hello all.
i just started to look into starting a pressure washing business.
i will be concentrating on truck/rv washing and may be driveway if opportunitiy present itself.
it will be months before i actually jump in after hours and hours of searching and trying to educate myself online and market research.
i am leaning toward pressure pro hg35(8gpm/3500psi) skid or hydromax in 8-9.8 gpm with igx800 in a enclosed trailer. i don’t have a shop or garage to park the rig overnight and i have to park in public area so i would like to able to lock up. although, i am not sure if theft is a real issue for pressure washing rig and but also if rain would be a big problem.
i am not looking to start with a “starter kit” but jump in head first. i don’t want not having proper equipment to be an issue.
well, i WILL have a lot of questions for sure but i will try to look through other posts and hopefully find answers to most.
I’m not an automotive guy but as a former rv mechanic it my opinion that that is way too much machine for rv stuff. I frequently found myself in odd places where little water was available or no water at all. Rv people don’t always want to move their stuff. Not to mention all the seals and slide issues I’ve seen that could be problematic with that volume of water. Like I said, I’m not a detail guy but that feels like a sledge hammer when a trim hammer would do. But that’s my 2 cents.
You’ll have some pretty unhappy campsite managers if you go flooding the place with an 8gpm. I’d shoot for a 5.5 so you’re not limited on the work you can do but you’re also not overpowered if that’s really what you want to pursue. @Hotshot washes a lot of trucks with 5.5’s I believe. Hot water is definitely your friend but beware of peeling decals with too much heat. If you’re detailing RV’s that foam cannon that @Racer posted about a couple days ago might work well for that. The thread for that is titled “Ikii made me do it”.
rv would be the side gig with truck/trailer being the main dish.
may be i am only seeing high gpm/high psi because i am looking at skid mounted only.
i dont know if i am up for putting components together but if i have to, i will to get what i need.
then again, wouldn’t i need high psi if i do decide go into other pressure washing jobs?
No. High pressure is rarely used in other pressure washing. That’s what gets you disturbed oxidation, peeled, paint, and stripped concrete. You ultimately control your pressure by the size of your tip . So even if your running a 3500psi rig, you’re not putting out anything near that.
I started out washing rigs, frac tanks, equipment, brine tanks, etc. There’s good money in that but competition is fierce and most companies are running multi-unit trailers with 800-1000 gallon buffer tanks and 3-5 man crews. On call 24/7.
There’s a ton of information on this site about truck washing and some big boys in your area with a ton of knowledge and willing to help.
Here’s a good starting point for you. Better strap in. It’s a doozy.
it will definitely being a long process to get started. market research with companies that i do have relation with and don’t and equipment set up which really is a smaller part.
equipment wise, i rather over-buy than having to have to upgrade later in short period of time.
is diesel set up $4000 worth better than gas for 8gpm/3500psi set up as an example?
No. In fact, unless you’re expecting your average job to take 4+ hours, you may be putting unnecessary wear and tear on the diesel motor with frequent starts/stops and excessive heat cycles. Also, I’ve washed a lot of rigs and been on numerous jobs where our crews weren’t the only ones washing on location and I’ve never seen a diesel-powered pressure washer on any job I’ve ever been on. Good old Honda’s, Vanguard’s and Kohler’s get the job done and at a fraction of the cost both initially and recurring costs.
The people you will want to hit up, affectionately known as “rubber scrubbers” on this forum, are all in the thread link @DisplacedTexan sent you. Some of them other things too, but the bread is buttered by trucks.
2 stepping, upstream, downstream, crossstreams it is their realm. @Hotshot must be busy It’s still winter here in PA brother.
The vampires are awaiting his arrival 
