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 pressure washing 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 pressure washing trailer 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 pressure washing 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. Browse our skids, trailers and van setups side by side, or see everything on one page under Custom Builds. 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.
