Detail Trailer Setup - Help NEEDED!

googledude · 01-11-05, 10:33

Alright, so I've searched and searched the net today at work (including this site) and can not for the life of me come up with an answer to this question.

I'm setting up a trailer for my mobile business. I'm about to buy a water tank and pressure washer and need to know how to get the water FROM the tank TO the pressure washer. Are there pressure washer models that PUMP or do I need some sort of secondary pump to pump to the pressure washer pump?

I've called around a few places with no help today either. I'm looking for serious responses to the qeustion at hand please. I've seen from other threads here the obsession with QEW, which I use but do not always prefer. I also am getting into a huge market niche for BOATS. It's work, but it's also good money

.

As always, thanks to everyone in advance who can help me to an answer with this!

holland_patrick · 01-11-05, 11:37

just put the tank at or above the inlet to the pump nothing else is need to happen garvity will do the rest

If you think it will not work look at this

gravity is all we have pushing the water in to this pump and we can put out 1000 gpm

Setec Astronomy · 01-11-05, 12:17

Hey Holland_Patrick, do you do that rig by hand or PC?? And how many cars can you pressure wash at 1000 GPM???

Dent's & Details · 01-11-05, 02:44

If you’re using a pressure washer with a good pump then you will have no problems. Just make sure you prime the pump and burp the line. Let gravity do the rest. If you can afford it set up a bypass valve. When you release the trigger the pump will start cycling water back into the tank. This will extend the life of your pump. Good Luck.

Ron

Ron's Dent's & Details

holland_patrick · 01-11-05, 05:59

beleive it or not we do it by hand once a year even though it get washed 3-4 times a week it's not up to the standers of the board but it's a work truck..

I don't know but line them up and let's see..

quamen · 01-11-05, 06:31

hey i have a mobile unit and wouldnt use the qew system either. You have to buy a surflo pump that is about 60 dollars and a battery from a tractor that is about 15 dollars 6 volt. I bought the craftsman easy care pressure washer for 230 bucks and then just bought the water tank as you did. I had my tank a small one 35 gallons in the back of my pickup, and now im getting a trailer.

I looked at all trailers and found that a 90 gallon water tank would be ideal for me. For that size, i am going to get a 4x6 trailer. They do sell trailers that are like 3 1/2 by 5 or so, but the tank will not fit cause most tanks that size are about 39 or 40 inches or so. Remmeber im pulling with a worked xtreme s10 2.2 with about 180 or so hp. Ill put the rest of the stuff in the bed all my containers underneath the lid or what not.

The trailer will carry my water tank, a hose reel i will put on the side, my pressure washer, carpet extractor and generator. Hope this helps, oh yeah dont buy a setup from a company what a total waste of money. I can make a setuplike that for half the cost if not less with equipment that will do the same thing and good quality as well.

Dent's & Details · 01-11-05, 06:37

On those smaller trailers check to see what the axle can handle.
That full water tank weighs allot. You hit a few potholes or smack a couple of curbs you can bend it.

googledude · 01-11-05, 06:47

Well I put the down payment on my trailer this afternoon. Car Mate 5 x 8' with dual rear barn doors and a side door. That will let me put a 120 gallon tank directly over the axle and still give me easy acces to the rest of the space behind the tank via the side door. 5 year warantee on axle and trailer in general...lifetime warantee on roof and floor against leaking. Price paid - $2395.00. I will be attempting the gravity feed approach with the craftsman SMALL pressure washer i bought from sears. If that does not work out I will attemt to get a better model with a nicer pump and see where I get from that.

Dent's & Details · 01-11-05, 06:50

Honda motors with an AR, Cat or General pump are the best combos for pressure washers.

quamen · 01-11-05, 07:09

omg that is so much dough to throw down, u could have saved thousands and had a nice setup.

Superior Shine · 01-11-05, 07:28

Buy a high quality pump (as already mentioned) general, cat, etc.... that is designed to suck water into them. All four of my pressure washer set ups are honda /cat combos.

md&pservices · 03-16-07, 05:03

here are pictures of my truck set up for full time detailing in california it has a 25 gallon air compressor, 100 gallon tank and pump ,my extractor, and a shop vac with a 30 foot hose on it because i do a lot of rv detailing in the rv parks also i have a 5,000 watt coleman generator all mounted to the bed of the truck the tool box holds all of my chemicals in gallon jugs and i just refill from the 5 gallon ones in my garage every night