That was what I was thinking about. Last thing I want is for the van to crap out on me. I drive a chevy astro so, I do not think I can be carrying a 250 gallon tank. I used to use any water source I could find but I think business would be better if I actually used my own water.
Yeah, a full 250-gallon IBC or "tote" would literally weigh a ton, not counting the container. It would have to be one "beefy" Astro to lug around that much water.
Bringing your own water does allow you a little more control over water quality, too. A lot of times it's just easier to hook up to the customer's water supply, as long as their system can continuously supply your washer. If not, then the tank is the way to go. Maybe you could charge a little more for it, especially if you're bringing softened water or something like that. ("Maverick's Spot-Free Power Washing")
I mostly wash lawn furniture some times trash cans, so would not 2.5 GPM be enough? They get about as dirty as trash cans mostly dirt/dust, some grime. I was thinking of getting a 150 gallon tank that can be tied down by straps and a new gas pressure washer. I might have to make extra drives to a car wash or a park to get the tank filled but, it being lawn furniture/cans it should not be to much.
Okay, but don't tick off the car wash owner or whoever might pay for the water at the park. That's why I asked about a municipal water system in your area. You can sometimes pay a town or water district to let you get water from one of their hydrants.
Some of the guys on the pwashing forums will hate me for saying this, but others will agree with me: You
can start out with a 2.5 GPM machine, it'll just take you longer than one with more output would. But where you're just washing a fairly small area, and not an entire deck/house/pool/parking lot/whatever, it could work.
For the nasty trash cans, consider some chemicals. Let the chem do the work, then just rinse it off. Charge a fair price, but don't undersell your work. Getting the crud off something the first time will take more effort (and probably more chems), but if you can work out a deal to come back on a schedule and
keep the items/site clean for a reduced price, that's good.
If this works out for you, maybe your business will grow into that trailer, a hot water machine, etc., etc.
Good luck.