PVC Pipe On Roof To Carry Rugs

[Jeff Madsen]

I am considering mounting a PVC pipe to the roof of my cleaning van so I have a place to put rugs that I'm picking up and delivering. I really don't have room in the van and even when I do have room for the smaller rugs I'm always trying to find a perfectly clean and pristine place for them to rest (hard to accomplish most times). I have great difficulty getting a full sized 9x12 in there. And of course, because life just works the way it works, the appointment with the big rug or rugs is always on the front end of the day so that I either have to make time to drive back to the shop or I have to clean all day with a rug kicking my butt! Is this a good or bad idea? I'd love your thoughts on it.

 

[Desk Jockey]

You could always mount a Thule carrier up there. It won't help for large rugs unless you fold them but it would carry small ones fine.

http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Roof_Cargo_Carrier-sf-Roof_Box-pm-Yakima.aspx

 

[Lee Stockwell]

It would be a pain to get it up there.

I made a rug tray that slides in on top of my solution tanks. 8' long x 16" wide x 4" sloped sides. Holes along sides for bungee cords. It easily carries 9x12 rugs, and will accomodate longer with overhang.

I load the rug with the rack 45 deg at the back door, pick up the lower end and just slide it in. If I have to carry it far I strap a dolly on one end and wheel it in.

When not in use I keep it tight to the ceiling out of the way.

 

[Ron K]

Please post a picture of your Van with the back doors open. We have a ProChem legend, waste tank with 250' of hoses Chem Shelf and storage for all tools needed to HWE and still have a shelf 4X8 foot to put rugs on. It's a E250 reg length. Granted longer then 12' we can't get in rolled and sometimes with 10-20 rugs it gets a little cramped but if we know we have a big job/order we just take out some stuff out and away we go. You can even take the hose out of the reel and use that space too!

 

[J Scott W]

Check out a company called Glyndon Lord Baltimore. They are a dry cleaner and rug washing company near Baltimore. The Big PVC tube on the top of the truck is a big attention getter for them. They had it on a few trucks to carry rugs and it drew so much attention that they mounted it on all their vans, even those that just pick-up and return dry cleaning.

 

[T Monahan]

Check out a company called Glyndon Lord Baltimore. They are a dry cleaner and rug washing company near Baltimore. The Big PVC tube on the top of the truck is a big attention getter for them. They had it on a few trucks to carry rugs and it drew so much attention that they mounted it on all their vans, even those that just pick-up and return dry cleaning.

Modernistic in Michigan tried this first around 2008 by installing them on a few vans. These test vans had two large tubes mounted on top. It looked intriguing due to the fact they put rug graphics on it along with their company signage. (Actually, from a distance at first glance they looked like missile launchers) However, some issues became apparent. One was where the vehicle could drive under due to an increased height of the van. Another was the degree of difficulty for techs to reach up and slide a big rug in and out. Ladder of sorts were needed if it was really going to work. Small rugs left on the very end of the tube in the back was about all that worked more easily. It never was a big hit with staff.

 

[Brian H]

Modernistic in Michigan tried this first around 2008 by installing them on a few vans. These test vans had two large tubes mounted on top. It looked intriguing due to the fact they put rug graphics on it along with their company signage. (Actually, from a distance at first glance they looked like missile launchers) However, some issues became apparent. One was where the vehicle could drive under due to an increased height of the van. Another was the degree of difficulty for techs to reach up and slide a big rug in and out. Ladder of sorts were needed if it was really going to work. Small rugs left on the very end of the tube in the back was about all that worked more easily. It never was a big hit with staff.

I wondered how that worked out for them. Putting a small rug in the back and then having to stop quickly sounds like it it would move that small rug all the way forward and make it a real pain to get out.

 

[Ron K]

I wondered how that worked out for them. Putting a small rug in the back and then having to stop quickly sounds like it it would move that small rug all the way forward and make it a real pain to get out.

They used to park on hills, front up when unloading and front down when loading. Unloading was pretty funny They would have a guy "Pull" the hatch cover and two other guys would catch the rugs. The pad would always get stuck and they used to have the guy who was the string puller because he was smaller climb in and pull them out. Although one time the rug pad retriever got stuck and they had to call the jaws of life to "cut" him out.

 

[knoxclean]

When I was a one man show I had the same problem and I got very good at learning how to fold rugs rather then rolling them. I most cases I could get a 8 x 10 in the front passenger seat. There are a few videos on Youtube you can check out.

 

[The Great Oz]

The Baltimore Boys really use the tube for marketing purposes, and only on their little Transit Connects so they're low enough to load. If you only rarely need to handle a rolled rug the simplest answer would be to hang it from straps on the ceiling; something that wouldn't encumber use of the truck otherwise.

The tube on the roof could work if you brought the tube down to load it and used a boat lift type of rig to put it back on the roof. If you're going to go that far it would make sense to build or buy a better looking clamshell that would hold several rugs and that you could power up and down. (Have you priced large diameter PVC?)

If you are handling a lot of rugs it would make sense to factor that into your next truck purchase.

