# Vac Trailer



## WC&T (Feb 22, 2010)

I have been thinking about purchasing a Vac trailer for cleaning MH's, CB's and storm/sewer lines instead of hiring an enductor truck at the end of a project. It would also be used for potholing shallow utilities such as site lighting and gas for utility crossings. The last RBros. auction had quite a few that went fairly cheap. The next auction is on the 29th and has a few trailers in it. Since I have never owned, used or seen one work (only the vac. trucks) I am looking for some field knowledge and feed back before I consider a purchase.

1. Are they actually worth purchasing? Will they actually perform well enough for what I want to use it for? 

2. Would you purchase a Ditch Witch, Vermeer or another brand all together?

3. At what point do you need to figure on rebuilding/replacing the pump? (1000hrs? 3000hrs? 5000hrs?).

4. Am I smoking crack even thinking about purchasing this product?



The last auction had 2 2004 550 gal. vermeer's that sold for $5,000.00 ea. I didn't purchase one because I was to busy Bullsh$#ing about how cheap some of the iron was going for. This time I would like to check them out before hand and know if they are worth going after.


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## WC&T (Feb 22, 2010)

So nobody on CT has experience with this type of unit?


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## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

No experience with these things but I know 2 guys who purchased vac trucks in the last few years. Second guy thought it lead to new business. Haven't seen him lately so I not sure how it's working out for him.

$5000 doesn't sound like a lot but it's not my money. If been told these things work great in tight spots for finding existing utlities where bucket won't fit.


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## JDavis21835 (Feb 27, 2009)

My current employer has a ditch witch vac trailer. It has lead to extra work for us, but that is because we work in the environmental field. Many of our clients require soft dig, air knife, vacuum excavation, before anyone puts a shovel in the ground. A lot of the time, our vac trailer goes out and works for a driller. Most clients require a hole twice as large as the drillers bit, to a depth of 6 feet to insure no utility strikes. 

They have their limitations, like any machine. If its cold out, you might as well forget it. Last winter I was sent to a small job, the plan was to locate a fiber and electric line so I could excavate for a 2 inch drain line. The dirt coming out was warm sand, and it would freeze up and plug the lines. About the only use i got out of that rig on that job was to pump down and clean out a catch basin. These rigs are decent, but dont expect them to produce as much as a vactor/guzzler truck does.


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## WC&T (Feb 22, 2010)

JDavis21835 said:


> My current employer has a ditch witch vac trailer. It has lead to extra work for us, but that is because we work in the environmental field. Many of our clients require soft dig, air knife, vacuum excavation, before anyone puts a shovel in the ground. A lot of the time, our vac trailer goes out and works for a driller. Most clients require a hole twice as large as the drillers bit, to a depth of 6 feet to insure no utility strikes.
> 
> They have their limitations, like any machine. If its cold out, you might as well forget it. Last winter I was sent to a small job, the plan was to locate a fiber and electric line so I could excavate for a 2 inch drain line. The dirt coming out was warm sand, and it would freeze up and plug the lines. About the only use i got out of that rig on that job was to pump down and clean out a catch basin. These rigs are decent, but dont expect them to produce as much as a vactor/guzzler truck does.


Im not looking at hiring this trailer out, I only want to have one available to me for cleaning catch basins, gravity lines and manholes w/ the occassional potholing of shallow utilities. For $5k it can work one day every two months for all i care.


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## JDavis21835 (Feb 27, 2009)

I fully understand the thoughts of keeping it for yourself. That being said, it can be used as a service expansion for your business and have a fairly ready market. What is your plan for cleaning gravity lines with it? Ours isn't exactly a jetter truck. In fact, if at all possible, we try to avoid using water with ours. That is in a potholing environment though. Ours really does not carry enough water, and when using water, you are left with a self leveling trailer full of mud. Most of our locating now includes use of an air compressor to "air knife." Another major reason for using air and keeping the material dry is our main line environmental work. Wet material increases the chance of contamination migration. 

Using air is becoming so much of the norm, that we have tossed the idea of converting one of our older less utilized dump trucks. The thoughts would be to change it to a flatbed, mount more water capacity, an air compressor, and possibly the vac trailer on it. My thoughts would be, if we go through all that trouble, we should move up to an actual guzzler/vactor, but thats just my opinion.


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

we hire a jetter truck when we complete a sewer main. serves 2 purposes, cleans the main of any debris, and we hook the mandrel up to the jetter nose head for the pull back for the inspector.


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## Upstate Carp (Aug 8, 2010)

I've used a Ditch Witch tons of times.....LOVE THEM....they work so great.

Suction power is awesome...I've used it for exactly what you want......CB, MH's, etc.......Definitely worth it...


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## WC&T (Feb 22, 2010)

well the vac trailer i was going to buy was pulled from the auction. Had a issue with the title so its going in the next auction.


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