Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: geefree on November 20, 2009, 07:39:25 pm
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Hi,
My mate is thinking of setting up in w/c.... he gets laid off at xmas,
so , he has a family car with a tow bar and he thinks he can only start up using a trailer,
does anyone use a box trailer, with shutters on and are they ok for a small water tank.
Thanks.
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trailer...tank...battery...pump...reel...pole...simples.
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a guy on here ( armadillo ) uses 1, he can stand up in his
he can use any car with tow-bar to work, doesnt pay another lot of road tax and insurance on it
sounds idea to me, though i wouldnt like to reverse off some of my country drives
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Problem with trailers is parking, ive got jobs where i would need a good 500m of hose if i had van and trailer
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Unless your competent with trailer reversing then you can come across a lot of problems including security of the system.
Here is the one I have and I don't use it any more I use a van system
(http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/jeffo_01/WorkinStoke001WinCE.jpg)
(http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/jeffo_01/insideTrailer011WinCE.jpg)
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I use a small trailer with 25L water containers in still! I work close to home mostly so going back for a top up of water at lunchtime is no problem for me.
Ideally I would like a van but for a low cost start up it can't be beaten...and you get used to reversing double quick! I can 3 point turn with my trailer now!
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Trailers are bad. Parking, turning, manoeuvring, access,.. its more stress than its worth. I have a pressure washing trailer, its a disaster. I'm good at reversing & parking etc, but still find it stressful sometimes.
Backpack & 4 drums in the car,.. small DI and fill up at custies maybe? Much better IMO.
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Reversing a trailer is simple if you can see it, if you can't see your trailer then your in trouble.
Get to a big carpark and practice reversing into bays ;)
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Reversing a trailer is simple if you can see it, if you can't see your trailer then your in trouble.
Get to a big carpark and practice reversing into bays ;)
True, but when you get work in those narrow cul-de-sac's with cars parked in the way so you can't turn,.. and the trailer full of water means its too heavy to unhitch and turn by hand,....
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Surely you wouldnt really want to be carrying more than 250 litres in trailer, so if ou did need to un hitch it wouldnt be that heavy?
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years ago a mate told me to put thin 2 thin white rods ,one on each back corner of trailer sticking up vertical . just watch the rods when u reverse in your mirror,makes reversing easy !
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Problem with trailers is parking, ive got jobs where i would need a good 500m of hose if i had van and trailer
true , you need to be a very good driver with a trailer backwards and parking i couldnt get the hang of it so made everything really slow
im goiong to get a small one though but the last one was a really big box trailer and was just too big
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Reversing a trailer is simple if you can see it, if you can't see your trailer then your in trouble.
Get to a big carpark and practice reversing into bays ;)
True, but when you get work in those narrow cul-de-sac's with cars parked in the way so you can't turn,.. and the trailer full of water means its too heavy to unhitch and turn by hand,....
This is were some people have it wrong Nath? If the trailer is to heavy to unhitch to turn it around by hand, then the nose weight of the trailer is also wrong, having to heavy a nose weight will not only affect the handling of the car but it also causes snaking with the trailer.
If you can't reverse a trailer out of a cul-de-sac then you really haven't got the experience of towing, its all well and good going forward that's the easy bit, this is why I always say spend a few hours in a car park reversing into bays and you will Just have the beginnings of reversing but practice practice and practice more until you become fully competent in reversing not Just in straight lines but also around corners.
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loads out there some good some not so
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i use a box trailer that is one of those old tow a van ones. works great i have 400 litres in it and it lasts me all day. reversing took some practice but can now reverse into just a driveway. the only important thing about using a trailer is that it must have a jockey wheel or you can forget about it.
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I tow my
guttervac guttersucker equipment and generator behind my van and can't see it at all. Makes reversing tricky but it can still be done. Wouldn't want to do it all day.
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Reversing a trailer is simple if you can see it, if you can't see your trailer then your in trouble.
Get to a big carpark and practice reversing into bays ;)
True, but when you get work in those narrow cul-de-sac's with cars parked in the way so you can't turn,.. and the trailer full of water means its too heavy to unhitch and turn by hand,....
This is were some people have it wrong Nath? If the trailer is to heavy to unhitch to turn it around by hand, then the nose weight of the trailer is also wrong, having to heavy a nose weight will not only affect the handling of the car but it also causes snaking with the trailer.
If you can't reverse a trailer out of a cul-de-sac then you really haven't got the experience of towing, its all well and good going forward that's the easy bit, this is why I always say spend a few hours in a car park reversing into bays and you will Just have the beginnings of reversing but practice practice and practice more until you become fully competent in reversing not Just in straight lines but also around corners.
My trailer is a braked twin axle one,.. even empty a twin axle one is hard to manoeuvre by hand. If you're carrying any decent amount of water you need a twin axle braked trailer.
