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Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777

Trailer VS Flatbed VS Box Truck ?

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I have had all 3, and each had their advantages for roof cleaning and soft washing.

Box Truck brought in the most business, by far! A Freaking Rolling Billboard ! But hard to work out of, compared to a trailer of flat bad

I had several trailers, nice if the truck breaks down, you are never out of business. I had a trailer break loose on me, and spill 600 gallons of mix on the side of the freeway, in the grass.  Trailers are nice, they keep the leaks away from the truck.

We currently use Flatbeds

How about you ?

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I ran a pick up when I started, then an enclosed trailer and now an open trailer. This winter I want to find a flatbed to complete the cycle. I like the pickup but ran out of space quick. The enclosed trailer always had a leak or exhaust problem and everything was hard to get too. The trailer is nice but I hate pulling the trailer all the time. And I end up using my truck for work and personal. 

I think I would rather have a truck just for work. I rally like the flatbed and am thinking about a F350 or the like, but am undecided about which size bed, I am thinking 10'. I would love to hear some opinions.

I would like to ultimately have room for 2 pressure washers and air roof pump, a couple DI tanks about 200 gal of water and 100 gal of SH, 4 hose reels. I think all that will be tight on a 10 bed.

Joe

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1 hour ago, Bubbad2u said:

I ran a pick up when I started, then an enclosed trailer and now an open trailer. This winter I want to find a flatbed to complete the cycle. I like the pickup but ran out of space quick. The enclosed trailer always had a leak or exhaust problem and everything was hard to get too. The trailer is nice but I hate pulling the trailer all the time. And I end up using my truck for work and personal. 

I think I would rather have a truck just for work. I rally like the flatbed and am thinking about a F350 or the like, but am undecided about which size bed, I am thinking 10'. I would love to hear some opinions.

I would like to ultimately have room for 2 pressure washers and air roof pump, a couple DI tanks about 200 gal of water and 100 gal of SH, 4 hose reels. I think all that will be tight on a 10 bed.

Joe

I strongly believe in a Dually. The 1 ton truck has bigger everything, and the dual wheel tires can save your ass, if you get a flat. 

 Here is one of my very first trucks of any kind 

 2647897551_e1b45481b2.jpg

And here is our current flatbed 

IMG_1620.JPGIMG_1621.JPG

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On 10/21/2017 at 4:57 PM, Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777 said:

I strongly believe in a Dually. The 1 ton truck has bigger everything, and the dual wheel tires can save your ass, if you get a flat. 

 Here is one of my very first trucks of any kind 

 2647897551_e1b45481b2.jpg

And here is our current flatbed 

IMG_1620.JPGIMG_1621.JPG

Cool, it is hard to decide what to get, I started drawing out some plans last night for another build in the back of a truck. With all the proportioner options out there 100 gal of SH will go a long way. 

For 90% of what I do a pickup will work fine, it is the other 10% that is hard to figure.

Joe

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20 hours ago, Bubbad2u said:

Cool, it is hard to decide what to get, I started drawing out some plans last night for another build in the back of a truck. With all the proportioner options out there 100 gal of SH will go a long way. 

For 90% of what I do a pickup will work fine, it is the other 10% that is hard to figure.

Joe

Honestly, If I were new, I would go box truck, because they are a rolling billboard !!!

LOL, the more we drove it around, the more work we got :) 

Yes, they are harder to work out of, but the hardest work is, having no work :( 

 

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5 hours ago, Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777 said:

Yes, they are harder to work out of, but the hardest work is, having no work :( 

True statement right there.

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Never had a flatbed, but considered it. I like an aluminum enclosed trailer to protect all my equipment and tanks [ I carry 2 pressure washing machines too ] from weather and thieves!

Had 2 pressure washers stolen from open steel trailers-2 years in a row, they took 1 a year about 3 weeks before Xmas. I guess I paid for their kids presents?

