Build or buy your truckmount

[Desk Jockey]

I would not build one, too many hassles, too many unseen pit falls. You'll be miles ahead to buy one that's already got the bugs figured out.


How do you plan to use it? Do you need a Fire Breather like Larry's slightly used Powermatic, or is the simplicity of a Judson more important than extreme heat. The Sapphire does look like a sweet machine, nice design and looks very well built too!

Are you going to run it or are your tech's going to run it? Bob's *brand new Steam Genie would be something to consider if you have tech's running the truck.

I'd look for dependability, ease of operation and best value for my dollar, because in the end they'll all do a good job of squirting and sucking.




*Bob says his rebuilds qualify as brand new, just go along with it so as not to upset him.

 

[Bjorn]

oh come on make it yourself have some fun

just a few parts nutZ and boltz

really all any carpet cleaning machine is just a trash can water pump and a vacuum of some kind

how hard can it be REALLY?

 

[dgargan]

I am wanting one of bobs machines but what's holding me back is you need an 02 van for the pulley bracket to fit. If you have a newer van you need to make one. Bob doesn't install them any more so you stuck with that headache. I checked with dale collins who rebuilds a lot of Tm mostly butlers and he won't do it saying it would take at least a week and a lot of money. So doesn't look good. I really like that steam geni too. Too bad

 

[Doug Cox]

Anywayz, I like the simplicity of it. Real easy to work on. Take payments? LOL

of course....100% down...no easy payments!

LOVE IT!!

 

[Kabluey]

TM are simple if you want them to be. Dont build one from sctrach...big mistake

 

[bob vawter]

i'm dealing wit idiots here!

 

[Scott Rogers]

[quote="Shane T":1m528med]Bob, I love the quality you put into your rebuilt Genies and I know it will last forever. I would buy one in a heart beat if I were in the market for a DD. That being said it not hard to quiet a 47 blower if its only turning 1650 rpm but the vac performance at that speed can't compare to the same blower turning 2600 or more. Can the Genie be run at a higher speed?

Show me ANOTHER $12000.00 TRUCK AND UNIT that will pull an honest 16-17 Hg..
Why would i wanna spin it any faster.......
and YES it IS hard ta quiet a 47 blower...UNLESS you got room and the money to install a stoddard silencer....BTW...i THINK we figgered the blower was actually spinnin' about 1950 RPM's according to Jimbos figgers![/quote:1m528med]

You sure do make a purty machine, but they make porty;s that can move as much air as you under driven machines.

How many CFM's do you make at 1950 rpms and 17 hg's ??

 

[tman7]

I believe Jim Martin did business with them when he started out too....I believe his experience was the same. Never again, interlink/aztec financial!

yep....and it was not a good experience........best advice I can give you is to stay away from companies like this and save your self a hell of a lot of money and trouble and finance instead of lease.......

Good to know. Thnx. Is Jon Don a better company to deal with when financing?

 

[bob vawter]

although CRASH has a roots on his....my Genies use the Sutorbilt1

 

[Kabluey]

I believe Jim Martin did business with them when he started out too....I believe his experience was the same. Never again, interlink/aztec financial!

yep....and it was not a good experience........best advice I can give you is to stay away from companies like this and save your self a hell of a lot of money and trouble and finance instead of lease.......

Good to know. Thnx. Is Jon Don a better company to deal with when financing?

I think Jon Don uses Hathaway lending company...I know HM uses this company and offer good plans for the working man like us.

 

[Larry Cobb]

Tony;

There are some considerations with a PTO.

1. Are you installing it in a new van ?
If not new, a slide-in may be a better choice,
since it can be changed easier.

2. What is your idea on operating costs ?
Generally, a PTO uses more fuel.

3. I am a big fan of higher-lift MR series blowers,
which can operate at higher lift levels,
allowing longer hose runs.

Larry

 

[dgardner]

Tony,
Here are my thoughts:

Sexier is not necessarily better. IMO, things that do not contribute to hot water, vacuum and service/diagnostic info are just extras to break down later on. Just ask a Vortex owner after he has had to replace a fancy $70 switch…

If you buy, you have a warranty and hopefully a service network. Big plusses if you are not mechanically inclined or have no desire to do the maintenance/repair yourself.

If you want to build one yourself:

Rebuilding a good used unit means the heavy-duty engineering is already done for you. You could still tweak the design to suit your tastes though. Best route IMO if you want an HX machine (because of complexity).

If you really want to design/build your own, stick to a simple cold water unit followed by a little giant for heat, and buy already made tanks like the Mytee polys, etc. Have you used/maintained/serviced a number of different truckmounts? Then you may have a good idea of a design that will work for you. Be prepared to spend lots of time on the design. If you want to just throw something together and get on with cleaning you will be disappointed. I highly recommend you plagiarize ideas from the best, simplest truckmounts out there. If you use all new parts (and you should), be prepared to spend nearly as much as buying a new unit, especially if you put any value on your time. You can save a little with good used big-ticket parts but you will have correspondingly higher maintenance/downtime.

