Mobile guys van setups???

Discussion in 'Tools - Machine Polishers, Pressure Washers, Detai' started by ghost28, Oct 16, 2008.

  1. ghost28

    ghost28 Birth of a Detailer

    hey guys,

    i am new to this site but not new to detailing....i have been working out of my Trailblazer for the past 6 months and i am at the point where i think i may buy a van and outfit it specifically for the business.....i was thinking a small shop bt rents are so damn high out here and 60-70% of my work is boats which are in marinas and in the wate so i have to be mobile....

    i have been looking at Chevy Astro vans and full size vans as well...the astro has me on the looks dept, the fuel economy and there is a large aftermarket for them but its a little on the small side to set up really well (i am a neat freak)....the full size vans are awesome in that they are super roomy but they drink fuel....also the astro comes in AWD which is a plus for me since i will be using the van as my daily driver so i dont have to replace my Trailblazer when the lease is up shortly....

    below is my list of items i think are needed in the van....

    water tank....How big?
    Pressure washer...
    Generator...How Big?
    vaccum...
    hose reel set up for PW....
    racks and shelving...
    of course all my detailing goodies...
    if i go full size i am thinking of a truck mounted awning instead of my EZ Up tent....

    i was also thinking of a few other odd items especially if i go full size van such as a small fridge for wax and drinks which i would run off a pair of dedicated gel cell batteries which would charge off the vehicles charging system as well as there own charging system which i would plug in every night...nothing huge but something....

    let me know your thoughts...also pics of anyones trucks or trailers would be sweet to get ideas....
     
  2. wagonproject

    wagonproject Jedi Nuba

  3. TexasTB

    TexasTB Obsessive Detailer

    Take a look at my build up...
    http://www.detailingbliss.com/forum/f5/my-new-detailing-van-build-up-5889.html

    Now on to your post....
    Water Tank: How many vehicles do you do a day, and how much water do you think you use daily?
    I have a 65 gallon water tank, and usually use just about all of it. Only time I have to refill is when I do a fleet wash of 4 or more cars.

    Pressure washer: Well, Do you prefer gas or electric? I like the gas powered over the electric. Buy a decent one. A cheap, no name will not last that long with daily use. Honda GX motors are supposed to be good. I had a 5 HP Honda with a karcher pump. (Not the best pump, but lasted for 3 years so far) I would say 2500-3000 PSI would be the max you would want

    Generator: What equipment do you have? Vac, Buffer, Carpet extractor? Whatever you have, add up the watts/amps, and always go way higher to cover your rear. Also, always buy bigger if you plan on buying more equipment so you won't have to replace your generator when you do.

    Vacuum: You will have to decide. I have this one: 5-Gallon 5.5-Peak HP Heavy-Duty Portable Wet/Dry Vac
    and love it. Very powerful and small. Perfect for mobile. Though I mounted mine in the van as a stationary vac.

    Hose Reel: A must. I do not have one. I HAD one that broke about a year ago. Never bought another, but looking into them again. I think they are a must to keep your hose form flopping around....and to just keep everything organized.

    Racks and Shelving: I say a must. Look around in your classifieds or on craigslist. I was lucky to find mine in a junk yard of all places...... and scored a great deal.

    For a small fridge, you can put one between the front seats of an Astro van.

    BTW... My van in a GMC Safari Cargo Van....

    An alarm and tinted windows would be a plus.

    I'll have more to add later. Any other questions... feel free to pm me
     
  4. 911Fanatic

    911Fanatic DB Pro Supporter

    Here are some pics of my current van. I had an Astrovan before this but just ran out of room and the gas mileage was barely better than this van if at all. The six cylinder was always working to haul my stuff around. My Savana doesn't work as hard, but a final drive of 4.10 isn't helping with the fuel economy.

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    I had a custom rack built to get my tank off the ground which also allowed me to store my bins under it. I like all my stuff in bins so that stuff doesn't move around and if I have to work somewhere my van doesn't go, I can easily carry my stuff.

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    I tend to carry alot of stuff, like 2 - 10x10 aluminum canopies, a generator, an extra bin for products I am testing, extra clothes(you will get dirty or wet at some point) rain gear, 1 gallon containers of APC, etc that I go through alot of.

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    The water tank is 100 gallons and is being replaced with a 150 as I do ALOT of SUVs and my pwasher flows 4gpm. A new rack will also hold two water filters(5 and 30 microns) . The hose reel holds 100' of hose(2x50' in case one blows you can still finish the job).

