I will be in need of a water truck sooner rather than later, it therefore behooves me to get some input on the subject. I worked a project not long ago where the earthworks contractor had an old Gradall 4x4 cab/chassis converted to a water truck. It was set up rather well actually, 4 spray heads, 2 in front of the tank and 2 at the rear, a monitor style nozzle just atop the engine cover to the right of the cab which allowed the driver/operator manual control over elevation and windage, it also had a hose reel at the rear. I have never before seen one nor since but would definitely be interested in purchasing one. Since my water truck will spend most of its life performing dust control at the C&D recycling facility of a transfer station, legal road worthiness is not so much an issue but a convenience. An idea I had since my loaders, grinders and excavators will be working there too and will get just as dusty was to fabricate a pressure/steam washer onto the water truck. This way all my water based needs are satisfied with one machine, has anyone ever heard of or seen such an animal? With the converted Gradall one I saw there looked to be plenty of room to the side and beneath the tank to accomodate such a pressure washer and route the hose to the rear on a reel. I'm sure there are some brilliantly creative and mechanical minds in here that could think something up. So let's hear some suggestions...
The water truck we barrow was a old cement mixer. Took the drum off and put a 3000 gallon water tank in its place. Then use the hydrolics up front that turned the drum to run a water pump. The nice thing was that there was a pump on the truck that ran on the hydros. that you used to pump water into the tank. Best part was he bought a working truck a auction for 2500 buck and put about that much into it to make it a water truck.
Hello buckfever, Yes, I can certainly see the cost benefits of buying a used truck that will convert easily to a water truck. I know that the Gradall cab/chassis I mention was set up to use the existing PTO and this truck worked quite well. I absolutely appreciate your reply and input and can only hope there is more to come. Thanks again buckfever...
Come up to pa, the gas boom has slowed right up and all the water wagons are for sale... Also keep an eye on your local fire departments, if they get a grant for new paint, the old paint must be sold to a non emergency outfit.
Thanks stumpjumper- I had not thought of that, our local FD actually has some old GI 6x6 water wagons which I believe go out to auction later this year. That's a great idea thanks. As for coming up to PA, uh...no it get's too cold for my blood. :cool2
Would you be interested in a 1972 M123AIC Military 6X6 winch truck? Low hrs and miles, V903 Cummins, 5sp, 2sp xsfer case, 112" wide makes it a super stable platform for a H20 truck.
That thing would be a beast of a water truck!
Hey Pete, that is a nice truck and I agree it would make a fine water wagon. The one's soon to be retired by our local Fire Dept. are already converted though, but I will keep you in mind. I still have this odd preference for the old Gradall converted wagon I once saw and have found a few cab/chassis in 4x4, we'll see. Thanks again...
The thing with water trucks is they are most often the oldest truck in the fleet and they take the mixer dump box etc put on a water tank and the truck are not even stickerd for the road and are lowbedded around.
I agree completely, few and far between are the times when I've ever seen a "new" water truck unless it was a rental and purpose built. I still haven't found another set up as well as that old Gradall conversion. I still would be interested in having one fabricated to include a steam/pressure washer.
We had water cannons mounted on top of our trucks that where air/electric controlled up/down left/right they where badass.
Yes that makes things alot easier, my ideal water wagon would have the same that along with a steam/pressure washer to give the machines a shower now and then.
Here is one that sold today cheap http://www.ironplanet.com/jsp/s/item/391090?h=405-1,6713
Okay then, I tell ya, I appreciate the heck out of all the suggestions and sale adds but you've got to read the post I used to start this thread. I do need a water truck that's a fact more importantly it needs to be a small water truck hence my reference to the Gradall conversion. This truck will work in cramped quarters in a transfer station performing dust control duties. Also, as in my original post it would be great if I could find one with a built-in steam/pressure washer to clean my machines. If no such animal exists I'm going to have to build one. My local Fire Dept. will soon be auctioning off thier own GI 6x6 water trucks but they're simply too big, I went and checked, these are BIG trucks. So again, I absolutely appreciate the replies and input but we need to stay true to the original intent. Surely somewhere, there has to be a water truck with steam/pressure washing capabilities that's not much longer or larger than a single axle dump truck.
I don't think I've seen a water truck with a pressure washer with it but I don't think it would be that hard to make it work. Just a 3/4 inch hose-bib mounted low on the tank will be enought pressure to feed the washer. Now when you say small and you like the idea of a gradall does that mean you need a small all-wheel drive water truck? does it have to be street legal? If not how about a high hour singal axel artic. This would give you great mobility and being a artic they will move around when a strait frame will be just spinning it's wheels. Also If modified right you could change it back to a dump if needed.
Street legal is not an absolute necessity but certainly has its advantages if the equipment is away from the transfer station say in the event of storm clean-up projects. The pressure washer just seems like a great idea especially if it's similar to a Landa steam pressure washer. My idea for that is to split the components having the steam tank on one side below the water tank and the pump and pre-feed holding tank on the other with a retractable hose reel at the rear of the truck.
Some foggers.................... http://www.mist-air.co.uk/?gclid=CLjRk8b8zrACFQUe4QodKmkKYA http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Fn9oSPJnPe4#! A fogger working in your scenario http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E0RZqeNCP4&feature=player_embedded
Hmm, looks like a great idea for the building which houses the picking station only thing, I'm not responsible for that building the County is. I only need to control dust on the floor/deck outside where we pre-sort and stockpile the recyclables before grinding. Good idea though, thanks Stock...
