Guys do you think this would work?

Making a 2003 Chevy Astro Van into my Carpet Cleaning Truckmount?

I also Do Power Washing, What is a good truck mount Carpet cleaning Vac that also can pressure wash I need at least 3000 psi.

Thank you

John NYC

For power washing you'll find that 3000psi isn't enough especially cold...............I had 1 unit of 4000psi Hot 240 degrees and it was just acceptable.

I rented a 28,000psi cold and from 14,000psi and up I didn't even need chemical.

I had a contract to do concrete surface demolition and @ 28,000 psi it was a breeze.

                                  Nightrider

Good power washers start at $ 7,000 to $ 50,000 these electric junk you but at Canadian Tire and Home Depot are good for washing your car, perhaps you siding but you'll never clean the siding from the ground 12 feet up to the overhang..........that's where the expensive machines come in

                               Nightrider

Ever fall off a ladder holding on to a pressure washer

Ever try to clean siding up close on a scaffold or ladder with water and soap splashing back in your face

Don't even think of a longer pressure hose the electric motor or even the small horsepower gas engines are just not strong enough to maintain the pressure needed.

Better to be firmly placed on the ground and get the job done right.

Not to mention the fine you would get for placing your employee in a dangerous situation

                               Nightrider

I know you can get some fancy schmancy extendible pole thingimajigs for pressure washing........the really long ones take 2 people to operate

I agree with Doug on the matter

a mini van is too small IMO

if your going to clean carpet and pressure wash,you're going to run outta room real quick hauling all your stuff

I don't know if you need to go as EXTREME as Nightrider is talking about but I know I've tried pressure washing semi trucks and trailers with my Cleanco a few years back and the pressure was too low IMO

I think Nightrider cuts out custom aluminum wheels with his pressure washers when he's not washing walls

I had the contract to clean all the city dumpsters of grafitti removal and paint scale, then we used to spray paint them on site.

14,000psi stripped everything off clean ready for paint.

Stop signs and street name signs we done with a special grafitti remover & 4000psi

cement grafitti removal was done with 7,000 to 10,000 psi no chemical needed.

to store all this equipment took a 7 x 12 foot trailer

If I was to get back into the business this is what I would get into........profits are excellent, contracts are hard to get.

                                 Nightrider

Night rider is right if you want to clean from 12ft and up from the ground you need at least  10,000 psi.

But I use a ladder.

How much do you charge just for the deck washing.........is this price only for washing or does it also include the restaining of the deck...Thanks

                                Nightrider

See Ted's ( Kleenkuip used section ) buy the cheapest truckmount he has and ask him to install a 3,500psi pump..........

                              NIGHTRIDER

Night rider $450 is just to wash the out side of the house from top to bottom that includes the front walkway & the front stoop.

for the deck washing I get for a deck 18x 10  $350 washed and water sealed

$600 if they want it painted.

The smaller the deck the cheaper.

Those are the prices in a wealthy area in the middle class area I drop it down $150

Some house I have gotten $1200 for they were big and dirty.

Steaminpile wrote: I know you can get some fancy schmancy extendible pole thingimajigs for pressure washing........the really long ones take 2 people to operate

This is the best "fancy schmancy extendible pole thingimajigs" that you can get IMHO. Powerwand by Coress.

http://www.coress.com/home.htm - http://www.coress.com/home.htm

http://www.coress.com/pdf/Brochure_2005.pdf - http://www.coress.com/pdf/Brochure_2005.pdf

Way better than the stupid ones with hose claps.

Almost $ 2.00 sq.ft and less effort than it takes to clean a carpet...........good for you

Lots of decks in Canada, every province has them.........someone is cleaning them and laughing to the bank

                               Nightrider

Did it say Winchester or Smith & Wesson on the side of his pressure lance...........80 psi can hardly propelle fluid more that 10 feet which only would be down to a mist from 6 feet on.

