High Cube Body
A 2,896 mm tall body, for about 31 m³ inside.
20ft Refrigerated Container
- SKU
- RF2
- Set point
- -30°C to +30°C
- Capacity
- 28.9 m³
- Power
- 32 A three phase
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Outside, the 20ft refrigerated container dimensions are 6,058 × 2,438 × 2,591 mm. Inside, the reference build measures about 5,460 × 2,292 × 2,310 mm, giving 28.9 m³ and room for four Australian pallets on the floor.
Standard supply is three phase, 380 to 460 V at 32 A through a 5-pin plug. If the site has single phase only, order the 240 V unit, with its set-point range confirmed at quote.
Camp kitchens, food producers, event caterers and clinics: any job that needs about 28 m³ of cold storage close to the work.
Overview
The Size Most Sites Order
The 20ft is the middle of our refrigerated containers range . This 20ft refrigerated container holds any set point from -30°C to +30°C, so one box runs as a chiller for produce and drinks or as a freezer for meat and seafood. Every 20ft reefer container for sale from us is new, with a stainless steel lining, an aluminium T-section floor and its refrigeration unit built into the front wall. It holds more than twice the volume of the 10ft (28.9 m³ against about 12.7 m³) and plugs into the same 32 A outlet as the 40ft high cube.
Sizes and specs
20ft Reefer Container Dimensions and Specifications
These 20ft reefer container dimensions are for the standard-height reference build, and your quote confirms them for the unit you order. On that body the 20 ft reefer container capacity is 28.9 m³. The high cube body, 2,896 mm tall, gives about 31 m³ and about 230 mm more inside height.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Outside (length × width × height) | 6,058 × 2,438 × 2,591 mm (20' × 8' × 8'6"), high cube 2,896 mm to order |
| Inside, reference build (length × width × height) | About 5,460 × 2,292 × 2,310 mm |
| Inside, high cube (length × width × height) | About 5,380 × 2,280 × 2,540 mm |
| Door opening (width × height) | 2,288 × 2,251 mm |
| Internal capacity | 28.9 m³ (high cube about 31 m³) |
| Floor area | About 12.5 m² |
| Pallets | 4 Australian (CHEP) pallets, one row |
| Tare weight | 2,770 kg (new-build reference, confirmed at quote) |
| Maximum gross weight | ISO 668 rating 36,000 kg, with the plated value confirmed at quote |
| Floor | Aluminium T-section |
| Lining | Stainless steel |
| Power | Three phase 380 to 460 V, 32 A, 50/60 Hz, 5-pin plug, or 240 V single phase to order |
| Set point | -30°C to +30°C |
| Ambient | Up to +50°C |
| Cooling (reference unit) | 10.0 kW at +2°C and 5.9 kW at -18°C, in 38°C ambient |
| Running use | About 3 to 7 kWh an hour |
| Condition | New |
| Warranty | 12-month limited warranty from delivery, plus your rights under Australian Consumer Law |
Performance
Holding Temperature in Australian Heat
A 20ft reefer holds any set point from -30°C to +30°C with outside air up to +50°C, and at -18°C or colder it runs as a 20ft freezer container. The reference unit delivers 10.0 kW of cooling at +2°C and 5.9 kW at -18°C in 38°C ambient, the test condition ISO 1496-2 sets for thermal containers. Its controller holds the set point, logs the temperature for your food safety records and defrosts on its own, and an adjustable vent supplies fresh air for produce. Our guide to the reefer container temperature range matches set points to goods.
Inside the box
Inside the Box
Stainless steel lines the load space over polyurethane foam panels, and the aluminium T-section floor carries cold air from the unit under the load before it returns across the top. The unit and the foam walls take about 450 mm of length, so the inside is about 5,460 mm long against 5,902 mm in our 20ft high cube dry container. Four Australian pallets fit one row deep, as the 2,292 mm width is too narrow for two side by side, while the 40ft high cube reefer takes nine. Stock that needs no cooling fits our standard 20ft containers, which need no power.
