PORTABLES in the TRUCK sounds great!
Printed From: Carpet Cleaning Forum
Category: Carpet Cleaners Discussion
Forum Name: Portable Carpet Steam Cleaning Machines
Forum Description: Discuss anything relating to portable carpet cleaning machines
URL: https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4519
Printed Date: 04/October/2025 at 1:47pm
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Topic: PORTABLES in the TRUCK sounds great!
Posted By: DeepScrub
Subject: PORTABLES in the TRUCK sounds great!
Date Posted: 20/December/2007 at 2:41am
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I have notice some people put the portable cleaners in their truck and run a 100ft hose.That's seems like a great idea.That will be my next investment.Hook up a generator to your port, and add bosters for your vaccum. ------------- "DO YOUR BEST" |
Replies:
Posted By: Ed Valentine
Date Posted: 20/December/2007 at 8:51am
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yes it IS a great idea; One that we introduced in 1978.
And, that included the newly invented POWER BOOSTER too (1972). Happy Holidays; Ed Valentine cross-american corp. |
Posted By: Michael
Date Posted: 20/December/2007 at 12:32pm
| A generator? Eh, too much stuff. |
Posted By: Ed Valentine
Date Posted: 20/December/2007 at 1:38pm
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In my contracting days, I had 11 machines and 11 trucks. None of the machines ran off a generator. If one could lay down a vac and psi hose, then it was just as easy to lay down an electric line as well. Never had one problem and made a bigger and healther profit, most of which, went right into the bank!
happy Holidays; Ed Valentine |
Posted By: DeepScrub
Date Posted: 20/December/2007 at 4:43pm
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I'm sure it's a way to run it off of a car battery or compaster.Like when those kids get those huge sound systems. ------------- "DO YOUR BEST" |
Posted By: Ream57
Date Posted: 22/December/2007 at 1:17pm
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Ed what happened to your 11 machines and 11 trucks?? You should be laying back playing golf somewhere on an island somewhere ------------- I got money in the bank, but E on the tank. |
, while others are driving around making you money. What happened? 
Posted By: Laserman
Date Posted: 22/December/2007 at 1:57pm
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Guys,
I thought about trying that when my Recoil 3XPS gets here. But what do You do for water and dumping? By the time You buy the hose reels and water tanks You might have gone ahead and gotten a truck mount anyway. Barry |
Posted By: Ream57
Date Posted: 24/December/2007 at 1:20am
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No response Ed??.......... ------------- I got money in the bank, but E on the tank. |
Posted By: Ed Valentine
Date Posted: 24/December/2007 at 1:13pm
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Ream57;
When I started Cross-American in 1978, I sold off the Cleaning Company because I thought it would be a conflict of interest situation. I thought , why would anyone buy from us when I was running a cleaning company out the back door taking away their business? I sure wouldn't! It is also interesting to note that the person who purchased the business "got rich over nite" (so to speak) and eventually blew all the profits and went out of business within about 3 years. I can now say however, looking back, that my decision and my worry of ethics and honor was not perhaps the right one. As I look back, there was evidence from the competion (manufacturers or suppliers) that the majority of cleaners did not seem to care. I guess there is little honor left these days in regards to ethics, honor, or loyality. Only price with many of the borderline cleaners is important. Surrounding oneself with those who will help was blown out the back door (with many). However, fast forwarding to current time, we have made a proven and terrific reputation and (Thank the good Lord above) our business has never been better. Our customers I must say, are mostly the higher level successful individuals who do surround themselves with Good people. Just my opinion and 37 years of experience doesn't lie. Merry Christmas and Thanks for asking Ream! Ed Valentine cross-american corp. |
Posted By: DeepScrub
Date Posted: 24/December/2007 at 3:58pm
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Just the customer water hose to fill up the machine.You do make a good point about the hose reel thing! ------------- "DO YOUR BEST" |
Posted By: mattman
Date Posted: 30/January/2008 at 9:31pm
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Hello everyone, I am wondering about waste water with this type of set up? What have some of you folks used? There has got to be a better way than using the customers hose. Does anyone have any suggestions for fresh water as well? Thanks!
