Getting the work done right while still looking professional?

Just a few questions on what you guys think and how you do it… Pulling washers in/out vs leaving them truck mounted. With our current setup we have an extended GMC cargo van with in which we store the our washers, chemicals, hose reals etc etc. In the past we have always taken the washers/hose reals out of the truck at jobs and pulled them around the residence with us. However, this year we are trying a new approach (new uniforms, more services, new chemical all via your suggestions) and was wondering who here leaves everything truck mounted vs pulling your washers behind you? I personally think it will look a little more professional leaving everything mounted but the way we do it now may be a bit easier

Professional powerwashers drag hoses around, not machines.

exactly my point of the question, i like to see what others out look on it is. We will be truck mounting this year!

Truck mounted everything. Looks more professional, can run a buffer tank, and chem tank stays on the truck.
Also less pain of having to unload, and load at every job. The only real downside is that unless you have the remote set up, you have to walk back and forth to turn the soap on/off.

From what I’ve seen and read, pretty much all of the pros have a vehicle or trailer mounted setup with hose reels. The size machine you need to work efficiently, you really don’t want to be pulling around- especially on a grade. You’ll also want a buffer tank when you get above 4gpm

Personally, I have a very basic setup geared toward house washing. Everything is mounted on a 4x8 utility trailer that I can pull with our xB:

  • 5.5gpm pressure pro (2500 psi)
  • 55 gallon buffer tank
  • 10 gallon chemical drum for downstreaming
  • pressure reel with 200’ on it, as well as 100’ and 50’ spare hoses coiled up
  • supply reel with 100’, and another 75’ hose that I usually leave coiled separately, but there’s room on the reel for it if I’m running into jobs where I need a lot of hose.
  • tool box with odds and ends
  • random accessories like traffic cones, push broom, extension poles and scrub brushes, etc.
  • there’s also a little space left over for ladders that are usually carried on top of the car when I’m not towing. Transferring them to the trailer cuts down on drag and makes up for some of the power lost to the extra weight load.

If you’ve got a van to mount everything in, that’s awesome. Just be really careful about how you vent everything. The exhaust from the machine(s) is an obvious concern; but you also have to consider chemicals.

Bleach (SH) is extremely corrosive, and if your chem tanks aren’t vented properly (to the outside rear of the vehicle), you’ll rust your van from the inside out. Having sealed chem tanks with external venting isn’t all that hard to do, and it’ll save a lot of money in repairs (or a new vehicle) down the road.

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