[Gary f]

Thinking of buying a 1.9 600 berlingo are these too small starting up in new year, gutters and windows.

Got 225 litre tank and equpment to go in , made pole for gutter cleaning that slides like waterpole.

Use shurflo pump and old ionics simple speed flow but does not seem to de pump, burnt out new flowmeter

reconnecting back up put wrong way round whoops.

Berlingo what are there faults and are they sufficient to start with. Choice of 03 110k @ or Dispatch with replacement 1.9 partner engine on a 05@ 135k miles cannot decide cheers

[[GQC] Tim]

If you want to take on Gutter cleans with a Gutter vacuum the Berlingo is way too small. I had a 400L upright in a Berlingo and with everything else in there it was crammed. No space for gutter vacuum. A 225 litre tank is way too small, even for residential. My setup worked with just the wfp stuff, but couldn't fit anything else. A Dispatch is more like it, but forget about having a 650 tank in there and gutter vacuum as well as your window cleaning stuff. A long base dispatch would be slightly better. I've got a Dispatch and had a Berlingo. My Dispatch has a 650l Grippamax system and fixed hose reel on the floor and apart from two boxes and safety cones there is no space whatsoever. Certainly not for a gutter vacuum. 

[CLEANCARE WC]

dispatch

[robertphil]

2 tips  - pull the engine cover back and have a peek at the cambelt,if its old allow up to 3 hours labour for a new one ,  dont start booting the van unless you know its been changed in the recent past
 
stand behind the van and then  look at the nearside back wheel,if its tipping inwards at the top it means the back suspensions on the way out and pricey to fix

[CLEANCARE WC]

2 tips  - pull the engine cover back and have a peek at the cambelt,if its old allow up to 3 hours labour for a new one ,  dont start booting the van unless you know its been changed in the recent past
 
stand behind the van and then  look at the nearside back wheel,if its tipping inwards at the top it means the back suspensions on the way out and pricey to fix

Bobby your coming with me next time I buy a van 

[Gary f]

Hi thanks for advice as i am just starting out will only be doing probably 10 houses or so and will be able to carry some water containers or nip back , allowing approx 20-25 litres per job which is what i used on my own which is 4 bedrooms but will be more on 1st cleans but plan to use outside taps for these then go back with pure where possible or blade bottom halfs . Flat tank plan to use smaller 1400 wet and dry vaccuum and poles on roorack in tubes and poles inside roof.

Was tip about suspension on Berlingo or Dispatch ?cheers and also refers to Cambelt cheers.

Any other advice on set up 4 gutter cleaning or gaining new customers would be good , thanks.

If anyone local to Birmingham up 4 mentoring as not sure can do this all without cheers Chaps. I cannot afford to make any mistakes in this cheers

[stuart mc]

I started with a berlingo I had a 250 litre tank in it, it was flat and I stored stuff on the tank

mine had about 90k on the clock when I bought it, paid £900 sold it with 135k for £450 that was few years ago though and it was an old S reg

I have an expert now

[Gary f]

Any pics of that set up cheers . Any things too watch out for on Berlingo as the only problem was Clutch was very heavy reckons it was new clutch, thoughts on heavy clutch cheers chaps.

[stuart mc]

no, no pics, sold it three years ago, only problem I had apart from normal wear tear was a front spring snapped and destroyed a tyre at the same time, but I replaced that myself and had no real problems with it

I used to run out of water about lunch time and had to go home to refill though, although it was plenty when I started, wasn't much room for much else though

[robertphil]

Any pics of that set up cheers . Any things too watch out for on Berlingo as the only problem was Clutch was very heavy reckons it was new clutch, thoughts on heavy clutch cheers chaps.

Berlingo back suspension is very strong but if the nearside back wheel tips in it really means its knackered ,probably been overloaded in the past . they both share the same diesel engine which is pretty much bombproof
  if you are told its got a new clutch ask for some proof of who did it etc , one quick way to tell is look at the big nut in the centre of each front  wheel,it should show signs that its been undone recently and then restaked to lock it . if its old and looks like never been touched doubt the clutch has been done as you need to remove each driveshaft as part of the clutch job