your best bet is to buy a used machine from a local distributor. They take them in all the time on trade, yes some are junk. But some have a couple things wrong that if you have some mechanical ability you can get them at a very favorable price. Most of the time the dist. do not want these "used" machines. They just take them in on trade to get a new TM sold. You should be able to pick up a used machine for 5-8k. You should after buying a used machine and going through it be able to find a used van. You should be able to find a decent used 3/4 or 1 ton van with a v-8 and a/c for 10-15k. If you buy a non turn-key package you can pick and chose your newer setup. Plus if the van with a TM in it has 50-75k miles on it, it will have more wear on the drivetrain than a non carpet cleaning truck (usually less weight carrried in non carpet cleaning vans). This is how we buy of our newer equipment. The prices for new have gone out of site. I can sometimes get a used machine and a van for the price of just a NEW van. Ok so we might have to fix it. The major compents of a TM (blower, pump, engine, Heat Exchanger/little giant heater) are all around 1k to buy new each. Hose reels and or waste tanks can be re welded and repaired and widely found used as well. The chances of having to replace them all at once is highly unlikely.
The point i am trying to make is that you do not have to have a 1500-2000 a month TM and van payment every month for the next 5-7 years to make alot of money and look good while doing it in this business.