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    Any questions, feel free to ask.
     
  5. bryansbestwax

    bryansbestwax DB Forum Supporter

    I was thinking about doing the van thing, I still might but I have great interest in this set up

    DK5800 Specifications

    I have a truck already, its wrapped in graphics at pickup for advertising.
     
  6. ghost28

    ghost28 Birth of a Detailer

    thanks so far guys.....

    up until now i havent really had a need for a water tank or a generator but i would like to expand and offer services in places like office buildings and stuff where water may be an issue...as far as how many cars i do a day its usually just one but those hve been wash, clay, wax and interior details that take up most of my day....and the boats usually take at least a day....

    i agree with the needing extra clothes cause i carry them now...i hate being wet all day....

    i currently have a gas P/W that i will use its a 6.5hp briggs set up thats about 2500psi....i will probably use it until its dead then get a HD one....

    vaccums i have but i will probably look for something that saves a little space....

    hey 911 you have 2 10x10 tents? do you set them up next to each other and tie them together so they cover the whole car?? i have been contemplating a tent for a while now...

    i like the way 911fanatics van is done as i carry all of my stuff in bins now as it is and i like that most of it is removeable which makes the van useable for other stuff as well......and i want to basically store 90% of my chemicals in my van once set up(i hate needing something and not having it).....i am also considering adding PDR to my services so tools will be needed as well....what are your thoughts on that....

    i found this van locally which i am in love with although its over my budget....its a 2004 with only 16k on the clock.....its also AWD which is great for me since i will use it as my DD for a while once the lease is up on my current truck....most of the astros i have found locally are around $4-7k with 80,000+ miles on them....this thing is $12,500.00 but its like new, has no mileage and is quite nice looking.....i would hate to buy an astro and outgrow it in a year and then have to start all over again....

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  7. ghost28

    ghost28 Birth of a Detailer



    considered the trailer thing but my problem is parking it....my driveway is long but my boat trailer is there so that would mean two trailers stored in my driveway....plus if i wanted to use the boat trailer i have to jockey trailers around...kind of a pain in the azz if you ask me....
     
  8. Buddy

    Buddy Getting to know Detailing

    I wish I had a boat to be in the way. Always wanted one but the problem is it's just a big hole to dump money into. Nice van
     
  9. dschia

    dschia Jedi Nuba

     
  10. ghost28

    ghost28 Birth of a Detailer

    ok heres another question....any of you guys with tanks in an area that has Cold winters??? do you drain the tank daily in the winter??
     
  11. 911Fanatic

    911Fanatic DB Pro Supporter

    Yes, I use velcro to attatch the two EZup shelters. i have a 10x20 Ezup as well but its steel and I just can't be bothered to drag it around anymore. As far as vans etc go I jave looked at every possible way to do the mobile thing. Everybodys situation is different. I can't haul a trailer because our housing is such high density, there is no room to park a unit that long. My Astrovan worked well but then I wanted more equipment so I needed more room. My Savana gets the same mileage as my Astro did because the V6 had to work to hard to haul all my stuff. My ultimate vehicle is a cutaway van. It has a box which is good for a few reasons. I can rack it out right to the ceiling as the walls are straight, not curved. I can walk around inside, no crawling. The van pictured has a 12' box but is only 20' long; thats 3' shorter than a long box F350. Because it only has single wheels in the back and not duallies, it has a low step in height and a side man door can be added. Best of all, used rental vans are cheap.

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    In the winter I just throw a small heater in the back of my van set on 50 degrees. Its not hot, but will keep everything from freezing. I keep all my waxes in a Coors lite cooler bag and take them in at night.
     
  12. ghost28

    ghost28 Birth of a Detailer

    the 10x10 aluminum ez ups are on sale somewhere by me...i am going to go get a couple.....all of the 10x20s i have seen are steel...too damn heavy....

    i would do the step van thing but there are parking issues here in my neighborhood...i can park a van in my driveway or in the street but i cant park a box style truck....so the van works for me....plus i want toi use the van as my daily driver for a while once my lease is up on my trailblazer....i am going to go take a good look at the van next week and try to make a deal....
     
  13. TexasTB

    TexasTB Obsessive Detailer

    I used to when I had an open trailer. Then I went to an enclosed trailer with a heater, so never had to. Now I have a garage, so nope, still do not. When I had an open trailer, I covered my stuff with blankets and such, unhooked my pressure washer and ran antifreeze in it. Was a pain in the ass doing it everytime it froze, though here in Texas, it;s not a big problem.
     

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