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Posted By: watchman
Date Posted: 30/January/2008 at 11:37pm
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mattman....heres my set up and it works great. I have a mytee 3 stage vac hv which I run from a 6500 watt generator on my 1 ton van. no matter what others say on this forum I am speaking from every day experience that I run 100 ft of hoses with no probs concerning dry times. all my custys think I have a truck mount. I picked up(you can find them free) a plastic blue 50 gallon drum and put it on its side and ran a 2'' pvc pipe from the dirty water dump out valve into the drum. then I threaded a 1" shut off valve into the other hole in the top of the drum and attached a 10' length of garden hose for dumping at the end of your day. I carry several 20litre pails of clean water that I dump into my machine as needed. I only do 3 or 4 customers per day(my choice) and this is an awesome and your customers won't look at you like a porty guy. 3 or 4 rooms in and out in an hour or less. ------------- JUST WATCHING AND LEARNING |
Posted By: John L
Date Posted: 02/February/2008 at 3:01pm
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watchman.. Come on man.. 4rms in an hour with a porty and 100'.. Thats moving the wand pretty fast.. That is TM time.. Those carpets will take days to dry.. |
Posted By: duckcountry
Date Posted: 02/February/2008 at 10:44pm
| watchman, is that generator inside or outside the van? |
Posted By: watchman
Date Posted: 02/February/2008 at 11:12pm
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john L my set up is the same as a truck mount. I leave 100' of hose connected at all times. drag hoses in drag hoses out. the only differance I use electic you use gas. And as far as vac goes when I do area carpets I have to work towards the edges from the centre of the carpet or my vac lifts the carpet in the air. ------------- JUST WATCHING AND LEARNING |
Posted By: John L
Date Posted: 02/February/2008 at 11:15pm
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Do you have pics of your rig.? Can you post'em.? Did you modify the mytee.? |
Posted By: watchman
Date Posted: 02/February/2008 at 11:23pm
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duckcountry ... my generator is mounted permanently in my van behind the drivers seat. behind the generator I have my waste tank(blue rain barrel type 50gal) behind that right at the rear door facing out is my mytee 1003hv dual 3 stg vac 450psi 2000 watt heater extractor wired in parallel. this all takes up only 1/2 the van length wise . the other half is for my hoses coiled up and supplies. lots of room. E350 cargo ford ------------- JUST WATCHING AND LEARNING |
Posted By: watchman
Date Posted: 02/February/2008 at 11:38pm
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John L no pics my van is a 94 only mag signs . I'm waiting for this van to die because even though it looks good and is running good I won't spend any significant money on signage until I purchase another newer van. No mytee is stock new from rotovac corp. I will be purchasing a universal vac booster from steam brite soon for 399.00. It fits mytee or any extractor with the 6" screw type waste tank lid ( take lid off screw 3 stg vac booster) = 150-200 ft. ------------- JUST WATCHING AND LEARNING |
Posted By: John L
Date Posted: 02/February/2008 at 11:54pm
| I'm talking about pics of the inside with your equiptment.. Thats a great price for a booster.. What's it look like.. Have a camera.? |
Posted By: watchman
Date Posted: 03/February/2008 at 12:07am
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no pictures taken. for booster go to steambrite website and on search line type in "steambrite universal vacuum booster[SBM-BOOSTER]" ------------- JUST WATCHING AND LEARNING |
Posted By: John L
Date Posted: 06/February/2008 at 10:07pm
You forgot to mention the only difference besides gas is that my TM has boo-koo more CFM/LIFT..
