December 2021 - 82

BIG TIME BOXES
" Before, everything was in the top
drawer and we had to pull it out and it
would bounce around in there and end
up being disorganized, " he says. " With
this, everything is right there, ready to go. "
Before this custom toolbox, Bolton had
big full-size toolboxes on the van, but they
were very heavy and took up a lot of space.
" We decided to go this route because it
allows us to customize the toolbox to our
van and also allows us to maximize space
- that's the key part, " he says.
On the other side of the van there is
equipment mounted on the wall since it
won't quite fit into the van's tool box.
" We have to maximize the space for
each van and we have to make sure it stays
secure and doesn't get damaged as well, "
says Bolton.
The van is an independent power
source with a couple of tank batteries built
in, so that it doesn't have to rely on power
Easy access
Mobile diagnostician Rich Bolton III says organization is the most
important thing for the custom-made boxes on his diagnostic van.
By Amanda Silliker, Editor
R
ich Bolton III doesn't just
have a diagnostic cart -
he has an entire diagnostic
van. The mobile technician
works for Mobile Automotive
Service Solutions and calls on
shops around the Charleston,
South Carolina area. He says that
properly organizing the toolbox on his
truck is the key to his success. The box
takes up one side of the van and has two
overhead cabinets, plenty of drawers, a big
workspace, and a side cabinet. It was custom
built by Aluminum Cabinet Company
to perfectly fit the van.
" Being a mobile technician, most of
what we do is diagnostic and ADAS calibrations,
so we are almost entirely set up
for computer-based tools. Organization
is probably the most important thing for
us, " he says. " Since we have so many different
tools, it's important for us to be able to
Rich Bolton III
Shop: Mobile Automotive
Service Solutions
Location: Charleston, SC
access them quickly and efficiently. "
The box is set up to power all these
tools and it has a built-in inverter on the
bottom. A lot of the drawers have built-in
power so tools can be charged in the drawers,
not just on top of the box. One drawer
is dedicated to electrical diagnostics
and another is dedicated to key making
and programming.
Bolton's favorite part of the box is the
lockable side cabinet that houses his computers
and scan tools, and has all of the
vehicle communication interfaces (VCIs)
hanging on the door.
82 PTEN DECEMBER 2021 www.VehicleServicePros.com
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at the shop it serves.
" A lot of times when we go work at a
shop it's important for us to supply our
own power because we might be too far
away for an extension cord. It's just easier
to have access right there, " he says.
Since every call is different and Bolton
works on every brand of vehicle, he needs
a scan tool for every brand there is. He has
a custom-built laptop that is his favorite
piece of equipment on the van.
" Most of our factory scan tools are in
the laptop in different drive partitions.
Since most of what I do is computer based,
that's the most important tool and probably
the single tool I spend the most time
with, " he says.
Bolton most commonly gets called
for control unit programming with
OEM software, ADAS calibrations, and
electrical diagnostics.
" Diagnostics is my favorite because
oftentimes when we are called out to a job,
it's already been looked at by a few other
people and we are the last resort, " he says.
'It's fun figuring out problems that other
people can't. "
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
December 2021

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