I’ve decided that since I am starting to pick up a little more business, that it was time to upgrade to a more efficient setup.
Here it is:
7.5’ x 12’ BigTex 60PI trailer
Easy Kleen Magnum Gold 4 gpm @4000 psi
250’ 3/8 pressure hose
200’ 3/4 water hose
425 gallon buffer/supply tank
22” NorthStar Surface Cleaner
I chose to plumb my pressure washer to draw water from the tank, or directly from a water supply source. I installed and wired a Shurflo water pump when I need to pull water from the tank. A Kerick float valve was use on the tank. The bypass was plumbed to the tank as well. Btw, it does make a huge difference in not having to worry about overheating the pump. All supply lines from the tank were reduced down to 3/4”. The dump hose was reduced down to either 1” or 1 1/2”. Can’t remember off the top of my head. The hose reels and Banjo filters are on order and should be here this week. Storage wise, I’m using a black tote with the yellow lid from Home Depot. I know the older Easy Kleens with the knockoff Hondas aren’t the most popular. It’s a unit that I already had, that was sitting in my garage. So there was no need to go and purchase a new one. Plus, it works fine and gets the job done. I’m debating on storage for the surface cleaner. I’ve been looking at different setups on here and on YouTube to help me figure the direction I want to go in. If you guys have any suggestions, feel free to let me know. I’ll post pictures of the final build.
Yeah, I know it’s huge, lol. At least probably bigger than what most are using. I needed it to be flexible whenever I need to go completely mobile. Yeah, I probably could’ve skipped installing the bulkhead supply line fitting and just put the hose in the big fill hole. But, it was a cheap upgrade that gave me options. I have actually had to turn down a couple of jobs because I wasn’t set up to be mobile. A couple of customers had homes for sale, and they already turned their water off. I couldn’t do the job, and the neighbor wasn’t home, so I could “borrow their water. I know that a customer will not be too happy if I’m using their water, and it’s just spilling all out from my trailer.
Man, just don’t fill that thing all the way and drive around. Just the water alone will be over 3000# and a tank with no baffles will have that water sloshing really bad. A lot of guys use those IBC totes to good effect and they hardly cost anything.
If there’s no water onsite, I’ll be able to bring my own water and draw from my tank. Since my pw is direct drive, I would use that Shurflo water pump feed it. If you look in the one picture, you’ll the flex line that runs from the water pump to the pw pump. That’s one of the two options of feeding the unit.
So you are or are not going to be driving around with that much water? If your brining your own water then you will be driving around with that much water. That is 3000+ pounds in just water. And with those small J hooks you have holding down those tank straps, no way I would trust that. Just my 2 cents, but I think I would reconsider both of those. Hauling that much water on that trailer and the way you have it secured. Not trying to be a downer here, but no way I’d trust it they way you have it secured.
Exactly! That’s what I do. I have a 250gl IBC tote and only haul 50gl in it while traveling. When I get to the customer’s house I start filling the tote first, while I’m unrolling hoses, taping off outlets, moving crap off porches, covering cameras, etc… By the time I’m ready to wash I usually have a 150 - 170 or more in the tank and I start working.
The tank usually maintains or increases water level as I work. When I am about 30-40 minutes away from finished I shut the water supply off and the tank level drops back down as finish up. I then drain everything but 50 gl before heading off.
Hey, you’re not being a downer to me. You’re just expressing to me a concern that you see. To answer your question about driving around fully loaded,…the answer is no, not at this moment. Those J-hooks are temporary until i can find a much better solution. I’ll pass up money before I pass up someone’s safety. I have only passed on two jobs that required me to bring my own water. So, it’s not like there’s this huge requirement for me to do so. How would you suggest going about securing it to the trailer?
Bands are the ideal option in my opinion, but those bands are short. If it were me, I would take it to my fabricator and see if he could fabricate some feet to attach to those bands to bolt to the trailer. The bands that I bought with my tank extended all the way to the floor and had bolt holes already drilled in them. Then put some kind of plate on the bottom side when you bolt it to the trailer.
Cool deal. I’ll make a couple of phone calls to see what I can get done. I know several fab guys around here. I’m pretty sure that one of them can make it happen. I had already given the plate idea some thought. Even if the bands are bolted to the trailer, they will only be supported by the board that it’s attached to, instead of several boards. The smaller tanks that I’ve seen have the bands all the way to floor like what you’re talking about. I don’t know why this particular company didn’t make them the same. Thanks for the info.
Or you can use the largest j-hook that will fit in the band but get it in grade 8. Then put some plate on the bottom side of the trailer or go to the frame. Grade 8 bolts have a 120,000psi load proof and tensile is 150,000 psi. Always use a better grade than necessary unless it calls for shear bolts like a bush hog. Overkill is better than I should have.
I agree with @SurfaceMedic, those bands should go all the way to the floor. I used lawnmower blades as backing plates for mine, so that each blade stretches all the way across the first board and halfway onto the boards adjacent to it. The bolt will shear before the wood breaks through! That idea came from IBS
Sorry guy,…but I don’t roll that way. Seems like I did state that they were temporary until I get it figured out. What kind of fool would I be, to “promote” safety, but live contrary to my beliefs. Passing on a couple of jobs doesn’t mean anything to me. There have been way more opportunities for me that don’t involve bringing my own water. I don’t have to dump the excess water at the customers’ homes because when it’s close to finish time, I switch over and use the water from my tank as was suggested. Thanks, I appreciate your feel good assumption though.
In all fairness, you said you didn’t carry water in one part and then turned around and days you did. When can only base our opinions off of what you say, @MuscleMyHustle wasn’t out of line with his comment
I can’t carry my own water at this moment because of those bands. My original plan was to be able to do that if I needed to. That’s my bad if I wasn’t clear about it.
You sound like the sort of guy that if @SurfaceMedic didn’t question your water hauling antics you wouldn’t have known any better. Keep us updated with your build. Good luck.