                                  Nightrider

I have had a TM in a Chevy Astro Van. Do not do it!!!! Cannot handle the weight. Although I paid money getting it lifted in the rear. Trans will go out 100 % guarantee. Suspenion is weak stress on your motor. My front wheel fell off on the freeway almost friggin killed myself and my worker nearly s*** himself. My new motto is do it right the first time so you don't have to do it again.  I should have listened to Doug I lost so much money, time and aggravation.

I don't understand the weight problem, if the tanks are placed sideways, wether you use 1 or 2 it really doesn't matter cause as 1 is being emptied the other fills.

It surely isn't the vac and blower that's a problem.

What exactly goes wrong, my neighbour has an Astro and he hauls all kinds of heavy stuff, he redid his driveway and was hauling paving bricks a pallet at a time.

why should it not handle carpet cleaning equipment

                                 Nightrider

If you are going to buy a Mickey Mouse lightweight TM (spitfire, panther, ect... ) These are lightweight vans. You will see going uphill with a load what I am talking about. Tms get heavy I had 70 gal waste tank , Cleanco TM, Buffer, reels and all the other necessary equip. Mr. Nightrider you have alot of posts and you probably are the man. This time I must differ with you. Then again I live in Northern California lots of hills. And I did save gas but paid for it in the long run in repairs. And I belive most people in this forum use a Chevy 2500, 3500 or Ford 250 or 350. Not an Astro. Now a 1500 or 150 is technically a light duty vehicle. You will get suspension problems . Any other takers?

Well...............I myself have always had a 3/4 or a 1 ton I know of 2 Astro, 1 Aerostars running around town, but I don't know their repair bills.........I will surely calculate what mass an Astro can handle and under what load..............thanks......this will give me something to think about.

By the way.........I'm far from being the man.......Doug, Mr. Steamer, General Lee Senter, Cleanex and most of the others are way smarter than me in this business, not to mention Ted Harding as the Grand Guru.

                                 Nightrider

All those posts got to mean something. You must obviously help and respond to people in need here. And I am sure you have helped people, therefore you are the man with all due respect. keep up the great work.

77748, most of those posts were insults, goofing around, & making fun at people ( in a good way ) I might have had some posts that were of substance.

Getting back to the Mini-Vans, because these trucks can haul a trailer and transport 7 passengers, that there tells you something can be done. average person 150lbs = 1050........plus weight of seats, luggage or whatever........just do the math.........place tanks from frame to frame..........it's possible without problems

                                Nightrider

Thanks Michael, you are one of the rare ones, perhaps you view life with an open mind like me.

When you say you find my post interesting as a whole.........what kind of whole/hole are you referring to ( Ass/whole=Hole )

I would like to know if there are other boards like this one in other fields of work, if you know of any let me know and I'll bug them too.

                             Nightrider

yup

go heavy duty go 1 ton... have have 2 trucks a 2500 and a 3500 and I'll tell you the 2500 doesn't handle the load no where near as good as the one ton

I suppose you guys know better than I do, but I won't stop my quest to know why a smaller truck won't cut it.

                               Nightrider

Found this Mr. Nightrider  which is one of your your posts (scaring me now)your quest should be simple. Get the Astro and you will also have a degree in Nightwalkin  

I AM JACK, A CERTIFIED TECHNICAL ADVISOR OF PRE AND POST AIR QUALITY CONTROL SUPERVISOR WITH A BACHLOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE, AN ENGINEERS DEGREE IN THE MANUFACTURING OF CARPET AND A IICRC TRUE BLUE ONE OF A KIND KING OF THE HILL BULLsh*tTER STORY TELLER AND PART TIME CARPET CLEANER...........WHERE EVERY CARPET CLEANER IS ANOTHER CARPET CLEANERS NIGHTMARE        

Reguardless of what anyone says, check the load rating on the Astro.  Then add up the weight of your gear, all of it.  Next give yourself some extra weight for stuff you might carry occasionally.  See if it works out.

