1. The vehicle and the kit
A used cargo van (Transit, ProMaster, Sprinter) with bin storage, inverter, jump pack, scan tool, breaker bar set, impact, and a portable lift for brakes. Total kit: $15K–$25K used, $35K–$50K new.
A mobile mechanic with no overhead can clear $90K–$180K in year one with just a van, the right tools, and a steady booking flow.
Most mobile mechanics fail not on the work, but on logistics: too many low-ticket oil changes scattered across a city, and not enough higher-ticket battery / alternator / brake jobs.
A used cargo van (Transit, ProMaster, Sprinter) with bin storage, inverter, jump pack, scan tool, breaker bar set, impact, and a portable lift for brakes. Total kit: $15K–$25K used, $35K–$50K new.
Profitable: batteries, alternators, starters, brakes, brake fluid, AC recharge, diagnostics, water pumps, accessory belts, sensors. Avoid: head gaskets, transmissions, anything needing alignment or AC evacuation in a customer's driveway. Refer those to a shop partner for a kickback.
Mobile mechanics live or die on local search. Get on Repairius, Wrench, YourMechanic, and Google Business Profile in week one. Run $500–$1,000 in Google Local Services Ads — mobile gets a 2–3x conversion vs brick-and-mortar because there is no "drive across town" friction.
Charge a $40–$75 trip fee that is waived on jobs over $200. Charge diagnostic time at the same rate as labor. Never quote without seeing the vehicle or running a scan.
Solo mobile mechanics typically clear $90K–$180K. Two-van operations often hit $300K+.
A bidirectional scan tool, full SAE/metric socket set, impact gun, jump pack, breaker bar, torque wrenches (¼, ⅜, ½ in), AC manifold gauges, and battery service tools cover ~90% of jobs.