On site
Power, Placement and Delivery
The unit plugs into a dedicated 32 A three phase outlet, 380 to 460 V through a 5-pin plug, wired by a licensed electrician to AS/NZS 3000. Where there is no three phase, a 240 V single phase unit can be ordered instead, with its set-point range confirmed at quote. Running use sits at about 3 to 7 kWh an hour, rising with hotter weather and colder set points: at +4°C a 20ft uses about 70 to 100 kWh a day. Place it on a level pad with about 1.2 m clear around the refrigeration unit. A 20 foot reefer container travels on a tilt tray, side loader or Hi-AB crane truck, and we deliver Australia-wide.
Compliance
Standards That Apply
Every 20ft refrigerated shipping container in the range is built and tested to ISO 1496-2, the standard for thermal containers, which covers heat leakage and cooling capacity. It carries a CSC safety approval plate under the IMO Convention for Safe Containers. On site, the outlet is wired to AS/NZS 3000. A reefer kept in one place as a cold store counts as a refrigerating system under AS/NZS 5149, and any work on its refrigerant circuit must be done by a technician holding an ARC licence.
ISO 
Bureau Veritas 
DNV 
Lloyd's Register 
BIC 
ABS Customisation
Options Chosen at Order
Options are fitted before delivery, so the unit arrives ready to plug in and load.
240 V Single Phase Unit
For sites without three phase, with the set-point range confirmed at quote.
Personnel Door and Internal Release
A walk-in door, plus an internal release and alarm so nobody is shut in.
Strip Curtains and Shelving
Curtains hold the cold in at the door, and shelving carries cartons and crates.
Colour
An external colour chosen to suit your site.
Applications
Where It's Used
Typical work for 20ft reefer containers is a cold store placed on the job itself, where the stock is needed.
Camp and Site Kitchens
A cold store beside the kitchen on mine and construction camps.
Food Producers and Exporters
Produce and seafood held at set point and staged before dispatch to market or port.
Events and Catering
A freezer or drinks chiller behind the scenes at festivals and functions.
Clinics and Pharmacies
Vaccines and medicines held at a set point, with the temperature logged.
Several sites or sizes can go on one quote.
Request a quote
Documents
Drawings and Spec Sheets
A dimensioned drawing and the full spec sheet come with your quote, ready for tenders and site layouts.
The range
Other Units in the Range
The same refrigeration build comes smaller and larger, and the insulated box covers storage that needs no unit.
10ft Reefer
The small unit: about 12.7 m³ and two Australian pallets in a 2,991 mm footprint.
10ft reefer
40ft Reefer
The largest unit: 67.6 m³ and nine Australian pallets on one 32 A outlet.
40ft high cube reefer
Insulated Shipping Container
A new lined box in 20ft or 40ft, with no refrigeration unit and no power needed.
insulated shipping containerFAQ
20ft Reefer Questions
What buyers ask before ordering a 20ft.
What are a 20ft reefer's internal dimensions?
Inside, the standard-height build measures about 5,460 × 2,292 × 2,310 mm. The 20 ft reefer container dimensions inside are smaller than a dry box's because the refrigeration unit and the foam walls take space. The high cube body gives about 2,540 mm of inside height.
How many pallets fit in a 20ft reefer?
Four Australian CHEP pallets (1,165 mm square) fit on the floor, one row deep. Trade tables quote about 10, a count of smaller European pallets (1,200 × 800 mm). The 20ft reefer container cbm figure is 28.9 m³, or about 31 m³ on the high cube.
What is the maximum weight of a 20ft reefer?
ISO 668 rates the 20ft body at 36,000 kg gross. New units are plated lower, commonly 22,000 to 24,000 kg, and we confirm your unit's plate at quote. The reference build weighs 2,770 kg empty, so those plates leave a payload of about 19,200 to 21,200 kg.
Can a 20ft reefer run on single phase power?
Yes, if you order it with a 240 V single phase unit. The standard 32 A three phase supply covers the full -30°C to +30°C range, and on single phase we confirm the set-point range at quote, so tell us your temperature first.
How much does a 20ft reefer cost?
We quote every unit as a delivered price, since the figure depends on the build and the trip to your site. Send the set point, any options such as a high cube body or a personnel door, and the delivery address.
Get a Delivered Price on a 20ft Reefer
Tell us the set point, the power on site, the options you want and the delivery address, and we'll send back a delivered price.