Well I'm in the process of getting stuff before i start the company up, I plan on doing a mobile set up and so ill have to lug around a watertank and pressure washer. Can I get away with all of that stuff with a pickup or will I need a van? I'm in the process of selling my jeep so everything is kinda on hold for the time being. I have another question about the water tanks...I live in a area that gets below freezing in the winter so what do you guys recommend I do to keep my tank from freezing overnight? Let alone wash cars in the winter?
If you can swing it, a dedicated van is the way to go. The water in the tank wont freeze, it'll be the water in the pw and hoses that will. A small heater even on a low setting will stop that. I'll add more info later. Time for work.
For my work vehicle I have a 2004 GMC Savannah and have a 55 gallon tank but no pressure washer, as I strictly use ONR as my washing method and a nomad portable sprayer for rinsing down wheels and wheels wells, door jams, etc. Most of my customers are on some sort of regular maintenance schedule so ONR is adequate. For some it may not be. As far as your concerns with freezing temps...pretty simple, I empty the tank every night and remove anything in the van that might be of a concern (nomad sprayer, certain chemicals). This might seem like a pain but once you get familiar with how much water you are actually using in a day during the shorter winter days you can get pretty good with not overfilling the tank in the morning. I also usually start off the day with 3 of my 5 gallon buckets filled to the brim with warm water to help keep my hands warm. Use to have a pressure washer and as Ken stated, its was blowing out all the hoses and connections that is the biggest issue, and making sure everything was cleared was a pain in the butt to do everyday. In my opinion, a van is the way to go. My equipment isn't exposed on a trailer or bed of a truck to the elements and unwelcome eyes. I also feel the van allows me to have my equipment stored much more efficiently. From being able to use the walls to store and hang tools, to having my generator, compressor/hose reel, and everything pretty much a step in and arms reach from getting to anything i need, seems to make the most sense to me. The van also allows much more effective signage which is always a plus. Let me know if I can answer any questions.
Here are some pics of my old van. It had a 90 gallon water tank, 13hp Kohler gas pressure washer, 150' of hose on the reel and a custom built rack. The van allows easy access to everything and its easy to keep everything organized. May not seem important, but being organized instills confidence in your clients. Everything was in bins or bolted down. I could two-foot the brake pedal at 50mph and the only thing that moved was the MFs.
I agree 110%. I have a very very picky customer who one day was walking by my van (side doors open) with his wife and they both stopped and made a comment on how organized and well kept it was inside. I have plastic drawers labeled for each type of towel, bottle lines up properly, etc. Efficient and shows well. It's things like this that a customer may notice that can make a huge impression.
I think a powerful steamer is good for mobile detailing, no need to worry about water tanks n PW. if I ever decide to go mobile, thats my choice. plus it saves lots of space
thanks a million for the help guys. I've been overwhellming myself with how I'm gonna set this up. Thats a great van setup btw. A steamer eh? I've seen a few videos of guys using those on cars and it seems like a great idea. I have no idea what those cost but i plan on getting a extractor for interior carpets and headliners. are the steamers worthy of doing exteriors pretty expensive? thanks again for the help
Optima steamer- $5k, diesel/electricity Speed steam- $6k+, LPG Dupray Carmen Inox- $5k, electricity you may also need a generator too. A Mazda 5 passenger van should have enough space.
