If you have attended any automotive-related event in the past few weeks, chances are you will have seen a CoolBox.
And that being the case, you might have first, been impressed with how good it looks and second, wondered where it came from – or better yet – where you can get one.

The answer is the same in both cases: CoolBoxes come from the RVE Group, the specialists in automotive trimming, wheel and tyre packages, signage, and vehicle accessories.

 So much for the where, what about the why and the how and the who?
The who is Jim Stanners – known to many through any dealings they may have had with RVE.

Jim is obviously still involved with RVE as a director, but about two years ago when Covid-19 reared its ugly head and stopped the world, Jim and his co-directors didn’t just sit there wondering whether their business would go on, they made a few decisions to ensure it did.

It’s this sort of thinking which has kept the family business started by Victor Stanners back in the late 60’s so successful, and Victor would be very pleased to know his sons were carrying on the family traditions and values of continuous improvement.

One of the continual improvement decisions made 24 months back was for RVE directors to look at other automotive related opportunities, and from this came the ‘why’ behind the CoolBox.

“We had been looking at different ways to improve vehicles which would enhance operations for businesses outside of our regular customer base,” explains Jim. “We saw what seemed to be a good niche for last mile, city-friendly vehicles with chiller bodies and started looking at options.

“A few trials and exploring the market further saw a greater than expected level of interest, especially as the body building market – particularly for smaller vehicles like utes and Class 1 trucks – was and still is, stretched pretty thin.”

What CoolBox offers is a customised installation process with outstanding build quality. Looking at some of the examples of CoolBox equipped vehicles, it’s hard to see where the automaker’s build stops, and the CoolBox build continues.

CoolBox use food grade construction materials which have been thoroughly researched by Jim and his team, ensuring the product meets the requirements of Kiwi consumer/users.

As such, each CoolBox uses an aluminium structural frame with fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) sandwich panels. This ensures a lightweight construction for lower tare vehicles.

On the outside, the CoolBox outer walls are smooth and simple to sign write, and you can talk to Visual ID – another RVE specialist service – for your vehicle’s branding: design, build and brand all in the one location for efficiency and your convenience.  

CoolBox panels can come as thick as 100mm and can insulate down to -25 degrees Celsius for frozen items. If that’s too cool for school, the panels can be specified to 75mm for chilled goods, or 25mm for ambient temperature non-refrigerated vehicles.

Standard interior features include PVC strip curtains, but shelving and racking options are available to maximise the effectiveness of the CoolBox interior which is impervious to dirt or liquid spillage.

An aluminium checker plate floor sits on a marine ply base which in turn covers a polyurethane foam pad on an FRP sheet. In refrigerated or chilled applications, the floor is 100mm thick, meaning it can easily cope with palleted goods in terms of weight, wear and tear.  

Each CoolBox sits on a steel frame, while hinges and locks are of stainless-steel construction.    

The ‘how’ should be followed by ‘easy is it to organise your CoolBox from go to whoa.’ And that is something Jim is happy to answer. “Although the CoolBox is relatively new to New Zealand, we have had 18 months working with the product on a variety of vehicles to the point that we are confident no matter the make, we have a CoolBox solution which works.    

“Being customisable in terms of size is a huge advantage,” says Jim. “And with our heritage of customisation within the RVE Group, tailoring a CoolBox to specific requirements is second nature.”

A CoolBox solution for a ute, van or light truck application makes a lot of sense for owner/operators right through to larger transport companies, couriers, medical shuttles and supply, food and beverage transportation and more besides.

If it needs to move and stay cool, it should move in a CoolBox. For more information, visit the www.coolbox.co.nz website.