Plastic bodied Fiat Doblo gets Carrier refrigeration 12 June 2012

The first of a new configuration of LCVs based on a Fiat Doblo platform cab has entered operation with Essex & Suffolk Water.

Purpose-designed for carrying scientific water samples, the vehicle has been mounted with a lightweight, copolymer polypropylene plastic body and Carrier Transicold's Neos 100S refrigeration unit.

According to Vehicle Lease & Service (VLS), the leasing arm of Northumbrian Water Group, which owns Essex & Suffolk Water, the Neos unit is the right fit for this new bodywork design.

"We wanted to construct the body for this new vehicle out of copolymer polypropylene, but I was told refrigerating a plastic body wouldn't be possible without a vast amount of condensation being generated," explains Dave Foster, fleet engineer, VLS.

"Most of the fridge manufacturers I spoke to shied away from getting involved, but the team at Carrier Transicold were incredibly supportive," he continues.

"This wasn't something they had done previously in the UK, but they were more than willing to work with us to find the right solution."

Following a series of tests led by Steve Newton, Carrier Transicold regional technical manager, and independent tests carried out by VLS, Neos was approved for the application.

In brief, Neos 100S is a conventional split system, alternator-driven unit for commercial vehicles, with a load space of up to 6m3. It is mounted externally on the vehicle's roof, and has a slim-line evaporator that can be installed into even the smallest of cargo compartments.

Author
John Challen

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