[Chris R]

Now that Ive got the new T/M I dont want to knacker the thing up 

I am a bit concerned about using the machine while parked on steep hills / drives.

The reason is that if the T/Ms on a hill, the oil in the sump may not be able to be pumped around the engine correctly, causing the machine to SIEZE UP !

I could do with out this happening. 

So if you own a T/M, how do you go on if you HAVE to park on a steep drive?

Would you use your T/M on the drive pictured below?

Would you use it on one steeper than it?

Thanks

Chris

[Spot On cleaning]

First of all, nice conversion. I have a lwb vivaro. It's a little tight with a prochem tm in there but like you i sling the wands up under the roof. I don't carry a portable much now and you will find after getting used to the thicker hoses, you won't want to use one again unless you can't get in close enough.

Regarding driveways, as long as the fuel tank is full, it should not matter. Did a job last wednesday and was working out of the front door and getting very wet with the rain and just wanted to get home. Normally i would drop the waste water straight away, but left it. The next day i went to my first job, run the pipes then went to start up. Machine wouldn't start.

A quick apology then i rescheduled the work, took the van home and put on my driveway. I got out my tools ready to investigate, turned the key and it started straight away. I was relieved, so went to my next job. This was an old coffee stain which i said might not come out, and if not there would be no charge. I couldn't budge it, but the customer said they wanted the rest of the carpet cleaned as it was improved a lot.

Once again i run the pipes, turn the key and nothing. Once again an apology but no reschedule probably, so losy £75 for an hours work.

The problem was obviously the waste tank water. On the first job the road was cambered so the water in the tank would have tripped the cut out switch. My drive is flat so no problem. The next job was a steep drive so back came the problem.

I won't do that again.

Dave

[carpetclean]

i wonder if you had turned the van  around would it then have worked !? because the water would lay the other way and perhaps off the trip??
nice to see pictures of the vivaro as i have the trafic swb and am having the same footprint t/m fitted hopefully this week or next

[John Kelly]

Most engines have a low oil cut out. I would think it was this that was cutting it out. Why didn't you just empty your waste tank.
However we have come up with a novel way of getting round this with the Prowler. As its not fixed in you just jack it up until its level.

[Phil Marlor]

I agree with John, if the oil was low due to being parked on a hill it would cut out before doing any damage.

What you will find is if your on a hill with the nose of your van facing up you can run out of water quick because of obvious reasons, I just turn my van around and carry on.

Phil

[Liahona]

To Spot on Cleaning, where would you have dumped the waste water? You

cant just dump it on the street can you?........ On my truck mount the oil sensor

would switch the machine off too before it could do any damage. I am sure this

would be the case even with a smaller version as you have. Truck mounts are

very hard wearing machines and have lots of goodies to protect themselves

from our mis-use so to speak. Best, Dave.

[BRSL]

Call that a hill, thats a mere slight incline

If the handbrake will hold it and ive done all the daily checks on the schedule then away she goes, the others have covered it well, a simple oil switch will save it,

with mine the water pick up is at the front and oil and fuel is at the back, so always cary a fuel can as it's easier to put more fuel in rather than go direct fill or fill the water tank

As for waste tanks, my switch is in the middle so it would never make much diffrence which way I was facing but my SS filter is at the front and if facing that way on a steep incline it does that sauna thing before shuting down, so shuting down every hour is recomended

James