This year, he finally cranked the engine on the project, literally.
Some guests were skeptical at first.
But the party and 10 taps worth of Ohios finest microbrews extinguished their doubts.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Mullan
Maybe even some of his own.
Open to the public for just about three months, hes already hit event number nine.
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But the story of getting to that point is one of grit and a lot of luck.
The whole business, he said, has been a series of happy accidents.
Heres how one fire engine went from quenching fires to quenching thirst.
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It had some merit.
Who doesnt love fire trucks?
So for years, the Mullans mulled it over.
No one is going to care about or remember a trailer, she told him.
The farmer wanted it gone, and Mullan was happy to oblige.
But on the way, he started questioning everything.
The thing is, fire engines need diesel fuel.
He knew this, of course, but the process of getting the fuel into the truck proved difficult.
And Mullan, by his own account, is no grease monkey.
The nozzle was too large for the trucks fuel inlet.
They tried using a funnel.
Mullan had one last lifeline, the cell phone number of a local fire department chief.
He was very kind, Mullan said.
He didnt berate me for being an idiot.
Youre at the wrong pump, the chief told him.
Move over 100 feet and youll find the pump you need.
He indeed found the pump with the correct nozzle size.
For a 10 ton diesel fire truck, $100 doesnt go very far.
But for Mullan, simply gettinganyfuel into the truck was all the reassurance he needed.
Whew, okay avoided that disaster.
Its going to be okay, he told himself.
His three kids fell in love with the rig as soon as he pulled into the driveway.
They instantly branded ittheirfire truck, he said.
And theyre not wrong.
Mullans main goal is to make enough money with his side gig to cover his kids tuition costs.
First for Catholic school, then maybe college.
He jokes that he shouldve named the truck Ladder 529, a reference to thecollege savings plan.
Within a month, Mullan was making solid progress on the renovations.
His first step was removing the water tank to make room for a refrigeration unit.
His next big hurdle was setting up the beer taps and draft system.
The Facebook Marketplace gods were on his side.
A nearby bar in neighboring Michigan was going out of business.
It had all the equipment he needed and more for $300.
The equipment included two beer towers, one of which Mullan resold on Marketplace for $250.
The morning of his birthday, he got the truck in working order.
Not a One-Trick Fire Truck
At first glance, Ladder 419 looks like an average fire truck.
Upon closer look, youll notice the storage decks dont house hoses, ladders and valves.
Theyre replaced by 10 draft taps.
What you wont see is just as important.
You wont see the word beer on the truck, ever, Mullan said.
Weekend-long beer fests are his ideal event for those, he charges about $1,000.
Customers are coming to him.
Kids at birthday parties want root beer.
Coffee connoisseurs at community events want nitro cold brew.
Small-scale breweries want a way to get their batches to big-ticket beer fests.
And everyone wants to pull the levers and honk the horn of a 30-foot, ten ton fire truck.
Beer, coffee or soda in hand.
Adam Hardy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
He specializes in ways to make money that dont involve stuffy corporate offices.
Read his latest articles here, or say hi on Twitter@hardyjournalism.
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