Keeping Product cool

[amc-vending]

I will be purchasing either a extended van or box van sometime soon, but I would like to install some type of unit to keep interior cool.

I have seen cooling units mounted on top of van before to keep inside cool during the day and on the front of box vans.

something like a "thermal king" 

what would be the best to get - and what type of power do they use ?  can't see them using 110v driving down the road 

[IVEND11]

We were going to do that years back but when we started looking in to it the cost was way to high to do it. If you are going to go to a RV center and they will be able to help you out

[amc-vending]

I checked at a RV center - all of theirs was 110v

would need really really long extension cords for my 130 mile trips lol

[mission vending]

In my trucks I used expansion foam to insulate the space between the exterior sheet metal and the interior wood paneling. In the summer I use a couple of fans tied to the battery that help move the air around inside. It still gets really hot if the box is closed for an extended period of time, 125-130 degrees. Just about anything except chocolate can handle the temps for a day or two. You just have to think about what you are going to need and plan accordingly.

For really sensitive products like choc items I use an ice chest with a couple of 1 liter soda bottles filled with water and frozen. I've been doing this for years and it works pretty good..

[JPVendCo.]

I checked at a RV center - all of theirs was 110v

would need really really long extension cords for my 130 mile trips lol

the 110 device will work fine. you just need a power inverter with enough wattage to run it. also wouldnt hurt to get like an optima battery (deep cycle)

[amc-vending]

that would probally work

[mxer518]

Nobody that I have even seen vending uses a cooler truck unless they bought it because it was a better deal than a regular truck. Even all the national company's that are rolling around my area are using standard trucks with just vents and freezer chest type setups. It will be very inefficient to install a cooling system in a truck unless you make it air tight and have some very good insulation to keep the heat and the cool air in. 

[mission vending]

the 110 device will work fine. you just need a power inverter with enough wattage to run it. also wouldnt hurt to get like an optima battery (deep cycle)

I do this with a freezer that I run some days when I'm loading ice cream. It does work but its not as easy as it sounds, I'm sure running an A/C all day would use more energy than a small freezer making it harder. You will need multiple batteries to last all day, my little freezer needs 2. The extra batteries required will mean that you will need to go to 6V in series instead of 12V in parallel. Also, deep cycle batteries, while good, don't hold up very long under the repeated heavy demand that you will put on them. Dry cell batteries, like those used in home solar systems, will work better and last much longer, but are also much more expensive.

That's my .02 based on actual experience and much experimentation.

[amc-vending]

thanks for the info mission and everyone else

[coinvestor]

I use a step van with an RV ac unit on the top. I plug in the AC unit when I park the truck this way I can cool the truck as soon as its parked, and I don't have to think about whats melting on the weekends. I use an free nonworking upright freezer for storing chocolate and nuts in. If its getting over 90 then I throw a blue ice in the freezer. It gets very hot in the back when I'm parked. The inverter thing does no good when your parked. If you left the truck running, any benefit from the AC would be offset by the heat from the engine , inverter, and exhaust.

Around here Canteen uses refer isuzu NPRs.

JD

[ANDERSONVENDING]

Find out how many watts of power they run off of and install a power inverter with that many watts or higher.I installed one in a truck for a company I worked for but I'm not sure what they cost.A 3000 watt unit from an rv center cost $4000 but a 2000 watt unit from a place like Harbor Freight cost around $300.Do your homework before doing anything because the prices vary greatly.

John

[andyinchville]

HI,

I thought about the AC thing also but ended up going to Sams and buying their largest Igloo brand cooler....They claim ice to last 7 days and it is about 150 quarts capacity....I went to walmart and bought a few 2.5 gallon gas cans and a small pan. I freeze water in the gas cans and use the small pan to catch the "sweat" off the frozen can so it doesn't get the boxes of chocolate wet (not that it really matters but I didn't want to clean up soggy plastic or worry about mildew forming from wet cardboard sitting in the bottom).

Seems to work  well....no more soft choc candy bars!

Another thing I will work on ASAP is getting some openable vents into the step van.....The other day it was about 80 and sunnt out and the inside of the can felt like 100....I opened the rear door and wow it was like the AC went on....instantly a bunch cooler!

That should also help keep the ice in the chest lasting longer not to mention ME also!

I like the idea of using an old chest freezer and putting ice in there....I would never have thought of that....hmm if only my step van were larger!

Andrew

[ChuckWayne]

I worked for a company in Arizona that used Carrier units on all their trucks with refrigerated boxes. Very expensive and the Carrier units constantly broke down. The unit ran on its own power using a diesel motor tied into the trucks gas tank. These trucks cost over 80,000 dollars brand new. That's an Izuzu NQR with box and refer unit, crazy.

When I moved to Florida I worked for a company that just simply used large igloos and Ice packs.

The company I'm at now uses regular stand up refrigerators mounted in the truck and wired to a outlet so they can be plugged in once the truck returns. This works very well. We use the refer section for chocolate and freezer section for Ice cream/food that would be delivered that day. Generally these are plugged in for 14 or 15 hours before the route takes off in the morning. (depending on the route)

Some of the trucks that have longer distances to travel with ice cream, I put in 2000w invertors and all they have to do is flip a switch and that changes it from building power to invertor power. Quite simple to do really. When using an invertor you just have to pay close attention to the truck battery and try to hit the stops that need ice cream or frozen food as early as possible so you can turn the invertor off. I would never keep a truck or hold somebody responsible for running an invertor all day, I don't care what type of battery you buy. Just plan ahead and it will work fine.