Tom's HVAC-R Service F150XL
RIG DETAILS
| USED FOR | HVAC Refrigeration |
| TYPICAL JOBS | service |
| MODEL | Ford F150 |
| BODY | Full-Size Pickup, Extended Cab (Pickups) |
| MILES | 38,000 |
ORGANIZATION
Tom is a seasoned HVAC-R pro that does service work out of his company-provided Ford F150XL in St. Louis, MO.
Tom clearly has a lot of practical experience getting set up on a jobsite so that he and his crew are comfortable and dry.
His Youtube channel has lots of no-nonsense content from an HVAC-R veteran, so check it out!
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Tools in the Cab...
While the pickup has a topper on the bed, Tom keeps many of his tools in the cab.
For many techs, this would seem a little crazy, but Tom basically has no-climb access to items in the cab thanks to the suicide doors on the Ford.
...and Parts in the Cab!
Many HVAC and plumber work vans use open bins and shelves to store parts, but Tom uses several Ridgid organizers filled with the parts that he'll need.
In a normal shelf-and-bin setup, you can see your parts. Not so with bins. Tom solves this with printed labels that list all the part numbers that are in every organizer.
Loaded Cap
The bed of the truck is covered with a steel utility topper. While the cab of the truck stores hand tools and small parts, the side compartments of the cap primarily organize chemicals, some consumables, torches, and boxed tools like meters and benders/swagers.
Tricked-out Bed Storage
The bed of the truck has a versatile no-climb setup that provides easy access to everything in the bed from the rear of the truck.
The foundation of this setup is a Weather Guard floor storage tool drawer. It's a single low drawer that holds odds and ends like a heat gun, a copper cutter, a right angle drill, and small odds-and-ends parts.
Mounted on top of the drawer is a CargoGlide CG1500 bed slide. The slide pulls out to fully expose all the tools mounted on it.
Two Wel-Bilt tall drawer organizers are mounted on top of the pickup's bed slide.
A Veto Fan
Tom has a lot of Veto Pro Pac bags. Most of these bags serve a specific purpose, such as:
- Veto Pro Pac TP-XL for small hand tools
- Veto Pro Pac LC brazing bag
- Veto Pro Pac sheetmetal bag
- Veto Pro Pac Daikin bag
- Veto Pro Pac MB-3 for electrical
- Veto Pro Pac MC rofftop bag
- Veto Pro Pac MB-2 for gasket tools
Tom's Tips
Tom's got a lot of little tips for making HVAC-R work a little easier. Some of the smaller ones are:
- He uses a collapsible cart to move tools over longer distances.
- He has a flood light with magnetic feet that is rechargeable. Tons of light in a small, portable package.
- All his battery tools are 12V Milwaukee.
Tired of Kneeling All Day?
If you do service work, you know that can mean hours a day working on something that's knee or waist height.
How do you deal with this?
Most guys have knee pads to save their knees, but Tom's solution is better and faster to deploy: a collapsible stool.
The stool pops open with a twist and collapses down to a 2 1/2" thick disc when he's done with it.
Tom says he often couples it with another stool for his laptop during service work. This gives him a place to sit and a place for the computer. It's a fast, compact work station that takes up very little space.
Build a Room in the Rain
Tom carries an EzyFast canopy for wet weather. It folds out to keep equipment and tools dry in the rain.
He also carries tarps that have two uses:
- They can be tied down to equipment alone as a rain fly.
- They can be tied to the canopy to make a rainproof "room". Great for really bad weather!
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Check out Tom's other videos on his gear setups:
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