Even if it is balanced right and can be turned by hand,... what if you're on a hill. The strength of 1 man won't stop it rolling away!
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This Job was 100 meters up a steep hill, I reversed up because reversing up is easier than reversing down it.
(http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/jeffo_01/newpole020WinCE.jpg)
Never ever put your self into a situation that you can't get out of ;)
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Reversing a trailer is simple if you can see it, if you can't see your trailer then your in trouble.
Get to a big carpark and practice reversing into bays ;)
True, but when you get work in those narrow cul-de-sac's with cars parked in the way so you can't turn,.. and the trailer full of water means its too heavy to unhitch and turn by hand,....
This is were some people have it wrong Nath? If the trailer is to heavy to unhitch to turn it around by hand, then the nose weight of the trailer is also wrong, having to heavy a nose weight will not only affect the handling of the car but it also causes snaking with the trailer.
If you can't reverse a trailer out of a cul-de-sac then you really haven't got the experience of towing, its all well and good going forward that's the easy bit, this is why I always say spend a few hours in a car park reversing into bays and you will Just have the beginnings of reversing but practice practice and practice more until you become fully competent in reversing not Just in straight lines but also around corners.
My trailer is a braked twin axle one,.. even empty a twin axle one is hard to manoeuvre by hand. If you're carrying any decent amount of water you need a twin axle braked trailer.
Even if it is balanced right and can be turned by hand,... what if you're on a hill. The strength of 1 man won't stop it rolling away!
i had a pretty big 650 litre trailer, when full you could push it about on flat but i couldnt reverse it onto the drive and tried to push it over the very small kerb infront of my drive! no chance took 3 of us
and as nathaneal said get a hill and no chance!!!
you need to be good at drving them or forget it especially for being quick at setting up for wfp
gutter equipment is ok if you dont do it everyday
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Surely you wouldnt really want to be carrying more than 250 litres in trailer, so if ou did need to un hitch it wouldnt be that heavy?
thats what im gonna do next build a 250- 300 litre tank in a small erde type trailer
gonna tow it and drop my lad off to work form it while i use van :)
and wont run out of water as i will have 650 ish in van and extra 300 in trailer!!
plus i can use it with the car if ever van is off road etc, gives me great flexibility
but i wont tow a big one again!!
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Reversing a trailer is simple if you can see it, if you can't see your trailer then your in trouble.
Get to a big carpark and practice reversing into bays ;)
True, but when you get work in those narrow cul-de-sac's with cars parked in the way so you can't turn,.. and the trailer full of water means its too heavy to unhitch and turn by hand,....
I use a trailer, and wont go back, saves a lot of money on extra costs. I have 400lts, no issues, driving it is fine, very stable, and no snaking. I even forget it is their sometimes.
You soon get the hang of reversing, just practice. any half decent driver that reads up on the basics arts of driving one will find it a doddle after a while.
As for those harder locations where you made need to unhitch the trailer to turn (never had to do this yet though, always managed to get away with it). Simple solution - just leave the harder locations tilll the end of the dsay when you have a lighter load. simple !!
and yes, make sure you have a jockey wheel that will help moving it about, hitching and unhitching. A hitch lock and and wheel clamp are a good buy for security. I keep mine in the garage, which makes filling the tank easy, stright inside the garage. And no real freezing issues as it is in the the garage and with closed trailer seemd to keep it in trim over night.
I got mine from Cyrstal pure systems - trailer is a decent trade trailer, so thats probably why it is stable. - dont bother with a cheep trailer that not for everyday use.
hope this helps
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years ago a mate told me to put thin 2 thin white rods ,one on each back corner of trailer sticking up vertical . just watch the rods when u reverse in your mirror,makes reversing easy !
What a brilliant idea.
Get on Dragon's Den that man. ;D
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Or if your using it for window cleaning take a look at my 1st pic and you will see I made mine into a ladder rack and I used the ladder rack for visual reference when reversing
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OK Jeff I get the picture.
You win the nobel prize.
;D ;D ;D
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Mine has the handles of my wheeled, free standing hose reel sticking up for visual reference. When I've towed the trailer without the reel in it I panic as I cant see the trailer!!
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Mine has the handles of my wheeled, free standing hose reel sticking up for visual reference. When I've towed the trailer without the reel in it I panic as I cant see the trailer!!
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Thanks for your help lads , i will show him all your posts,
which trailer would be the best type?... for carrying a days water?
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I started with a large van. Sold it and bought the box trailer. I can get it into places the van would not fit. I wont go back to a van. Park the trailer and i have a family car back. Rotting the floor of the van out, not a problem now. Its far more practical for me.
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I started with a large van. Sold it and bought the box trailer. I can get it into places the van would not fit. I wont go back to a van. Park the trailer and i have a family car back. Rotting the floor of the van out, not a problem now. Its far more practical for me.
and you can live in it if needs must :P