Chris's Super-Clean Restaurant-Servicing HVAC-R Chevy

For the most part, it doesn't take too long to organize it up, because everything kinda has a place.

A Minimal Inventory Strategy

Chris tries not to keep too much inventory on his truck: there are only three shelves of parts.

I try to keep it minimal because I don't want to carry too much stuff in my trucks anymore.
I've basically cleaned out too many people's vans and found there there were excess parts in there...thousands upon thousands of dollars of materials that weren't ever going to get used.

He says that there are plenty of parts houses in the area, so it's easy to pick something up in a pinch.

DIY Angle Iron Organizer Rack

The side cargo door has a simple functional rack that Chris built from garage door angle iron. Organizer cases slide into slots in the rack and are secured with bungies. The organizers hold electrical parts, plumbing fittings, screws, and small parts. It's easy to access these parts by the door.

This DIY rack is great because:

It can be easily readjusted if different organizers were used, and the rear of the "shelves" could be dropped to allow organizers to slot in without using bungies. This would mean Chris wouldn't have to remove a bungie to grab an organizer.

Quick Grab Tools

Slotting in next to the rack are a couple of Veto bags:

One is an empty spare, but the other is a small rooftop bag for diagnosis. It has a meter and some hand tools for figuring out what's going on with a unit. Once he's got the problem figured out, he can go back and grab his Veto backpack.

The backpack is located right at the door and looks heavy! It holds a drill and all the typical hand tools Chris needs for a job. Haul straps and his cart help to wrangle the load.

Battery Charging

Chris uses just two battery chargers. DeWalt and Ridgid chargers are hung on a rack facing out at the side cargo door. It's readily apparent whether the batteries are there or not.

The chargers run off a power inverter. He needs to make sure to shut it down since the inverter will drain the van's main battery.

Cargo Area

Chris keeps a clean cargo area!

Unlike most HVAC vans, he keeps his eight refrigerant tanks in a rack in the middle wall of the driver side of the van. Generally, tank racks are located at the side and rear cargo doors.

But, because his refrigerant tanks are in the middle of the van, their handles don't protrude out into the rear cargo area. This also leaves a lot of space for quick-grab items at the doors, like organizers and tool bags.

Because of his organization habits, he's able to have a relatively clean and clear rear cargo area.

Time-saver Straps

Chris keeps short Husky tether straps on several of his bags and pieces of equipment (like his oxy-acetylene torch set and his Veto bag). Because he's frequently up on rooftops, the carabiner-equipped straps let him quickly haul things up to the roof with a rope.

The straps are scattered on variously pieces of gear, and he has plenty of extras hanging at the rear of the truck.

Convenient Details

A Craftsman mechanic's tool box is located next to the bulkhead facing the side cargo door. It has several DeWalt battery-powered tools, a bunch of meters, and some larger hand tools.

One tool that he really likes is a Spyder brush attachment for his reciprocating saw.

He keeps a 6' foot ladder inside the van with a Jet Rack. The rack keeps the ladder off the floor and up against the ceiling to free up floor space.

A 4' ladder also normally slides in the back on the floor.