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sweetwaterfish · Guest

Truck vs. trailer

Roof Cleaning New Jersey · Nov 21, 2012

Depends on your business model Ray. For your line of work it makes every lick of sense to have a trailer with everything on it. Not to say that youre strictly commercial, but it appears commercial is what you do most.
I like being able to dart around and do quick services right away and charge accordingly for quick service. There is such thing as emergency cleaning and we pride ourselves on the ability to come thru. If theyre willing to wait a week for the other guy and save $100, thats their choice. A trailer can be cumbersome in NJ with our business model and I dont trust employees barreling around with a trailer.

sweetwaterfish · Guest

I agree Ed...different models have different needs. I couldn't imagine trying to pull trailers up there on the roads that you drive on a daily basis. I'm really just thinking of making a list for the new guys in the business to help them with their decision-making process. Some you guys will Remember my first rig, the cab over dually flatbed. It was a great concept but I was poor as a church mouse whenever I started this business and couldn't afford to keep it running. Every time that thing broke down I was out of business for a week.

waxman18324 · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute Of America

Last year when I started I used a landscape trailer. Although I’m well versed in backing up trailers, from having a bass boat (20’) and a landscape business, I find the 8 foot bed and a truck work in my favor.

I can haul a 12v pump system, 200’ chemical hose on a reel, 200’ water hose on a reel, 4 ladders, homemade gutter can, three extension poles, brushes, tool bag/box, 3x30 gallon tanks, 2-brute barrels, buckets, plastic sheeting and still have room in the extended cab for a third person. One of the things I did was make a raised platform, which only goes ¾ up the bed of the truck. In the front sit my 3x30 gallon tanks. On the platform is my pump system complete with chemical hose and water hose on reels, brute barrels and buckets. Under the platform I store my extension poles in pvc tubes, the plastic sheeting, brushes, gutter cane, tool bag, etc.

The truck cut down on fuel costs, wear and tear and eliminates the noisy trailer as I drive through private communities. Next year I’m going to mount the reels on the top edge above the fender well, which will give me even more room as I might switch out tanks to larger versions and add a pressure washer. I can completely unload the truck myself in a half hour.

Hank

Guest

I like my trailer and my driver/foreman is great at driving it but i also see the need for a smaller truck mounted set-up. I think i may put one together over the winter and sell my second trailer. The thing about where i live is that there isnt to many places where the trailer dosent fit. My other trailer is a 12ft enclosed and that is a piece of cake to move around. On the other hand i may just set up the second trailer to a dual set up. I have a old shark skid unit that just needs a little work and that will be fed with a 250 gallon water tank.

So all in all i think i will just go with the second trailer set up since I already own most of the equipment and trailer needed for the build. I only would need a roof set up and tank. I can use my f150 to tow it and then buy a little 4cyl car to do estimates in.

Thanks for the help on this decision guys. good thread.

waxman18324 · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute Of America

sweetwaterfish wrote:
I agree Ed...different models have different needs. I couldn't imagine trying to pull trailers up there on the roads that you drive on a daily basis. I'm really just thinking of making a list for the new guys in the business to help them with their decision-making process. Some you guys will Remember my first rig, the cab over dually flatbed. It was a great concept but I was poor as a church mouse whenever I started this business and couldn't afford to keep it running. Every time that thing broke down I was out of business for a week.

Ray,

Any chance you have any pictures of the cab over dually flatbed? As I sit in traffic I look at every truck that passes by and visualize what it would look like as an exterior cleaning rig. This goes for everything from a small S-10 chevy to a flatbed tow truck and larger.

Hank

PreferredSoftWashing · Guest

I'm using a 5x10 open trailer for now. It works great and I love it. But... I believe I'll build my first flatbed truck setup next year, see how I like that and just keep the trailer like it is.

Roof Cleaning Cleveland (216) 323-0552 · Nov 22, 2012

I like being able to just hook-up to the trailer and go to work. I got too tired of loading and unloading the truck everyday.

Apex Roof Cleaning · Guest

My truck is dedicated to roof cleaning, so know unload or load. If I get enough gum removal work I will buy a hot water skid possibly put it in a trailer. I don't have the need for one now.

Nov 22, 2012

I have an enclosed trailer and I love just dropping it at a job or at the yard at the end of the day. The enclosed trailer also keeps my tanks and whats in them out of sight. I dont have the placards and I don't want any Inspectors stopping me asking me what I got. Plus it does make a great billboard!

Roof Cleaning Cleveland (216) 323-0552 · Nov 22, 2012

Apex Roof Cleaning wrote:
My truck is dedicated to roof cleaning, so know unload or load. If I get enough gum removal work I will buy a hot water skid possibly put it in a trailer. I don't have the need for one now.

I do a lot of different things so I was constantly loading and unloading the truck. Most of our "cleaning supplies" are in the trailer. I needed the trailer when I bought the hot water skid.

sweetwaterfish · Guest

Hank - Here are photos of my first rig. Loved the set-up, but couldn't keep it running. At the time I couldn't afford to keep it and get another truck.

MJ · Nov 22, 2012

We have a small trailer, 12x8, that looks like it is something different, nice image, nice to pull, don't even know it's behind you. It is tight inside.

Because we do awnings and some other non spraying work it is nice to leave trailer at the shop. I like the van because it hides and conceals our stuff and mess. Nice letter space.

I think a box truck could eat gas and profit, if I add another unit, it might be a cradle skid and PU with some strong springs.

The trailer was designed to go to tight urban places and it does with not much problem, backing up a long drive way can be a pain if you are in a hurry. Less steel and more wood might be smarter even with the epdm. We have a 60g mix, 50g SH, fatboy transfer, 40g bladder for h20.
Honda ac with key start and allflow. 6 gpm, 3500, gen.

It works for us, great to drop and run.

Kleen Roof and Exterior Cleaning · Nov 22, 2012

I ran with an open trailer for a few years. I liked it, but this year I ran out of the bed of the truck. Sure is nice to be able to move around so easy. But, hate loading and unloading it. I bought an enclosed trailer 6x12. I think I am going to really like this, for storage, and having everything I need with me. I am setting it up so I can pull the tanks and pumps very easy and throw them in my truck if I have a job that will be a real peta to get a trailer into.

Roof Cleaning New Jersey · Nov 22, 2012

Apex Roof Cleaning wrote:
My truck is dedicated to roof cleaning, so know unload or load. If I get enough gum removal work I will buy a hot water skid possibly put it in a trailer. I don't have the need for one now.

I approve.

waxman18324 · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute Of America

Ed,

Do you have pictures of the set up(mounting of reels, etc.) in your F-150 truck? I want to steal some ideas for next year.

Hank

Ugly Shingles LLC · Nov 22, 2012

We started with a trailer then a box truck but we like our latest set up the best... Quick, simple, good on gas and if the truck quits takes 5 minutes to toss the equipment in a different truck! Currently we use a Hilo to move our equipment and pallets around.

gutterdog · Nov 22, 2012

Keeping the trailler I have now, Great for residential. Lil 5x8, everything crammed in 2 300 ft reels a burner, 200 supply line. 12 volt chem system. Swapping out the 4gpm pw and putting in 5.6.

Lost a job to Sprint this year because I didnt have large enough tank to bring my own water, so bigger trailer maybe 500 gal tank, burner 12 vollt chem system, 2 4gpm pw tied together for 8, same size hose reels, annnnnd maybe a chem tank if room. No more 5 galloning it, but I still think its a good way to go.

gutterdog · Nov 22, 2012

Here is mine now.

The Roof Cleaning Institute Of America Training & Certification Forum "Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"

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"Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"