Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: JW1 on September 19, 2009, 02:56:30 pm
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I am a trad w/c, with a smallish round (I do around 4 hours per day on my own)
I want to change over to WFP (I have put it off for a couple of years because it all looked and sounded too fiddly to me).
My van needs replacing now, so I am thinking of doing the whole thing at once. I have some questions that I hope you wise men can help me with please;
1) Would a similar sized replacement to my Berlingo van be big enough (and safe enough), or will I need to move up a size (Scudo?)? I do not want to increase my round size, and I work at medium pace. This should give some idea of tank requirement etc I hope.
2) Should I buy the van separately (from a dealer, say), then have the system installed (I don't think I could do it myself from separates) or try to buy a van and kit combined from fleabay
3) What additional advice would you give please, ie tank size, where to buy kit from, warm water system, pole length, etc etc
I have an overall budget of around 6K to cover van and all kit.
ps wifey will NOT allow a white van
I have spent a few hours searching the forum, but would really appreciate if you could take a moment to help please.
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6 k should well cover the lot, it all depends on weather you want a new van or something a bit older,
a lot of window cleaners near me use bilingo, escort , fiesta size vans and run wfp so they are usually big enough, i run a transit and find that it is way too big so am moving down to a escort van, i would personally buy the van first, than get a wfp sytem to fit that as this would be easier that getting a van to fit your system
there are lots of places you can buy from, do a search for places near you, when you got van, go along and ask then for what size tank would be best and what hose would fit as untill u get a van, it would be guess work
hope this helps
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Thanks for the help so far, I am considering either a Ford Connect, Berlingo or up a size to a Dispatch/Expert.
I need to know roughly how much space the whole kit would take up, if I had a 300 or 400l tank. Would it use virtually all the loading area of a Berlingo, or would there be much floorspace left?
I would need to be able to get some other kit in from time to time (pressure washer, beer etc)
I've seen some photos of other vans with kit, and sometimes it looks like everything is jammed to the rafters. That would not suit me, so I am trying to decide whether to go for the larger option. I would lose some of the manouverability that the small van has though...
Cheers
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Where abouts are you and please can i have your email address
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Where abouts are you and please can i have your email address
Sure, I have sent you an email
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Most people have suggested a minimun 400l tank apart from one, who suggested a 250l tank...
Any advice please, and if 250-400l tank, would it comfortably go in a Berlingo/Partner (600kg or 800kg)?
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Personally I'd go for the expert/dispatch/scudo
I've just got an expert with a 400L tank (upright). There is plenty of space for other things you need to carry.
I like to have space, rather than have to keep moving things about.
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The water tank is the main bit of equipment that is a hassle to change so getting 400 litres instead of 250 makes better sense.
Every other bit of kit is a simple replacement or add on.
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400 ltrs tank would go nice in a berlingo.
what i couldn't stand is having the pole sat next to me in the pass seat.
get a bigger van like a expert dispatch or scudo (i have scudo) at least if the pole is long it can go above your head easy on the shelf no probs
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Brodex recommended 250l, everywhere else 400l.
I don't like the idea of the pole going diagonally across the passenger seat, so maybe an Expert/Dispatch Scudo is the better option.
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250 is not enough
400 will do a full day of domestics @£200ish
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Depends if you are planning to remain with doing 4 hour days or not. If you are sticking at 4 hours, 250 litres should just about do you so long as you have an electronic flow controller. If you want to start working longer days, you will probably need something bigger. If you start getting larger jobs (unlikely in view of what you have said) even 400 litres may be tight.
Personally, I like to have a payload that is 500kg over and above the weight of the water. Not strictly necessary though as it depends what kit you will be carrying. If no passsengers and travelling light, you ***cant*** get away with rather less than that.
Not sure how that happened. The bit in red should read "can".
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Thanks for the advice - just what I needed. It seems 400 is the best option for me, as it gives me more flexibility. I have some long(ish) days (6 hours) so I need to know the system can cope if necessary.
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good choice, in the short medium and long term.
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6K should do it no problem. I've got a vauxhall combo with a 1300cc diesel engine. It has a capacity of 743kg. I have a 400L tank plus everything else, including three poles, and all my old trad gear in it. What you have to bear in mind is a 400L tank weighs in at about 45K empty. Add 400kilos of water and yourself, and everything else into the van and a 600kg and you dont have a lot of weight to spare. Try and get a van with as large a kerbweight as possible, kerbweight meaning the weight a van will take including your gear, you, the water and a full tank of fuel
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Thanks for the advice, decided on an Expert which I think will give me enough room for the change-over period, (expecting to need to carry trad gear for a while until I get to grips with the new kit) without being massive.
Plus it should give me some flexibility if I want to build on the system. Expert has payload of 815kg should be ok.
Cheers again