Refrigerated van finance
Insulated, sealed and temperature controlled, fridge and freezer vans funded for the businesses whose stock is ruined if the unit stops.
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- No credit checkEnquiring leaves no mark on your file
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.
Who finances this
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.
How lenders see 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.
Buying used
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.
Also in van and light commercial finance
See everything we fund in van and light commercial finance →
Van buying guides
We are a broker, not a dealer. We have no stake in which van you choose. These are written on that basis.
The van is one cost
Flowzo covers fuel, wages and the wait for customers to pay, working capital rather than the vehicle itself.
Machines we have funded
| 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 |
What a refrigerated van actually costs to buy
Prices for a refrigerated van advertised by UK suppliers run from £4,290 to £19,990 (checked 28 October 2026). VAT bases differ between these listings and are stated against each figure.
Registration year, not mileage, sets the asking-price band: a 2021 Vauxhall Movano L3H2 fridge/freezer van with MORE mileage (108,000 miles) asks £9,995 on Gumtree, £3,005 more than a 2016 Movano with FEWER miles (88,945) and a factory electric standby unit at £6,990, sellers are pricing off the plate, not the clock.
| Machine | Asking price | Seen at |
|---|---|---|
| Ford Transit 2.2 TDCi 125ps H3 refrigerated chiller van, 2016, 194,000 miles | £4,290 VAT not stated | gumtree.com |
| Ford Transit 2.2 TDCi H2 van, refrigerated, 2016, 159,000 miles | £4,995 VAT not stated | gumtree.com |
| Renault Master 2.3 dCi MM35 Temperature Controlled L2 H2, 2013 (13 reg), 114,525 miles | £5,650 VAT not stated | autotrader.co.uk |
| Ford Transit 2.0 TDCi H3 van, refrigerated, 2018, 168,000 miles | £5,795 VAT not stated | gumtree.com |
| Vauxhall Movano 2.3 CDTi 3500 BiTurbo, refrigerated with electric standby unit, 2016, 88,945 miles | £6,990 VAT not stated | gumtree.com |
| Ford Transit 350 L3 H2, fridge freezer van, temperature controlled, 2019, 64,626 miles | £6,995 +VAT | gumtree.com |
| Citroen Berlingo panel refrigerated van, 2020, 241,000 km | £7,749 VAT not stated | trucklocator.co.uk |
| Ford Transit 350 FWD 2.0 EcoBlue 130 L2 H3 Leader, refrigerated panel van, 2022, 114,014 miles | £8,995 VAT not stated | gumtree.com |
| Vauxhall Movano L3 H2, temperature controlled fridge/freezer van, 2021 (71 reg), 108,000 miles | £9,995 VAT not stated | gumtree.com |
| Fridge/freezer temperature-controlled panel van, 2023 (23 reg), 37,000 miles, 2.2L manual | £19,990 +VAT | autotrader.co.uk |
Prices checked 28 October 2026 on autotrader.co.uk, gumtree.com, trucklocator.co.uk. These are asking prices observed on dealer and marketplace listings, shown as examples. They are not a quote or an offer of finance, and they move with the market. Check the current advert before budgeting.
How finance works on a refrigerated van
The prices above are what a seller is asking. What a funder will actually do with the purchase is a separate question, and it is the one that decides whether the deal happens.
| Question | Typical answer |
|---|---|
| Term available | 12 to 72 months. Most agreements sit between 24 and 60 months; anything shorter or longer needs a funder check before you rely on it. |
| Age of the asset | There is no single cut-off. It depends on the asset class, and condition, hours and resale value are underwritten rather than the year alone. Tell us the age and we will say before you commit. |
| Buying from a private seller | Often possible, but case by case. It needs a funder who will write it, an inspection and proof of ownership, so say whether the seller is a dealer or a private seller when you enquire. |
| Deposit | Frequently nil where the credit profile is standard. Where it is not, typically 10–20%, nearer 20% if a default is recent. |
| VAT on the purchase | Both approaches exist, depending on the funder. The agreement is commonly written on the ex-VAT price with the VAT paid upfront and reclaimed, though some funders will include the VAT in the agreement. |
General guidance from our own funder panel as at 31 October 2026, not a quote and not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status and to the funder's own criteria.
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.
Tell us what you need
About a minute of plain questions, and no documents to dig out.
Prime is established and profitable with clean credit. Specialist covers newer businesses and credit that needs explaining, the asset carries part of the risk, so finance is often available where an unsecured loan is not.
Illustrative only, not a quote, a flat rate is not an APR, so the APR on a given agreement will be higher. VAT and fees excluded.
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One adviser from your first enquiry to the money in your account. No call centres.
Your adviser
Conor HullMon to Fri, 9am–6pm
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