So... Tell me again?

[Doug Cox]

Why do us guys need a backup Truckmount? I'm just not understanding it. I do a little maintenance, plan ahead on repairs, have replacement parts on hand, and my machine runs day in and day out. So, why do we need backups?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Murphy

 

[Mikey P]

How many jobs do you pull off a year Cox?

 

[Doug Cox]

I don't keep count, Mike, but rack up 1200+ hours a year. How about you , Buddy? Seriously, answer the question.

 

[Doug Cox]

Murphy

Better answer than Mike, Lee.

 

[Mikey P]

Because we do a fair share of tile our truck is not running as much it would if we did just carpet and uph.
And considering we dual wand 75% of the time, hours are greatly reduced

we average 900 jobs a year

 

[Doug Cox]

My question wasn't directed at you, Mike, and I can understand your reasoning, but I was asking why, If WE just planned ahead, maintained and stocked parts for our machines, why we need a backup van. I've had my current setup in service for 4.5 years and i don't believe I've had one day where it didn't get the job done, although I did have 2 years where the POS didn't want to say running consistently.

See, I'm a maintenance freak. I replace parts before they break. I buy parts that are hard to find. I buy multiples of parts when I buy them, all in an effort to reduce downtime. So, I can see a problem ahead of time, catch an oil leak when it starts, and so on. Seems a cheaper alternative than having an extra van sitiing around. At least for an O/O.What say you?

And off the top off my head, I would guess I do 5-600 jobs a year. But I could be high or low. I just don't keep that close of a count.

 

[ACE]

I only pay $3000.00 for used truckmounts.

Glad your having good luck but things do happen.

What if you got into a wreck, burned up an engine or trany?

 

[Doug Cox]

Getting into a wreck is one thing and that really depends on other people, not me. In respect to an engine or trans., I think I would see that coming and fix it before it died on me.

 

[Goldenboy]

For the customers who move everything into one room and stack it to the ceiling. Last month had a customer do this. I was thinking if something goes wrong I would be fooked. So the answer to your question is for a piece of mind. Plus Doug if sumptin does go wrong my his and her toolset from target wont cut it. Plus I cant find Matt King. He vanished.

Golden Boy

 

[Giorgio]

I just really like TM's.

Looking to purchase a 3rd rig as we speak.

I need to fight the urge because this hobby is getting expensive.

But I want a new TM sooo bad. Ivebeensold

 

[Luis Gomez]

My backup TM is 12 yrs old, it cost me (insurance and plates) $1050 a year and it makes more
than that. It allows me to work Balboa peninsula ($$$$) in Newport Beach, also many
condominium associations where the streets are narrow and I would not be able to park the box truck.
The initial cost was higher, because I have both trucks fully loaded to go, except for carpet repair tools.
Luis

 

[Doug Cox]

For the customers who move everything into one room and stack it to the ceiling. Last month had a customer do this. I was thinking if something goes wrong I would be fooked. So the answer to your question is for a piece of mind. Plus Doug if sumptin does go wrong my his and her toolset from target wont cut it. Plus I cant find Matt King. He vanished.

Golden Boy

Waldo- You should see my Genesis. She just got repainted with new emblems. Looks like she just came out of the factory. Matt King would be proud.

 

[Doug Cox]

My backup TM is 12 yrs old, it cost me (insurance and plates) $1050 a year and it makes more
than that. It allows me to work Balboa peninsula ($$$$) in Newport Beach, also many
condominium associations where the streets are narrow and I would not be able to park the box truck.
The initial cost was higher, because I have both trucks fully loaded to go, except for carpet repair tools.
Luis

This is the answer I was hoping to get. An actual reason, other than the " I don't know how to do anything but turn the key on" type of response. And in that case, you shouldn't be running a truckmount.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

"It Happens" (abreviated from the bumper sticker)

It would be embarrassing to list all the crazy things that have happened to us over the years...a few of them before we had backup.

Example:
My sons do routes of commercial work on a relatively tight schedule. "Sorry we can't make it tonight" just won't fly.

Justin hit some trash on I-24 at 11pm taking out two tires. While he put his spare on I brought a spare van and wheels so he could go on to his jobs. I finished putting the second tire on his truck and brought it back to the tire shop for him to pick up next morning.

That's what dads do.

 

[Doug Cox]

"It Happens" (abreviated from the bumper sticker)

It would be embarrassing to list all the crazy things that have happened to us over the years...a few of them before we had backup.

Example:
My sons do routes of commercial work on a relatively tight schedule. "Sorry we can't make it tonight" just won't fly.

Justin hit some trash on I-24 at 11pm taking out two tires. While he put his spare on I brought a spare van and wheels so he could go on to his jobs. I finished putting the second tire on his truck and brought it back to the tire shop for him to pick up next morning.

That's what dads do.

I totally agree, Lee. I'm really getting to the fact that we need to be able to make repairs on the fly and not rely on mechanics to dictate our schedules. I take it personally if I can't make it to a job. Sadly, I haven't been let down by my van but I was sick for 2 weeks this summer and lost only 1 job because of it. You suck it up, work sick, get the machine fixed yourself and get back to work. But just think if we just spent the money on maintenance instead of repairs. Then maybe the equipment would run without breaking down. Just a thought. Same thing with your body too.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Same thing with your body too.

That's the part I wish I'd have paid more attention to.

 

[Mikey P]

No kidding Lee.