 And lava hot heat  |
watchman wrote:Posted By: watchman
Date Posted: 06/February/2008 at 11:54pm
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you are correct sir..... I'm in the business to make money not compete with with you and your truck mount. custys have never asked me how much cfm's or lift I have they don't care. As I said they think I have a truck mount. Very few have asked what type of equipment I use but the few that have I tell them I have a machine mounted in my van and only the hoses come into the house and they are very happy with that. I have used a truckmount and as far as time spent at a custys house takes me no longer than the truck mount and not a single call back or complaint with 177 custys last year(8 months in my own business) I will never invest the money in a truck mount because I have the same benefit with a powerful porty at a fraction of the cost. Like I said money is where it's at not purchasing a pretty machine so I can look at it and take pictures of it . ------------- JUST WATCHING AND LEARNING |
Posted By: cmaster
Date Posted: 07/February/2008 at 12:26am
Have you ever used a TM? I would never go back to a porty unless I absolutely had to ------------- 
The STD Meter |
Posted By: watchman
Date Posted: 07/February/2008 at 12:41am
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yes... worked for EATONS home cleaning, operated one of their pto units before they shut down. 15 year went by before I picked up a wand again. the only portys back then weren't much more powerful then a rug doctor. I can only speak of my experience with a dual 3 stg vac wired in parallel and the vac is more than enough at 100' from the van but will add a booster soon from steambrite. ------------- JUST WATCHING AND LEARNING |
Posted By: DeepScrub
Date Posted: 02/March/2008 at 9:35pm
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you have your hose on a wheel rack?? ------------- "DO YOUR BEST" |
Posted By: John L
Date Posted: 02/March/2008 at 9:49pm
Your right we are not competing.. You have the same WHAT..?..! Portys dont have lava heat or massive suction.. Which helps clean F A S T E R........... And dry F A S T E R ................And those are the benefits of having a TM to work with..
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Posted By: FriendlyHammer
Date Posted: 02/March/2008 at 10:21pm
The booster from SB is fine, as long as you are aware that the waterlift is relatively week. They don't use A-Lamb vacuums. When adding a vacuum to a system, even if it is a booster, the whole system's waterlift is limited to the weakest vacuum. |
Posted By: Superglide Ken
Date Posted: 02/March/2008 at 10:27pm
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And the downside of using a TM(if you are busy)is the $1000+/month it will take every month to feed them with gas. The power and convenence and COST is something that a lot of cleaners are going to question this year after gas goes to $5/gal later this Summer. |
Posted By: John L
Date Posted: 02/March/2008 at 11:18pm
| Ken.. They don't use that much gas.. One good Upsell on some protector and your gas is covered for a week!.. Raise your price a little and your TM gas is covered for the jobs you do.. I've been the porty route for many many years.. Actually longer than you have been in business.. You 9yrs..? right/wrong..? Sure you'll save a little.. But not enough for most of us TM'ers to switch over.. I'll break mine out when the big 2 man jobs are due.. Otherwise gas can be $5gal. It don't matter.. Customer has it covered with protector..lol.. |
Posted By: watchman
Date Posted: 03/March/2008 at 12:09am
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JohnL .... you miss my point when I say I have the same benifits as a truck mount I'm not talking about having the same power or cfm's or lift as a tm. obviously I don't. but the customer doesn't care and they don't ask. I pull up to the custy's home drag my hose in, start the generator , press the buttons on the extractor. start cleaning. when finished drag hoses out and put away in van pick up my money and off to the next custy . same procedure when I operated a tm. I never over wet carpets and pretreat soiled areas first. I carry lots of water on board and rigged up a 50 gal blue plastic barrel on its side with the dump out valve running into it, never have to dump water until finished last custy. so when I say I run just like a truck mount I'm talking about setup not the power of the machine. I can charge my custy the same as you with a fraction of the investment. custys think I have a tm and I don't tell them any differant ------------- JUST WATCHING AND LEARNING |
Posted By: cmaster
Date Posted: 03/March/2008 at 1:37am
At $1/sqft Ken doesn't have to worry until gas gets up to $15/gal  -------------
The STD Meter |