If you're starting a pressure washing business — or upgrading from a machine rolling around loose in a truck bed — the first real equipment decision isn't which pressure washer to buy. It's what to build it into: a skid, a trailer, or a van.
We ran our own pressure washing company for over a decade before we started building equipment for other washers, and in that time we ran all of it: trailers, box trucks, flatbeds, vans, and skids. These days we build all three setups here in Oregon City for washers across the country, so we don't have a horse in this race — we just want you in the rig that fits your business. Here's how we'd think it through.
The short answer
- Skid — best if you already own a capable truck and want the lowest cost of entry, maximum maneuverability, and no trailer to tow or store.
- Trailer — best if you want the most water capacity, room to grow, and the ability to drop your rig and free up your truck.
- Van — best if you want everything locked up, out of the weather, and rolling as a clean, professional billboard.
That's the two-minute version. The right answer for your business depends on your vehicle, your services, and where you park at night — so let's go deeper.
Option 1: The truck skid
A skid is a self-contained pressure washing system — machine, tanks, reels, and plumbing on one aluminum frame — that drops into a truck bed or flatbed. Our Workhorse is the classic example, and we build variations for nearly every truck on the road, from a Kei truck mini skid up to skids made for service body trucks with solid side walls.
Why washers choose skids
- Lowest barrier to entry. If you already own the truck, the skid is the whole investment. No trailer purchase, no registration, no second set of tires and bearings to maintain.
- Maneuverability. Tight driveways, gated communities, downtown parking, backing up to a job — a truck alone will always out-handle a truck pulling a trailer.
- Storage. Your rig lives wherever your truck lives. No side yard, no storage lot fee.
- One vehicle to insure and maintain.
The trade-offs
- Water capacity is limited by your truck's payload. Water weighs about 8.3 pounds per gallon, so a half-ton truck fills up fast. This is the single biggest constraint, and it's why we ask about your truck before we ever talk tank sizes.
- Your truck is committed. The bed is now a wash rig, full time.
- Exposure. Everything rides in the open unless you add locking boxes.
Option 2: The trailer
A trailer rig puts the whole operation — machine, buffer tank, soft wash system, reels — on its own dedicated axles. Our Eagle Series 6x10 dual axle is purpose-built for this industry (the reel rack is welded into the frame, not bolted on), and the Hot Eagle adds a commercial hot water system on the same platform. For washers who want to start smaller, the Portlandian packs a full setup onto a mini trailer.
Why washers choose trailers
- The most capacity, period. Big buffer tanks, multiple machines if you want them (our Double Trouble platform runs two), hot water systems, ladder racks — a dual axle trailer carries what no pickup bed can.
- Your truck stays a truck. Unhook at the shop and you've got your daily driver back. If a truck breaks down, any capable tow vehicle can pull the rig Monday morning.
- Room to grow. Most washers add services over time — soft wash, roof cleaning, hot water work. A trailer has the real estate to grow with you.
- Rolling billboard. Big flat sides for lettering that works while you work.
The trade-offs
- You have to tow it, park it, and store it. Tight residential streets and small lots get harder. If you don't have somewhere secure to keep a trailer at night, solve that before you buy one.
- It's a second vehicle — registration, tires, bearings, brakes, insurance.
- Theft target. A trailer can be hooked up and gone; plan on hitch locks and good parking habits.
Option 3: The van build
A van setup mounts a compact skid inside a cargo van — our Van Skid 2.0 is built exactly for this, and we've done full Transit builds with washing plus pure water window cleaning in one vehicle.
Why washers choose vans
- Everything is locked and dry. Equipment, chemicals, and tools ride inside — out of the weather and out of sight. If you park on the street or work in areas where theft is a concern, this matters a lot.
- The most professional footprint. A wrapped van pulls up looking like a service company, not a side hustle. For residential and commercial route work, that image wins bids.
- Great for multi-service operators. Washing plus pure water window cleaning in one vehicle is a natural van combo.
The trade-offs
- Payload and space limits similar to a truck skid — the van's rating caps your water.
- Ventilation and layout have to be done right. A gas engine in an enclosed vehicle is not a place to improvise. This is the setup where professional design matters most.
- The van itself is the big cost if you don't already own one.
Five questions that usually decide it
- What do you already own? A capable truck points to a skid. A cargo van points to a van build. Neither? A trailer plus a modest tow vehicle is often the smartest total spend.
- Where will it sleep at night? No secure trailer parking is a real reason to choose a skid or van — not a detail to figure out later.
- How much water do your jobs need? House washing on city water is easy on capacity. Rural work, flatwork, and fleet washing want the buffer capacity a trailer carries best.
- What services are you selling in two years? If hot water or multi-machine work is in your plan, buy the platform that has room for it.
- Who's driving? If a crew member will run this rig, be honest about their comfort backing a trailer.
Our honest take
There's no wrong platform — we built our own business on all three at different stages. The wrong move is buying a setup that fights your actual situation: a trailer with nowhere to park it, or a skid on a truck that can't carry the water your jobs need.
Every build that leaves our shop — skid, trailer, or van — comes with free hands-on training, a lifetime frame warranty, and financing options. If you're not sure which way to go, that's exactly what a discovery call is for: tell us about your truck, your market, and your services, and we'll tell you straight what we'd build.
Book a Discovery Call or call the shop at 503-403-6185 — real builders answer the phone.
