TomCrowther

  • Posts: 1965
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #60 on: June 03, 2020, 06:35:51 pm »
I think the truck option is at least as safe as a van and probably more so the way they handle the weight. You just lose a bit of practicality in terms of space for a vac, longer poles, washer and chems if you use them.
What will probably happen is it will force you to become super organised. A place for everything and everything in its place etc.

zesty

  • Posts: 2330
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #61 on: June 03, 2020, 07:05:12 pm »
Guessing you don’t do any pressure washing or softwashing Adam?

I love a truck, but I couldn’t use one simply because they don’t have the same practically as a van.

Enjoy it, although I can’t help but think you’ll want a van again in a couple of years  ;)

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #62 on: June 03, 2020, 07:43:13 pm »
Not enough room for me and not practical enough either most people would need to put poles on the roof.

JandS

  • Posts: 4232
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #63 on: June 03, 2020, 07:46:30 pm »
Wouldn't fancy 500 litres ratchet strapped personally.
Impossible done straight away, miracles can take a little longer.

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #64 on: June 03, 2020, 09:10:32 pm »
I looked into one years ago it wasn’t practical once you put a tank in em there’s no room left,the only option would have been a bespoke tank that had pump and DI built into it. No room for poles and no room for a diesel heater.

Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #65 on: June 03, 2020, 09:42:20 pm »
Always seems to encourage a lot of negative comments when  pick up trucks are mentioned on here from people who have never used one or working requirements rule them out. Of course if you need more than a 500 L tank or do pressure washing its not going to be practical but neither would a berlingo be. If all you do is window cleaning with a simple diy set up as a sole trader needing one dual purpose vehicle they're great. No damp smelly cab or sloshing water, car and small van in one. Several on here use them. Lee GLS  has a well thought out set up that carries all he needs.

Ooooooog

  • Posts: 1083
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #66 on: June 03, 2020, 09:47:16 pm »
It might seem odd, but I genuinely prefer a van to a truck. I prefer the higher driving position. I’d have a Combo over a truck any day.

Off topic, Soupy what do you think of the new Defender?

Defenders of the earth.

dazmond

  • Posts: 23572
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #67 on: June 03, 2020, 09:48:17 pm »
The thing is adam is using it as a dual purpose vehicle....work and leisure......so it's more suited for that....

from my experience its always a bad idea to just have one vehicle for both....its just a big faff taking your wfp equipment in and out all the time.....

A dedicated work van and a separate car for leisure is the way to go ideally......its also easier for business expense purposes....
price higher/work harder!

jk999

  • Posts: 2077
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #68 on: June 03, 2020, 10:09:43 pm »
He could always buy a small box trailer for items he doesn't use when window cleaning and tow the trailer to booked in jobs that way he doesn't have to keep putting stuff in and taking things out of pick up

Stoots

  • Posts: 6030
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #69 on: June 03, 2020, 10:23:48 pm »
Guessing you don’t do any pressure washing or softwashing Adam?

I love a truck, but I couldn’t use one simply because they don’t have the same practically as a van.

Enjoy it, although I can’t help but think you’ll want a van again in a couple of years  ;)

No I've done it all carpets, softwashing, gutters, pressure washing etc and now just stick to windows. I don't have the time to do anything else and it's all too much faff.

I looked into one years ago it wasn’t practical once you put a tank in em there’s no room left,the only option would have been a bespoke tank that had pump and DI built into it. No room for poles and no room for a diesel heater.

Dont need any room left. All I need is a tank, pole, battery, controller, pump and maybe a backpack..  I don't carry a d. I or r.o I have a static system. both my 25ft and 39ft poles fit in fine.  Don't need a diesel heater, will probably fit an immersion.

I did question whether it was big enough but its perfectly fine if you just clean windows.

Wouldn't fancy 500 litres ratchet strapped personally.

If you have heavy enough ratchet straps the weakest point will be the anchors. The anchor points on this truck are probably better than what most have drilled through their van floor with a cage and certainly better than flimsy van anchor rings.

The thing is adam is using it as a dual purpose vehicle....work and leisure......so it's more suited for that....

from my experience its always a bad idea to just have one vehicle for both....its just a big faff taking your wfp equipment in and out all the time.....

A dedicated work van and a separate car for leisure is the way to go ideally......its also easier for business expense purposes....

I would agree with you, if you make use the car.. . I had a van and a car and hardly ever had a need to use the car because my girlfriend has one so we just used hers.  I just got fed up of it sat their doing nowt and paying 2 lots of insurance and tax.

I could have just kept the van only and managed but to be honest I just wanted a truck. I go fishing quite a lot and would be ideal to take down some of the farm tracks and i fancy doing some green laning.

I just wanted one,  a new van didn't do anything for me.

Not sure how having 2 vehicles is easier for expense purposes though...

He could always buy a small box trailer for items he doesn't use when window cleaning and tow the trailer to booked in jobs that way he doesn't have to keep putting stuff in and taking things out of pick up

To be fair there's enough room to fit a gutter vac and poles of I went for a custom tank and like you say a pressure washer could be put on a trailer. Not that I'm interested in either at the moment.

Dave Willis

Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #70 on: June 03, 2020, 10:43:52 pm »
How do you get to the tank to get the lid off?

Water authorities round my way use Hilux trucks with a canopy on the back with side roller doors. Look ideal.

