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Kevin Mullan is an easy guy to like, particularly if you appreciate beer, vintage firetrucks and the entrepreneurial spirit. Mullan owns a 1987 E-One pumper first E-One pumper firetruck converted into a mobile brewpub.
Mullan, 38, of Toledo, Ohio, purchased the truck, had a walk-in cooler with 10 beer taps installed, and named the business-on- wheels Ladder 419 beer truck. The name is a nod to the city’s area code.
Ladder 419, a 31-year-old firetruck morphed into a mobile pub.
The 10 taps on the vintage firetruck converted to a mobile taproom.
Kevin Mullan, owner of a mobile pub converted from an old firetruck converted into a mobile pub.
What a great idea: A firetruck selling beer on tap.
It's still a firetruck, but now the goal is to put out thirsts.
Ladder 419 beer truck, a great use for an old firetruck.
As co-hosts of The Weekly Driver Podcast, Bruce Aldrich and I are now bonafide members of the Mullan’s fan club. He’s our guest on Episode #92 of our weekly discussion of all things automotive.
The beer truck, which debuted in late June in Blissfield, Michigan, is unique. Its walk-in cooler was installed after the 1,500-gallon water tank was removed. There’s room for onboard C02 and a capacity for 15 kegs. Beer seems like the best choice. But the taps can be used for wine, soft drinks or coffee.
During the podcast, Mullan details his ownership trials, tribulations, alcohol licensing, experiences with the new business and the vast potential for his mobile beverage operation.
The firetruck, Mullan explains, was purchased at a surprisingly reasonable price in Leonidas Township in Michigan. It looks, according to its new owner, like what might be expected — an old firetruck. Levers and hookups are still intact, as are the words “Emergency 911.”
Rental for Ladder 419 is $450 for four hours. Additional details are available on the company’s website, www.tapped419.com
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Article Last Updated: July 2, 2019.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