Sec mac just a thought but who will be responsible for the contaminated water? over here water run off is a serious pain in the ask, those foggers will work outside as well....... http://www.dustboss.com/dust-control-for-demolition http://www.landfilltechnology.ie/odour-and-dust-control/tractor-mounted-gun/ http://www.dehaco.eu/Products-dustboss-dustcontrol.html A fogger working in your scenario........... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E0RZqeNCP4&feature=player_embedded
The County is ultimately responsible for any contamination, they hold the EPA and DEP permits. It is my responsibility not to contaminate during my processing operation. I must control dust from processing and grinding with a water truck and use all bio-degradable lubricants and keep the machines from leaking anything. For some reason I am unable to open the links you've sent. The county has little money so any improvements to the landfill/transfer station won't happen anytime soon. The only thing that will change is going from a diesel excavator feeding the picking station to an electric pedestal mounted loader from RotoBec at my expense.
Fixed ....for some reason there was two http// in the links
All but the YouTube link, I can see where those fans and the tractor mounted blower would work well, I know I'm not going to invest in them. If the County feels the need I'm sure they'll find the funding for them. Neat equipment though.
Having a pressure washer built in inst that big of a deal. Personally I would have a gas powered pressure washer just mounted on it vs a PTO drive or hyd pressure washer, as it would be a million times cheaper to run a small Honda gas engine than a 10L+ diesel. Im thinking it probably wasn't a gradall that the tank was mounted on most likely it was a CCC chassis. (Crane Carrier Corp) Im sure you could stalk the auctions and find an old CCC chassis. they were popular as mixers and crane carriers.
It was absulutely an old Gradall 4x4 chassis, I had the opportunity to climb all over and operate the truck twice. I'm not sure who makes the cab/chassis for Gradall but it had a plate riveted just behind the seat on the cab which said Gradall. As for the steam/pressure washer, I was thinking of a small diesel motor like a Kohler or Lombardini which would use the trucks fuel tank but not engine.
The water truck that was converted from an old Gradall was a G3WD Gradall Highway Series. A perfect size chassis for a water truck, wouldn't you agree?
That would make a nice water truck. Just find one and put a tank kit on it. I like the idea of having the steam cleaner on the water truck. Easier than pulling one on a trailer.
I am looking for such a chassis at present then will get together with some local fabricators and see if we can come up with some ideas. If nothing else I can rent it out so other contractors can clean their own equipment. The one I saw had a PTO driven pump with a valve manifold that would allow for self-filling and that seems like a great idea as well. Here in South Florida there is always a lake, pond, canal or drainage ditch with decent water in it to fill the tank.
I always liked my water trucks setup on a pony motor, just seemed like a better setup for what i did with them. All the ones i had could draft out of a pond if need be or fill from a hydrant. The second motor did require more maintenance but if you were using it for stationary applications it worked, better as you didnt have to run the trucks engine all day long and the little motor drank about 1/10th the fuel of the larger motor.
Like you said Dualie, it's better to run on a smaller/pony motor than the trucks engine. I couldn't agree more.
Here are a couple I've seen that seem to have a good setup. The mack is more of a reserve truck for a saw mill while the Pete is for compaction.
A water truck with a sleeper? That's different... :cool2
You like it? That's Alberta for you, I think it was a B train lumber hauler before it retired to water boy.
As an employer, no! Would an employee like, absolutely! What better way to spend the day than taking a nap while filling the tank. :sleeping
Hah, I see where you're coming from! The contract gravel hauling company (picture of one of the trucks attached) add those sleepers on their trucks so the drivers can catch a nap while hauling logs in the winter (photo also attached), I know it's a bit off topic but it's just an explanation.
My camera is very bad at night :/ And that winter truck doesn't have a sleeper, only the two WesternStar's don't have them.
I ll have to post a few pics of my brothers single axle water wagon. He bought a Propane deliver truck Chassis cab fr 2k and bought a 2000 gallon fuel tank that had been converted to a fire dept tanker. I had a 3 inch pto pump off a 77 Ford 1 ton fire truck we mounted on the trucks pto. He used 3 inch PVC schedule 40 to mack 2 heads on the front and 2 on the rear and plus a 4 inch grvity bar across the back. It will dump the thank in a hurry if all 4 are on. But it will cover a 45 foot swath. We usually run just the back heads when we use it. On our roll off trucks we have a 1k fire tank mounted on a set of dumpster rails with a a 4 inch pipe on the back with a seried of 3/4 inch holes drilled in it. The only problem was the 5 foot fall of the 3/4 streams was cutting grooves in the gravel road. I remedied this by putting a treated 2by6 a few inches under the gravity bar. We moved it around till it made a fan pattern that makes it into drops. It covers the whole lane evenly and wont erode the surface. THe spray heads are just 3 inch exhaust pipes with a 3/8ths groove in the side and notch in the top wit ha falt sheet welded on top. we use muffler clamps to hold the adjustments in place. It works really well. My brothers truck has a gap between the cab and the tanker but we were going to mount an IBC tote frame to add dust suppression polymers to the tank or a self drafting pump there. THe only concern i have about your tanker running a pressure washer is that those pumps dont take trash well at all. THey need a clean water supply and flaking from the tank would stop it up or damage it. We have a hose reel off a fire truck on the side that stopped up from flaking.
Taylor, I have considered the potential of debris getting to the pressure washer pump and making things head south, quickly too. My thoughts were to have in place a 3-stage filtration system to ferret out those waterborne gremlins. As for the tank itself, I was thinking about having it lined with say LineX, Rhino Liner or similar.