- Van conversion finance
- Ex-lease van finance
- Van fleet finance
- Van refinance
- Long wheelbase van finance
See everything we fund in van and light commercial finance →
Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
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We are a broker, not a dealer — we have no stake in which van you choose. These are written on that basis.
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Get your quote
Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call 0333 772 4864 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.