Stoots

  • Posts: 6030
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #71 on: June 03, 2020, 11:23:27 pm »
How do you get to the tank to get the lid off?

Water authorities round my way use Hilux trucks with a canopy on the back with side roller doors. Look ideal.

I just stretch my arm to the required length and then unscrew it  ;D the lid for the tank will be at the back to be fair as I need to turn the tank round but it's easy enough to reach across the tank to get to it.

A canopy with side opening windows would have been ideal to allow side access, these are fixed but i managed to get it for £150 off ebay in the right colour in good condition so I'm not too fussed. Probably could make the windows to open with a bit of modification.

Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #72 on: June 03, 2020, 11:40:05 pm »
The thing is adam is using it as a dual purpose vehicle....work and leisure......so it's more suited for that....

from my experience its always a bad idea to just have one vehicle for both....its just a big faff taking your wfp equipment in and out all the time.....

A dedicated work van and a separate car for leisure is the way to go ideally......its also easier for business expense purposes....
Why would you need to do that ?
I ran a Ranger supercab pickup  for 5 years and never did that. Could even fit my mountainbike on the back seats or chuck a weekly shop in the back with my wfp gear and never had to remove anything. I had a 500 L tank, combi ladder, backpack, fixed reel, trad gear and two poles permanently in the back of mine even when I'd go somewhere on the weekend with 3 passengers.

Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #73 on: June 03, 2020, 11:51:01 pm »
How do you get to the tank to get the lid off?

Water authorities round my way use Hilux trucks with a canopy on the back with side roller doors. Look ideal.

I just stretch my arm to the required length and then unscrew it  ;D the lid for the tank will be at the back to be fair as I need to turn the tank round but it's easy enough to reach across the tank to get to it.

A canopy with side opening windows would have been ideal to allow side access, these are fixed but i managed to get it for £150 off ebay in the right colour in good condition so I'm not too fussed. Probably could make the windows to open with a bit of modification.
My one had a high hard top canopy no windows. I cut the fiberglass and fitted a hinged lockable door from a boat/motorhome supplier so I could use it to fill the tank without climbing in the back. Reckon if you could be bothered you could replace the glass pane with a panel and do similar. Some may think it a faff but with a bit of effort you end up with the perfect work vehicle.

alank

  • Posts: 640
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #74 on: June 04, 2020, 07:13:38 am »
Gomo to fill your tank drill a hole in the tank lid and fit a hoselocck Male connection to it then make up a length of hose with a connector on each end attach one end to the lid and the other connector stays at the back within easy reach. I've gaffer taped mine to the inside to prevent any kinks in the hose. Just connect and fill no hassle. Now would be the best time to apply insulation etc before it's full of gear. ;D

Stoots

  • Posts: 6030
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #75 on: June 04, 2020, 07:22:01 am »
Gomo to fill your tank drill a hole in the tank lid and fit a hoselocck Male connection to it then make up a length of hose with a connector on each end attach one end to the lid and the other connector stays at the back within easy reach. I've gaffer taped mine to the inside to prevent any kinks in the hose. Just connect and fill no hassle. Now would be the best time to apply insulation etc before it's full of gear. ;D

I fill my tank from a static tank with 40mm corrugated hose. Takes about 10 mins to fill 500l.

I don't think it  would be a problem at all, if I kneel on the tailgate I can reach across to the far side of the tank to open the lid.

Although you are right, I could probably do something like you said to make it a bit easier but I'd need bigger  tubing, normal hose slows down the process quite a lot and I imagine strains the pump.

Stoots

  • Posts: 6030
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #76 on: June 04, 2020, 07:26:06 am »
The thing is adam is using it as a dual purpose vehicle....work and leisure......so it's more suited for that....

from my experience its always a bad idea to just have one vehicle for both....its just a big faff taking your wfp equipment in and out all the time.....

A dedicated work van and a separate car for leisure is the way to go ideally......its also easier for business expense purposes....
Why would you need to do that ?
I ran a Ranger supercab pickup  for 5 years and never did that. Could even fit my mountainbike on the back seats or chuck a weekly shop in the back with my wfp gear and never had to remove anything. I had a 500 L tank, combi ladder, backpack, fixed reel, trad gear and two poles permanently in the back of mine even when I'd go somewhere on the weekend with 3 passengers.

Can't see me needing to take anything out, maybe very rarely.... There's nothing I do on a regular basis that wouldn't fit in.

Even if I need need to for a one off occasion taking a reel and a  strapped tank out would take 5 mins. There really won't be much in there to remove.

The only thing I would do is empty the tank on a weekend so I'm not lugging 500l of water around for no reason.


alank

  • Posts: 640
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #77 on: June 04, 2020, 07:54:59 am »
I just leave my water in over the weekend my pickup drives better with a bit of weight in especially since uprating springs and shockers  ;D

Stoots

  • Posts: 6030
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #78 on: June 04, 2020, 09:26:15 am »
I just leave my water in over the weekend my pickup drives better with a bit of weight in especially since uprating springs and shockers  ;D


Yes, I've heard that. I noticed a difference with the canopy to when I bought it. Still a bit bouncy, you can tell its a truck not quite as refined a drive as a car or van but it's not far off.

alank

  • Posts: 640
Re: I spent my bounce back loan
« Reply #79 on: June 04, 2020, 09:57:14 am »
I had a navara before this l200 the navara is the more comfortable of the two. Enjoy it👍 no more worries about getting stuck in the snow either  ;D