What is the minimum amout of water to carry?

[H2Ocean]

Ok before you guys flame me here let me explain that trailer costs are literally double as they are stateside. An enclosed trailer is going to be absolutley mandatory to keep sticky fingers off of my equipment. So that being said, what is the smallest tank of water I can get away with? 125 gallons? 225 Gallons? I plan on doing maily commercial accounts so I will include need for water hookup on all my bids.

What setups do all of you have?

 

[steve r]

Ok before you guys flame me here let me explain that trailer costs are literally double as they are stateside. An enclosed trailer is going to be absolutley mandatory to keep sticky fingers off of my equipment. So that being said, what is the smallest tank of water I can get away with? 125 gallons? 225 Gallons? I plan on doing maily commercial accounts so I will include need for water hookup on all my bids.

What setups do all of you have?

there have been times ive carried 300 gallons and used every bit of it .it was a fence in the middle of no where .

 

[H2Ocean]

I'll watch out for those jobs..this is a concrete jungle an Island 100 miles long by 35 miles wide, 4 million people, 3 million live in the capital San Juan don't plan on being too far from water on many jobs.

 

[Dave Ott]

If you are going to have water hookup at the jobs. Then a 5 gallon bucket would be fine. Seriously though, a 125 gallon tank with a 5 gpm machine will get you a full continious 25 minutes of cleaning. A 225 gallon would get you 45 minutes of clean time. So it's up to you what you need. If you are going to have water then go smaller. You don't want to run around with a full tank anyways. The fuel to keep pulling around the extra weight isn't worth it. Buy a tank and then when you estimate the job , you should always be checking on water access anyways. If you need to bring your own then you fill it at home and charge per tank to haul. Most will then let you use the water. Most cases you only need the tank for a buffer for customers with horrible water output, to where it won't keep up with your machine. Or like for that job out in the middle of nowhere with no water access. You will just learn to clean faster and know how much time you have with the certain tank size you buy. Who needs a clock when you have a tank to let you know how long it has taken you. LOL The choice is your and what your trailer or tow vehicle can handle. Or what room you need in said trailer.

 

[jrwem]

If you are doing commercial, then get the tank that will last as long as you want to wash. You can probably fill up at most places, but not all. And sometimes you will be too far from the water source and have to keep running out and filling up (downtime). The bigger the better. You would only be traveling with a tank full(+/ -) of water, if the jobsite doesn't provide it.
Commercial calls for big!

 

[Scott Stone]

I have three trailers. One is 525, one is 450, and one is 325. We usually haul them full of water, and have no problems. I think that the more water you can have on hand, the better off you are. So I prefer the 525 or 450. If space of a trailer is a huge concern, then I would go with the 325.

Scott Stone

 

[wash tech]

mike

there have been times ive carried 300 gallons and used every bit of it .it was a fence in the middle of no where .

Are you kiding me,i have gone through 2000 gal in a night,with a 4.5 gal a min machine.I carry 1000 gal at all times mostly do shopping centers storefronts and sidewalks,in 5 states.

 

[north coast]

I have always found that most shopping centers or stores do not have a water hook up anywhere, and if they do they are always turned off. You can never have too much water we have done some shopping centers with 4000 gallons and finished with only 100 gallons left. Even if they do have a water hook up it is only worth it if you can be hooked up while you are washing, if you had to stop work and wait for water it would take hours to fill up. Our trucks have 500' of water hose on them and a lot of times the water source is still to far away. Just my take on this.

 

[Dave Ott]

The questions was the minimum amount. Only he can answer the question correctly. Scott answered with his always expertise answer. Boils down to what trailer he has and what room and at what weight he can handle.

 

[PowerWashofVa]

I will be travelling between two different market areas from time to time. They are aprox. 80 miles apart. I have a skid unit (3500 PSI 4.7 Hot) and a 225 gallon tank mounted on a single axle 3500 lb open trailer. (not my first choice of trailer but I purchased everything used, 49 hrs old at a great price).

Since there is usually a water supply at both locations, I will keep around 50 gallons in the tank and hook up to the customers water. I have some concerns about having 225 gallons of water and a 700 pound washer.

I feel one should error on the side of saftey..