HVAC Johnnie's Simple Ram Promaster Setup

Pro Invoice Printing

Johnnie's got a slick and simple setup for printing invoices. He uses a Canon battery-powered color printer for printing HVAC invoices.

He can connect to the printer wirelessly with his phone or laptop. He says the setup allows him to walk through a jobsite, make a document, print from the jobsite, and simply grab it from the truck. Customers don't really need to wait and he doesn't need to sit in the truck filling stuff in.

He doesn't use any special software for the invoices, just a nice-looking template that he made in Microsoft word.

Side Cargo Door

Johnnie keeps essentials easy to grab right at the side cargo door. His gauges hang on the expanded metal bulkhead along with a battery-powered vacuum for cleaning up job sites.

His nitrogen tank is strapped in next to the door. Since he wanted to have a pretty large tank, he modified a many-pocketed Victor TurboTorch cart to fit the nitrogen tank.

Custom Steel Shelves

His steel shelves were built by a buddy, and have expanded metal bottoms. The nice thing about this design is that the bottoms allow a lot of light through, so it's easier to see exactly tools and inventory - shelves don't block light unless they are fully loaded.

The shelves are also tall enough to fit most anything and have enough vertical space to easily grab a particular item.

Some inventory and boxed parts are stored in plastic bins that keep those items neatly organized.

Plenty of Room for Cargo

Johnny shows that his minimal setup gives him tons of room for hauling AC units so that he can do installs of new equipment.

One Ladder

Johnnie keeps one Little Giant multipurpose ladder on the van. Fully extended it's 17 feet, and it folds into an 8 foot extension ladder. If he needs a longer extension ladder, he can load up the one he has at home.

Some tradespeople are starting to favor a single multipurpose ladder or a multipurpose plus light 2-step ladder combo. Multipurpose ladders are heavier than many step ladders, but they:

• Allow you to skip the roof rack.
• Are easier to access inside your van.
• Don't take much space in your van.

Some techs have as many as four ladders on their truck, and often on a roof rack! Lots of ladders weigh a lot, decreases fuel economy due to wind resistance, and can be challenging to wrangle on the job.

Are the Brakes Good on the Promaster?

Johnnie points out that a lot of people talk about the brakes not being the best in the Promaster. If there is a theme in work vans, it's that many, many people complain about the brakes - brand doesn't matter.

His opinion is that this largely has to do with weight. The more you load it, the harder you'll have to press the brake pedal. Keep your van light and you'll save fuel and your brakes.