The introduction of truck mount carpet cleaning equipment dramatically changed the dynamics of running a carpet cleaning business. With these tools, a small or start-up business can offer ‘steam extraction’ or carpet steam cleaning services on par with the big boys. The focus now shifts back to the customer and who can provide the best service for the best price from the initial phone call to the completion of a job well done. These truck mount carpet cleaners (although most are mounted into carpet cleaning vans) come in two distinct configurations…slide-ins and van powered or direct drive. Let’s take a look at the differences between these two types and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

SLIDE_IN TRUCK MOUNTS
Slide-in truck mounts are so called due to their ability to ‘slide’ into a regular cargo van or box truck and bolt to the floor of the vehicle. They come with their own power supply  in the form of a gasoline or  propane engine. They also attach to separate water/recovery tanks thereby converting regular cargo vans into stand-alone, service ready carpet cleaning vans.

There are many benefits to using slide-in type truck mounts. The most obvious is that they can be installed in any type of van regardless of age, make or model. They come in a range of different sizes depending on the cleaning power desired.  Thus, the ability to match specific vans with specific equipment provides the flexibility to fit any  sized carpet cleaning business.

The ability to move the truck mount between vans is another key advantage. It’s not an easy process and is done only infrequently but it allows for upgrading your van and/or cleaning machine independent of each other. A start-up business could conceivably buy a used slide-in truck mount and a used cargo van to keep costs low while getting their new business off the ground. They could then upgrade their truck mount machine as their business grows without needing to acquire a new van.

Finally, some business use box trucks instead of cargo vans for their truck mount carpet cleaning machine. This is primarily for the additional space a box truck provides. Slide-in truck mounts are easily installed in these kinds of vehicles.

The biggest disadvantage of a slide-in truck mount is the stand-alone power supply. These are integrated with the carpet cleaning machine but require specific ‘care and feeding’. They are the equivalent of a small generator (some are rather large) and require the same kind of maintenance associated with any small engine e.g. lubrication, filters, tuning, etc. They can also be quite noisy and generate a lot of heat as most are simply air-cooled.

VAN POWERED OR DIRECT DRIVE TRUCK MOUNTS
Van-powered truck mounts use the vans engine to power the carpet cleaning machine instead of a stand-alone power plant. They do this by utilizing a ‘clutch-type’ device that transfers power to the truck mount instead of the vehicles drive train. As you might well imagine, this requires a much closer integration between the carpet cleaning vans and the truck mounts.

Van powered cleaning machines are strong and powerful yet quiet. A late model cargo van sitting at idle makes very little noise compared to the propane or gas powered engines used with the slide-in models. They are also relatively compact in that they
sit behind the driver and passenger seats using the console between the two for the installation of the clutch-drive mechanism. This frees up room in the van for the other equipment such as water tanks, hose reels, etc.

Van powered truck mounts are some of the most powerful available. You can get all the cleaning power you need when the vans engine is the power plant. Some models are even able to use the heat from the cargo van to help heat the water for the ‘steam extraction’ process without excessive heat buildup in back of the van.

The primary disadvantage of the van powered carpet cleaning machines is the limitations on the vans to be used. You will need a late model van, usually of a specific make and model, depending on the vendor you chose. With the van integrated so closely with the truck mount, it’s not possible to move into another van without considerable work.

Another disadvantage of sorts is that the van powered models are generally top-of-the-line offerings from most vendors. They do not lend themselves to start-up or small carpet cleaning businesses who are trying to minimize their capital outlays.

Finally, the fuel cost and efficiency between these two types of machines is difficult to estimate. You would need to understand the fuel consumption per hour per machine and then try to standardize that across different size machines. Regardless, it’s a good discussion to have with any potential vendor when considering either type of truck mount.

Truck mount carpet cleaning equipment is the great equalizer that gives a small business the same cleaning capability as a larger enterprise. Whether you opt for the smooth integration and reliability of a van powered model or the options and flexibility of the slide-in type machines, you’ll have all the cleaning power you need to provide a professional carpet cleaning service.