After watching my father in law fall apart in front of my eyes and recently being sick for well over a month I've gotten back on my pedal bike and feeling better and better every day.

 

[sam miller]

Personally You dont need a back up! Its a nice peice of Insurance, but In my case with My 405 I bought In 2002 and the chevy van avg 1000 hours a year I missed maybe 7 days work in 10 years mostly Van related! In 2010 my engine went out so I bought a new Van and moved my unit into it. 2 days down! Reset everyone and worked on Sunday so I really only missed one day!

Got a used 405 with 650 hours paid 10k and put it in a new van, not because I want a backup because I want 2 trucks making me money instead of one!

Now I just gotta get enough work for both! and keep training my Nooby helpers!

 

[Shane T]

I recently had the cooling fan bearing carrier go out on my Kohler. It was an unusual breakdown, one I never could have foreseen. The parts were back ordered so the unit was down for the better part of 3 weeks. Glad for my back up unit.

 

[Chris A]

I bought mine because it was a good deal, and I knew I would need it full time at some point. Now we use it for everything, picking up rugs, splitting days between my tech and I, and as a back up for when the truck needs maintenence.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Vac blower, Pressure Pump, Power plant.

Doug no matter how much preventative maintenance you do there are going to be wear items that just quit at the most inopportune time. Unless you have a distributor that stocks your particular blower model a damaged blower can knock you out for several days to a week. Rebuild on pressure pumps, a day or two. Powerplant rebuild or swap sheeet!

 

[BLewis]

The reason we got our back-up was much like Lee, we do well over 30 commercial businesses every month. My V had us down twice this year for about 10 days each time. One time putting us behind 33 jobs and that's just to many to make up. I thought we hadn't lost any resi until we started calli g them to reschedule and they would say sorry we had to call someone else because we couldn't wait that long or we'll call u back when we're ready (which translates to they went ahead and had it cleaned). Both times down was UD related not equipment and I was at the mercy of Lex's only dealer to work on UD

 

[rwcarpet]

Vac blower, Pressure Pump, Power plant.

Doug no matter how much preventative maintenance you do there are going to be wear items that just quit at the most inopportune time. Unless you have a distributor that stocks your particular blower model a damaged blower can knock you out for several days to a week. Rebuild on pressure pumps, a day or two. Powerplant rebuild or swap sheeet!

I had that experience in the Fall. Just out of nowhere, my Genesis "drive converter" just quit working, with no known pre-breakdown warnings. It is a shaft that connects the flywheel with the blower and pump (via belts), and it just stripped out. (It looks like a manual tranny shaft and a clutch plate)There really is no way to check it with out tearing the back end of the engine off. I was fortuneate to have a spare laying around. I don't think Dougs Genesis has the same setup....no torque converter.

As for a spare, I have a fully functional 1992 Powermatic that is ready to go at any minute. It sits in the garage, and I may install it in a van this Spring, just to have it available.

 

[Desk Jockey]

The worse part is once they have tried another cleaner there is an outside chance they may just switch and you've lost them forever. Especially if the other cleaner keeps in contact with them and you don't or if they have more personality than Douglas.

When and if this happens I'd send them an apology along with a discount on their next cleaning, provided they are someone you want to retain.

 

[BLewis]

Exactly Richard, we follow up with an apology letter with a $25 gift card toward any future services with us. I don't think we've ever lost a repeat client but as to new ones who knows!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Smart move Billy, that should secure them next time around. 8)

 

[Steve Toburen]

Exactly Richard, we follow up with an apology letter with a $25 gift card toward any future services with us. I don't think we've ever lost a repeat client but as to new ones who knows!

I did the same thing, Billy.

Steve Toburen
www.SFS.JonDon.com

PS I replaced our four TM's when they all had around 5,000 hours on the clock and kept the "pick of the litter" every time as our backup. Just knowing "old faithful" was sitting there available was worth the very small carrying cost of the unit. And when all our crews were booked and a "I gotta have it done today" call came in I happily shrugged my uniform shirt on and went out to play! (You oughta try it sometime, Richard!)

 

[Dmreed4311]

Having a back up is a great thing, I do not care how great you are with maintenance, things can happen that will keep a van off the road. I can fix anything on my trouckmount that might break but some repairs take hours and that would make me very late for jobs or what if it is a van problem? My vans fuel pump went out and that sucker is in the fuel tank, took a whole day for them to fix it. Was nice to jump in my back up van and not miss a beat. I got the backup van with the TM for 4 grand and it is a good set up.

 

[Mark Saiger]

I am pretty good about keeping maintenance on both vans and truckmount units. My backup TM came about after I had done preventative maintenance and had put some new pulleys on the front of the van that ran the unit. The new parts failed they same week as installed (bad bearing) and I was 45 minutes away from home. I had to call to overnight parts and 2 days later, made it back to do the job. Was even going to do the job for free for their inconvenience, but they insisted to pay. They have been a loyal client ever since. Now my back up TM has become part of the "we need a second van to keep up". and is used most every day. Even last night on a water damage, my new Truckmount blew off the blower belts with 77 hours on it. We really worked the thing hard last night and must have overheated them. I need to check my "vac pop off". Might be set a bit strong for water extraction. Also need to get another set of belts out of the shop and back in that van, then order another set. I always have extra on hand!

I will also never be without a second van! I am also spoiled, that I want them both to be outfitted the same and clean as good as the other.

Mark Saiger
www.saigers.com