Vince Wood

You can get a resinator for the end of the muffler or do what I did and take it to a muffler shop and have them install a muffler off a Honda Civic or other small import. Just remember alot of the noise doesn't come from the muffler but for the fact that the engine is air cooled is where you get alot of noise from also.

Here is a bizarre story...... I was going from one store to another last night. I got to the next store and realized I was missing a very important part of the machine. I was missing 200' of blue non marking hose and my gun. I had a stainless steel hydrotek reel on. The base of it was still there though, it broke at the pipe where it goes into the base of it where the swivel connects. I went back to see if I could find it and on the offramp I found a new Dodge Charger, the cops and a tow truck looking to see how they were gonna get the hose out from underneath the car. It damaged the bumper on it and you could clearly tell it was mine. Needless to say I went to my shop and got my spare hose reel and another 150' of hose and went back to work. Has anyone else ever had something like this happen to them? Vince Wood Diamond Bar, Ca 562-331-0301

Well I called the local police department that the incident happened in today. Appearently there was no damage to guy's car like I thought there was. All that happened was that the tow truck was able to jack up the car, remove the reel and the guy was on his way without any damage. I feel better now that I got everything cleared up today. I won't be buying anymore hose reels though that has a Hydrotek name on them though. Vince Wood Diamond Bar, Ca 562-331-0301

I thought for a second about going back and telling them it was mine lol. The cost of 200' of hose and a gun is just as much as the hose reel itself. Bad thing is that I have an identical one sitting right next to it. Hydrotek has already been in contact with me regarding this but we're playing phone tag right now. Vince Wood Diamond Bar, Ca 562-331-0301

Whatever you do just stay away from the Silver Eagle machines. The stainless steel on those machine is worth more than the machine itself. Vince Wood Diamond Bar, Ca 562-331-0301

It could be the flame sensor. I'd check to make sure you don't have any propane leaks in any of the lines or around the fittings. It could be a safety kicking in. It will do what you say it's doing if there is a leak detected somewhere. I'd also check to make sure the orifice isn't plugged up and make sure the gas solenoid is staying open. I have one of these machines and have encountered practically every problem that can occur with the Silver Eagles. If you need help don't hestitate to call me anytime. Vince Wood Diamond Bar, Ca 562-331-0301

If it was me I'd get the '03 with the 5.4L in it. Considering it's only a $3,000 price difference. If memory serves me correctly I though the 4.9L was a Inline 6 and not a V6. I know they used to put a 4.2L V6 in the vans. Just make sure it's set up for towing is all. When I had my '05 E-150 it was set up for towing and made a big difference. You might want to look around though at Commercial Truck Traders. There are a ton of used cargo vans out there for cheap $$$. I'd try and go with the E-350 if you can find one at a decent price preferably with the 6.0L Diesel in it. Vince Wood Diamond Bar, Ca 562-331-0301

You might want to look into a emergency break a way system for your trailer as well. I do a pre-trip inspection of my truck/trailer on a daily basis though also. Plus brakes on both trailer axles help out alot for me though as well. When I was installing guardrail we had one of our 2 ton trucks pulling a light tower pull into thelane closure where we were working and he was dragging the light tower on the ground. The frame actually broke on it after the safety chains. Another mile then he would've lost the thing completely. Vince Wood Diamond Bar, Ca 562-331-0301

I use this site all the time to find cheap gas/diesel prices. I know it's a Los Angeles link, click on the map gas prices link, put in your zip code and it will show the addresses, name of stations and their current gas/diesel prices. They also have alot of other helpful tools on this site as well. It's www.losangelesgasprices.com Vince Wood Diamond Bar, Ca 562-331-0301

Well that's the last I heard anyways. But only if you have a Class A or B Commercial License. I don't know if it's just for California or the whole U.S though. The last ticket I got was up on 99 at the Scales up there. I ran out of hours and got shut down for 8 hours up there. It was only a $520 ticket with going to traffic school but that was about 5 or 6 years ago. What's odd though was that I always got tickets in Big Rigs. I remember I had a $10,000 overweight ticket one time. I was able to beat it in court and got it dismissed though. My boss at the time couldn't even believe I got out of it lol. Vince Wood Diamond Bar, Ca 562-331-0301

The little weight rating on the doors only cost $425 a year. That's not including the $850 registration for the truck. I 1st only had the truck covered for 15,000 lbs but decided to up it to 20,000 GCWR for the extra $120. That way I don't worry about going through the scales with water in the tanks. As for 5th wheels, I thought you needed a 5th wheel endorsement on your license? Or does that only apply if you pull it commercially? City code here in Diamond Bar is any trucks over 10,000 GVWR aren't allowed overnight parking. I've been here now 6 months and haven't got a ticket yet. My wife says I drive like grandpa though even if I'm driving her car. Anyone with a CDL here though can't go to traffic school for any offenses. The tickets automatically count as points on your record. I remember back when you could go to 2nd offender traffic school as many times as the judges would let you...not anymore though. Vince Wood Diamond Bar, Ca 562-331-0301

John, You don't realize how close to the border line of needing a Commercial Driver's License lol. You only miss it by 1 pound. If you trailer was rated for 10,001 lbs it'd throw you over. You can have either the truck or the trailer rated at over 10,000 gvwr but if you have both you need a Commercial Driver's License. Plus I was told any combination over 40' long requires a Commercial Driver's License. I've had mine for 15 years. I started off hauling golf cars and worked my way up to hauling Cat D8 Dozers. I have to admit New York is way different than California. But I think I rather deal with an earthquake every 5 years than to be shoveling snow all winter long lol. Where I am at if it gets down below 55 degrees on a winter day we think that we need to put on 3 layers of clothes. Vince Wood Industry, Ca 562-331-0301