 

[T Monahan]

The Baltimore Boys really use the tube for marketing purposes, and only on their little Transit Connects so they're low enough to load. If you only rarely need to handle a rolled rug the simplest answer would be to hang it from straps on the ceiling; something that wouldn't encumber use of the truck otherwise.

The tube on the roof could work if you brought the tube down to load it and used a boat lift type of rig to put it back on the roof. If you're going to go that far it would make sense to build or buy a better looking clamshell that would hold several rugs and that you could power up and down. (Have you priced large diameter PVC?)

If you are handling a lot of rugs it would make sense to factor that into your next truck purchase.

When the transit was being released some years ago, I was invited by a Ford executive in marketing to have a look at it for the rug and carpet industry before it was offered publicly in the U.S. market. The roof was not capable of handling the weight loads that rugs in a tube style container would produced.

I agree with Bryan. Either rig your carpet cleaning truck to handle rugs inside high up on, or on a tray away from machinery, or just get another truck dedicated to transport them. There are many options out there for such a vehicle.

 

[Desk Jockey]

 

[ruff]

Jeff, what kind of van and machine do you have?

I have a Ford econoline 250 (regular, not extended) and I carry 9x12 and even bigger rugs regularly in it without an issue. Not the epitome of convenience, yet not too difficult.

I do have a CDS, however my van is pretty full as I carry plenty of equipment..

 

[Ron K]

..

 

[Jeff Madsen]

Thanks for all the thoughts. I have an older extended 1 ton with an old white magic 1600 and I have a newer 2 and a half year old chevy with a CDS in it. The CDS has a hydra cradle in it - a very nice set up - so it has less room from back to front than I'd like. Both vans can carry up to 8x10's comfortably. Bigger than that and it gets interesting depending on the rug. Bigger than 9x12 and I'm out of luck for sure. I'm only 5'7" so I've had a real good laugh over visions of my legs dangling out of the backside of a tube! The van with the 1600 in it is a particular challenge - I might move the vac hose reel around to create some more space. Right now we use a mini-van to pick up/drop off rugs. That works fantastic but requires bringing two vehicles to the job site when we have rugs and other cleaning work to do.

 

[Jim Martin]

http://www.kargomaster.com/products...systems/ez-lodown™-drop-down-ladder-rack.html

just replace the ladder with a few tubes.................

 

[Desk Jockey]

You could always try a trailer. They are pretty cheap, easily found on Craigslist and can be wrapped or lettered for increased visibility. Hook it up when you know you have a pickup leave it at home when you don't.

If you get a real visible wrap it might be worth paying or trading out with other business owners to allow you to park it out front for a few days or a week moving it around town.


You could customize it with shelving to make it easier to store more in it. If it worked out you could have a custom one made, with swing out side doors to easy access.

????

 

[Jeff Madsen]

http://www.kargomaster.com/products/commercial-van-equipment/van-cargo-rack-systems/ez-lodown%E2%84%A2-drop-down-ladder-rack.html

just replace the ladder with a few tubes.................

I like that a lot! That would be so handy! Thanks Jim!

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I like it too! With a tube, and perhaps signage, it would eliminate my biggest concern of safety.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Go to all the carpet retailers and clean their show room if they will let you park the trailer in their lot for a week.

Make sure they have plenty of your cards to handout. Perhaps a get acquainted discount on the first order would help too.
???

The beauty is you can tow it with an SUV an pickup or your van. Plus you're marketing as you're doing it!

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[Lee Stockwell]

And instantly get DOT's attention.

 

[Desk Jockey]

And instantly get DOT's attention.

Maybe they have rugs that need to be cleaned too?

 

[Ron K]

 

[Nate The Great]

Your 1"1/2 Vac hose is cute......

Nice ingenuity Uncle Ronnie!

 

[Ron K]

Your 1"1/2 Vac hose is cute......

Nice ingenuity Uncle Ronnie!

The shelf works really well we've had up to 12'x20' rugs in there. As I said you can take all the hose out and place a piece of plywood on/in the reel and then you could place even more rolled up. Folding is less labor intensive but you need to know your rugs and signs of dry rot.

25' 1"1/2 whip line connected to my Steamway Scrub Wand with a glide and Steamway Vac hose too, first rooms are clean and dry to the touch when we leave PNW too!

 

[T Monahan]

 

[ruff]

Loading the truck is always possible, as one can see from the pictures above.

The issue is when one needs to carry the rugs and still be able to perform the work without having to unload a bunch of rugs every time you need to pull a hose or get a tool. I need to be able to pick a rug in the morning and keep it in the van. And still be able to access most equipment to do my regular work during the day and unload the rug at the end of the day. I also need to be able to park in city garages, not all of which have high clearance.

My low tech solution has always been, creating some space on the side of the van. With my CDS, it creates a long diagonal line ending at the driver seat. It allows me to load a few 12x10 and still be able to access most of my equipment. Admittedly low tech, at times requires awkward loading contortions (and some choice curses in Hebrew), but mostly it works.