There is a guy around here who runs a Spitfire in an Astro with no onboard water and an auto pumpout.  He coils his hoses in the back cause he doesn't have room for the reels.

I wouldn't want to do it.

I own two Chevy Astros and both have had the same problems they are simply weak overated . Hell I even beefed up the suspensions. I supposedly saved gas. Within the last month got 1 chevy 2500 and one 3500. I feel like the real deal. Atro looks like a little kid next these new vans and they are the extended. Dwarfed them. Whatever the weight is when you are running 80 90 % weight capacity you are looking for problems.

Told you I was full of crap, but do you listen........nooooooooooooooooo

                                Nightrider

Your alright Nightrider! Pretty cool sense of humor!

Thanks for not taking my responses in a negative way!

This forum is the best I have learned alot from it !!!

77748 I checked the specs on the Chevy Astro and it said that the payload is capable for 1600 lbs

It has the Vortec 4.3 V6

250lbs,Torque @ 2800rpm.

Sounds good to me so far.

NOw if you ride empty and have only a waste tank and connect direct at the customers ( providing you do alot of commercial ) the Astro would be ideal.

If you do more residential, then have a 70-100 gallon fresh tank and a 40 gallon waste with an auto pump out.

Does any of this make sence............ or am I really out in left field and should stick to marketing.

                              Nightrider

The Chevy Astro van with Vortex 6 cyl. engine are some of the best made, IMHO.

We had two of them and they ran, ran, ran, each acummulating up to 240,000 miles without one major problem. Ofcourse, up to the day we sold them, they looked brand new. Always cleaned and waxed them.

Good Fortune to all;

Ed Valentine

Got'ya beat ED.... lol !!!  My Astro went 358,000 miles before the intake gasket went out....  Also the usual repairs  alternator, starter....

One of the problems with Astro Vans is they have graphite springs in the rear.  When you overload a regular steel leaf spring it still works ok. Overload a graphite spring and they bottom easier and are prone to snapping.  The other problem on Astros is they are prone to pitman and idler arm wear and heavy loads will only accelerate these problems. 

If you were to run the truck over its legal weight and you have a commercial registration on the vehicle it could be reasonably argued by the insurer of the van that it was not being operated correctly and that could cause your insurance to not pay a claim.

IMO, if you keep your foot out of the trottle on the 1 tons they are not all that bad on fuel.  If you want longevity on the unit (truck or cleaning unit) take care to service it.  Change oil and lube by the running hour not the ordometer.  Change trany fluid and coolant every year.

Whats a heavy load ? The springs don't get affected unless all the weight is directed to the rear of the cabin.

All weight distribution should be front to center of cab.

Ball joints & Pittman arms are weak to begin with, that includes all Chevy products including the series 1500, 2500, 3500 heavy duty Trucks.

GM shouls take a lesson from Ford and use Kingpins.

The Vortec V6 4.3 is capable of towing over 5000 lbs

                                Nightrider

According to the GM website Astro has a cargo capacity of 1647lbs.  That is not a lot of weight. 

Pump.......................30 lbs

Vacuum Blower.........100 lbs

Hose Reel ...............  60 lbs

200 feet hoses......... 100 lbs

60g, Alum Waste....... 75 lbs

100 Alum Fresh......... 125 lbs

100 gallons water......1000 lbs ( ride empty if possible )

accessories total.......  200 lbs

total plumbing .........  150 lbs

TOTAL 840 LBS RUNNING DRY........ADD 1000 LBS WATER AND YOU'RE CLOSE TO THE BREAKING POINT.

Rating might be 1647 but that's their insurance limite, add 30% to failure weight.Thats brings it to over 2100 lbs

But that's too close for comfort, you guys are right Astro is out..........3/4 Ton min at best.

                                 Nightrider

Did I miss something here!

Don't get me wrong one of my astros has close to 400 k odometer stopped working after 382,000 six months ago. I started out with a buffer (Dry Clean) and a portable. So that worked.