The California Vehicle Code?? lol Since I have to take my truck through the scales and carry a log book when I go out over 150 miles I've never had the red light thrown on at me at the scale houses. I also had a DOT audit and inspection and everything passed on the truck and trailer. I have to admit the F-350 pulls that trailer better than my E-150 Van did though. It may not look like it but with the truck and trailer combined I have to have a Commercial Driver's License (which I do) sinc ethe length total is over 40 feet and both the truck and trailer are rated for over 10,000 GVWR each. Truck is 13,000 GVWR and the trailer is 14,000 GVWR. I do notice though that people tend to watch their following distances with that propane tank sitting on the back lol. Maybe that is why my wife keeps such a high life insurance policy on me lol. Vince Wood 562-331-0301 Industry, Ca

John, You are right about finding people to work on the propane fired units. Even here in So Cal it's hard to find someone. Especially here though with people so concerned about clean air and stuff, it has made a difference in selling jobs at times. I have a guy that I have been using to fill my tank since day one. He will get up at 3 Am to go down to his station if I run completely out. It is nice though when you have 50 gallons of propane and not have to worry about refueling it every single day. I'm paying $3.25 a gallon for propane here. It keeps going up. Started out at $2.25 a gallon over 3 years ago when I 1st bought the rig. The only fear I have though is being involved in a rear end collision. When I bought the new trailer and transferred the unit over last year I set the propane tank back further on the trailer. Vince Wood Industry, Ca 562-331-0301

John, If I remember correctly the control boxes are around $140 to $160 each. I replaced mine already twice though. I'm just waiting for the thermostat or the gas solenoid to go out on mine. It's the only 2 things that I haven't replaced on it. Have you had any problems with your machines Al? Vince Wood Industry, Ca 562-331-0301

Well the problem with my machine turned out to be bad electrodes. I paid $25 for 4 of them here. The machine lights off every time now. As soon as I got it fixed I had a guy drive by asking me how much for the rig? Stupid me told him it wasn't for sale....I should've told him $7,000 and take it lol. Vince Wood Industry, Ca 562-331-0301

Well don't feel too bad John, this morning mine was lighting off again at all. I had to hold the gun open and light the burner off with a match about 4 times this morning. Just have to make sure you do it quick and with the long barbeque matches. Burned the hairs off my right hand again this morning though doing it. It's going to the repair shop this week. I'll take it over to a guy here in So Cal that does good work. The problem is finding someone locally that works on the propane powered machines though. Vince Wood 562-331-0301 Industry, Ca

Hey John, Did you ever get your machine working right? If so, what was wrong with it? I'm starting to have problems with mine again. The burner isn't lighting off like it should. Russ Johnson gave me a great price on a brand new machine. Hopefully within the next 6 weeks I'll be ordering a new machine from him then I'm selling the Silver Eagle. It's got 180 Hours on the Vanguard 18HP engine, the General TS2021 pump has less that 50 hours on it. I'll sell it including the 50 gallon propane tank to the 1st person that PM's me. $1,200 takes it (but not until I get my new machine 1st). Vince Industry, Ca 562-331-0301

Russ, I believe they are forced air burners on these units. If you're using them in a windy area though the flame will blow out. Have you by chance checked to see the PSI coming out of the propane tank? It should be between 12 - 15 PSI. One more thing you can check also is the flame on the burner. If it's blue then you're alright. If it has alot of yellow in it then it may mean it's not getting enough propane to it. Also make sure the gas line coming from the 12v solenoid to the burner orifice isn't pinched or leaking anywhere. Hope this helps Vince Industry, Ca 562-331-0301

If the burner is coming on and off then it could be the microswitch in the black box of the unloader. At least that seems to be the problem with mine most of the time with my Silver Eagle Unit. As far as setting the electrodes, I've had problems with that also. I just take a tape measure and make sure all 3 are set within 1/4 inch of each other. Rod is right though about the propane not burning as hot as diesel but it still takes the gum off great and gets the job done. My next pressure washer will have a diesel fired burner on it though. Have you ever replaced the main control module (black box with a bunch of wires coming out of it) that is the brain for the burner and it controls how hot the water gets, when the burner comes on/off and more. If thats the problem it's a $190 dealer only item. Call me anytime if this doesn't work and maybe I can help you through it. Vince 562-331-0301 Industry, Ca

Back in 2002 when I bought mine, it didn't come with a battery either. And I drove to Texas to pick it up. I met a driver 500 miles from their plant. When I got it home I put a new battery in it, put water in the tank and fired it up. I had to shut it down immediately though because it was spraying water everywhere. I forget exactly what the problem was but I don't think they ever tested the machine themselves. I go through a pressure flow switch located on the unloader about once every 3 or 4 weeks. But I buy them from a electronics store for $1.95 each and they are the exact same microswitches that came with the machine. I believe there was a delay in my machine also when I ordered it though. Sorry to hear that your rig came all messed up though. It just goes to show about their quality control isn't very good. My wife had the brilliant idea of putting that machine on the back of my flatbed and selling the trailer. I told her that I would wait and put a brand new machine on the truck. Vince Wood 562-331-0301 Industry, Ca

I was considering on buying another machine from Silver Eagle myself. The one I have was originally a 4040 series. I made it into a 5635 series now. I've had plenty of problems with my machine in the 3 years I've had it. The only things original are the ignitor and thermostat (I even bought another trailer for it). I'm gonna buy another machine at the end of this year to put on my F-350 flatbed. I got quotes from Silver Eagle and Bob over at Pressure Tek. I'm 99.9% sure that I'll buy the machine from Bob and let the Silver Eagle sit just as a back up unit in case I need it. I'd get my money back from Silver Eagle and I'm sure Bob could build you a nice rig for the $11,000 or even less than that.