Make your design maintenance-friendly. Take the time to put in remote oil drains. Design so that belt/coupler changes can be done quickly, and pay special attention to alignment/tension. Make sure the water pump head can come off for rebuilding without major disassembly of the unit. Make it safe – pay attention to routing of fuel lines. Don’t skimp on heat shields. Skin the unit, or fabricate guards for rotating parts.

A big plus is you will be intimately familiar with your machine, making diagnosis/repair easier if you do it yourself. A minus is that if your machine grenades and takes the custy’s building with it you will have no one to sue….

 

[bob vawter]

NOPE...YOU'RE ALL WRONG!!!
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING...IS THE SMILE ON YOR FACE WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT!

 

[tman7]

NOPE...YOU'RE ALL WRONG!!!
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING...IS THE SMILE ON YOR FACE WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT!

Uh, Dude thats a direct drive? Looks like an OD.

@Dan, thanks for the advice. I do think the way to go, If building a machine, would be to modify/refurbish an existing machine. Anyone know of a truck mount graveyard I could raid?

 

[Dolly Llama]

i'm dealing wit idiots here!

no you're not, Bob
you're dealing with a lot of veterans that know their chit

..L.T.A.

 

[bob vawter]

Larr..the reference was to ODIN...and he KNEW that i was kidding....
but if i ever need advice on mushrooms in my shop...
i'll be sure ta call ya....LOL!

 

[Burtz]

i can see right now around a 100 broke dicks looking for a good pallet

 

[bob vawter]

Looks like an OD.

whats OD?

 

[Dolly Llama]

but if i ever need advice on mushrooms in my shop...
i'll be sure ta call ya....LOL!

just like the cheeze eaters I see everyday
give 'em sump'um for FREE and they STILL beech....


..L.T.A.

 

[bob vawter]

Larry...i BAMMED YA......


saaaaaaaaaaaaaayit!

 

[bob vawter]

i might have forgot to mention that the Genies are all...
DUAL WAND!

see the dual wastetank ports

 

[Bjorn]

those brand new 1978 e250 church vans are hard to find

 

[bob vawter]

those brand new 1978 e250 church vans are hard to find

CRASH sez he's gonna kic yor ass for that...

 

[Bjorn]

putting one of those turds in a van mean no more A/C

 

[bob vawter]

wanna bet a hunnert?
7]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0-oinyjsk07]

 

[bob vawter]

putting one of those turds in a van mean no more A/C

no you're not, Bob
you're dealing with a lot of veterans that know their chit

..L.T.A.

Since we're looking at a braket made for Air Conditioning...this is one "veteran"..
that don know "chit" from shinola...

 

[bob vawter]

soooooooo then...
when do i get my hunnert?

 

[idreadnought]

Funny this subject came up. I am Building my second tm as we speak. I hate air cooled engines because of obvious reasons and don't like the complicated Tms that are available today. I am using a rebuilt Datsun 210 a14 engine. Pulley driving a brand new roots 406j blower. The belt will be a carbon toothed belt by gates. Good for 50hp. Pump will be a Cat 290 with clutch. Hot cup kit of course. Three major components will be housed on a platform and then attached to vibration isolators to keep vibration away from the rest of the frame. Heat will come from coolant heat exchanger and exhaust exchanger from cobb or John (haven't decided yet) Tank will be Cylindrical pvc. Tank is a prototype and I am not sure how well it will perform FYI. My goal is a 10,000 hour machine before major overhaul is needed. I am not building it to save money, I am building to have very high dependability and simplicity. Building a machine is not for your average person. The little things will consume major amounts of your time. I can weld, fabricate and have an advanced understanding of mechanical things. I also have access to mills, and lathes to manufacture those special parts that hang up the average home tm builder.

 

[dgardner]

Funny this subject came up. I am Building my second tm as we speak.

Any chance you would post pics as the project progresses? Sounds interesting.

 

[Ron Werner]

every tm has its quirks, its pros and cons. I've friends that run PTO's and when things go wrong its difficult to work on them, basically they need to take them to a mechanic in order to fix them.
I've had 2 slide-ins, one needed lots of maintenance but then it was built in 1980.
The other has only needed oil and fuel for 2 yrs.
Air cooled engines may be lawn mover engines but its an engine, who cares what else its used for. The Big Red used a Perkins which was a sailboat engine, does that mean it won't work? Hardly. Air cooled have their own pros and cons but their best pro is simplicity.
Liquid cooled has extra parts and fluids that you need to maintain.

As long as the TM performs, ie has the vacuum, water pressure, and heat, then you just need to find something that needs minimum maintenance and easy maintenance.

For me, my vote goes to Judson machines. They may not look as "fancy" as some others but mine has impressed any of my clients that have seen it. In two years I've changed oil and a bushing.

You can build one on your own but you better know what you're doing. Like most DIY projects however, by the time you finish it doing yourself, you could have spent the same money and saved yourself a ton of time. Its amazing how much all the small things will cost. Make sure its well planned out because the last thing you want to do is get so far along and say "OOPS! I forgot about ...."