Start Up Equipment?

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Hey guys, I will have to admit I have been a member on here for a little while now but I was just sitting in the background reading as much as I possibly could. I did not want to be one of those guys that asks, “Oh will my cold water 2.3gpm craigslist find work for a few years and do commercial work?!” No, I decided to educate myself first and come up with what I thought was a good startup and then I would make a post on here and see what you guys thought… So here goes…

My wife and I (21 & 22) just moved back home from working a few years in ND, we moved back to start a cleaning company, something we started fooling around with before we moved North for work. What she does is really starting to take off, it was and is mainly a residential maid service and she was doing 99% of the work as I have a full time job as an heavy equipment operator. We recently obtained a rather large commercial new construction client who really took a chance on us and it is really working out and is helping us raise money for the pressure washer division I am looking to launch this spring…

I have a trailer and a diesel F250 already so that helps a good amount on saving some initial start up cash. I was going to sell both and get a flatbed but I thought…If my truck goes down and its a flatbed, I’m screwed, if its a trailer I can rent a $19/day Uhaul truck and still get my rig around. Also, I do not have a garage and trailer makes it easier in the winter, equipment longevity, and theft prevention.

I recently purchased:
• (cold) pressure pro 5.5 belt drive machine and have been ordering smaller items such as a j-rod and nozzles and extra fittings.
• 225gal leg tank

Other equipment I am looking at:

~Whisper Wash Classic 20" (following the 4" per gpm)
~Cox or Hannay Reels x2 (Have not decided, both seem to be good quality)
~200ft Bridgestone pressure hose using 100ft sections (using the 50ft that came with unit as spare)
~I have sourced my SH for $2.42/gal at 15% (locally)
~ DS setup
~ Misc tips
~Spare parts…orings, quickC, other misc plumbing parts, spare unloader, spare hose, etc…

I am SLOWLY working on a marketing plan, website, and my setup with “the customer factor” for my crm, going to be using an Ipad for everything, QB online for books, and stripe or square for CC payments.

Also, should I go ahead and get the diamond plate and vinyl floor up in the trailer and bedline so it will hand SH better? I know SH is some intense stuff and the vinyl and diamond plate would get destroyed

So this is just a basic rundown of what I think I would like to start with as I don’t have my notes with me on everything I have put together, I would really love some input! And if any of you pro’s would spare me any of your time I would appreciate to talk on the phone to for some pointers and maybe just to chat!

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Hi Mate,

Make sure you install some decent air vents in the trailer, you need to vent the gasses and fumes your chemicals will put off, Plus the GX390 does not run well in a trailer with poor ventilation, If they ever breath there own fumes they fowl up the plus and air filter really really fast and run like crap but decent air vents will sort that out. Dont forget to budget for the trailer and truck signage,

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Thanks for the input! This trailer has two reversible vents on the upper and lower sides so I can open them facing the front so it airs out well while driving and I plan on putting the PW with airbox/exhaust at the edge of the ramp door.
And signage is something I am working on now and hopefully get done in the next month or two.

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Nice job. Seriously, you’ve done the smart thing and have read, learned and gotten your game plan together. Great equipment choices so far. The only thing you might consider is the Titan reels. Next to the Hannays probably the best out there.

If you’re not going to be doing roofs, then trailer flooring shown in pic should be fine for now since you’re not going to be using huge quantities of SH. Just keep an eye on it and rinse if you spill any in trailer.

Only other concern is I don’t know where you’re located, but if you could budget it, you should maybe look at getting a HW skid. It’s going to cost you about $2k more initially but open up more opportunities and give you more flexibility. If you’re somewhere where it’s warm most the year then not so important unless you plan on doing some commercial.

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Budget wise I was trying to hold off on getting a HW skid and was planning on getting a hot box for my system in the near future once I start getting some work. I have a FT job so this will be done in the evenings afterwards and hopefully be able to do this FT after a season so I did not want to put all my cash into it right away.
As for the titan reels I have just discovered those after writing this post and were taking those into consideration as well! Thanks for the input!