I have had a nice trailer now for about 6 or 7 years. It is 6' 4" from floor to support rails on ceiling [ was taller before I built up the floor. ] In 2014 someone ran a red light and ruined my truck and damaged the trailer. The truck was destroyed, but the trailer I had fixed for $1300.00

Because of SH leaking in previous enclosed trailer [ and of course all open steel ones ] it always rusted out the under framework, springs etc. So, when I got this one I put in a double floor, with no nails! I coated the original floor with plastic roof cement and glued and screwed a 1X4 trim around the sides to hold it down-plus put pieces of plywood covering it, with a bunch of 5 gal buckets spread around to get it to glue down tight [ each 5 was full, so each weighed about 40 lbs each. I put a vinyl floor on top-also with plastic roof cement and did the same with the plywood pieces and buckets.Then I caulked it all in yearly with good silicone and never had a leak! When I had the wreck, I put in a 3rd 3/8" floor, in the same manner and new 1X4's all was great until about 10 days ago, when a woman made a U turn and really smashed it up. Now, I am working out of a backup steel trailer, until I can find another enclosed aluminum trailer. Then, I get to do all the work over again! These pictures don't begin to show the real damage-frame damage and interior wall damage and the wheel is bent. The 3rd pictures is the trailer with the truck that got totaled in 2014. Well, gotta go bid a couple of jobs. Catch ya later!

Trailer 002.JPG

Trailer 001.JPG

1st shinged roof done  2017.jpg

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Wow Chuck, the SH really did a number on that enclosed trailer! LOL, our old Box Truck had SH fumes inside that were so bad, I finally just totally removed the rear door. Many people fail to understand that SH does not have to leak to do damage. The Fumes are also corrosive and dangerous to not only your health, but to your equipment as well.

 

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I've been happy with my open trailers for a while now. I wouldn't mind a flatbed with a low bed height, because it takes up a lot less space. This thing here is 36' long! Cul de sacs can be a real pain, and parking isn't easy sometimes. Flatbed and box truck win there. 

Having all that SH far from my truck helps too. Trailers rust quick though. Having a shop to keep them in helps, and venting the tanks below the trailers helps. I'm working on new signs, but these can be a nice billboard also. 

2017-10-09 11.10.35.jpg

2017-10-21 04.40.55.jpg

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On 11/2/2017 at 7:48 AM, Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777 said:

Wow Chuck, the SH really did a number on that enclosed trailer! LOL, our old Box Truck had SH fumes inside that were so bad, I finally just totally removed the rear door. Many people fail to understand that SH does not have to leak to do damage. The Fumes are also corrosive and dangerous to not only your health, but to your equipment as well.

 

Not really. It had very little rust-especially for a 2003 trailer!

The vehicle that smashed into it did quite a number on it though!

The only serious rust, was on the very bottoms of the doors.

Otherwise, it was all solid and I never let rust stay. I keep it wire brushed off on a weekly inspection basis and use rust converter, oil primer and oil paint, as rust appears.

It is a constant fight of course, because as you said, just the SH fumes will start rust going, if it can reach bare metal!

 

IMG_0062.JPG

IMG_0064.JPG

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there used to be a roof cleaner up here that had an aerodynamic enclosed trailer he pulled with a small chevvy 6 cyl truck.  He carried 200 gallons of pure SH.

He would mix on site in plastic drums he placed near the roof. He used an electric pump that ran on 117 volts, and he simply stuck his feed down in the drum, and got up and sprayed it out. 

 

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On 11/3/2017 at 11:06 PM, Roof Cleaning Jacksonville FL 904-304-0810 said:

I've been happy with my open trailers for a while now. I wouldn't mind a flatbed with a low bed height, because it takes up a lot less space. This thing here is 36' long! Cul de sacs can be a real pain, and parking isn't easy sometimes. Flatbed and box truck win there. 

Having all that SH far from my truck helps too. Trailers rust quick though. Having a shop to keep them in helps, and venting the tanks below the trailers helps. I'm working on new signs, but these can be a nice billboard also. 

2017-10-09 11.10.35.jpg

2017-10-21 04.40.55.jpg

Would you please explain "venting the tanks below the trailers helps"

Why would running an air vent below the trailer, be better than having the air vent

up as high as possible, as I do? ( Because my aluminum enclosed trailer got wrecked, I'm temporarily using an open steel trailer, until I find just the right enclosed replacement )

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The idea is that you basically run a hose from the lid vent to underneath the trailer. This helps because the fumes from SH are heavier than air, and they fall down onto the trailer and contribute to rusting it out. It's just one extra thing to slow down the decay by venting it to ground level below your trailer.

Also, on my old trailer the ladder racks were right above the tanks, and you can see how it rusted those terribly in comparison because it vented right out the top. Diverting those fumes anywhere else will help.

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