Truck Wash Equipment: Foamers, Chemicals and the Right Seals
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Truck wash equipment comes down to three things: a way to lay the chemical on as foam, a way to rinse it off, and seals matched to each chemical you run. Alkaline truck and bus wash is EPDM territory. Acid aluminium brighteners and wheel acids are VITON territory, so a bay that runs both usually needs two units. After that, the right foamer depends on your bay size, your water pressure and whether you have compressed air.
What a truck wash setup needs
Fleet wash bays and mobile truck wash rigs end up with the same kit at different sizes:
- A foam applicator for the main wash, from a hand held truck wash foam gun to a wall or drum mount foamer.
- A rinse gun that suits your pump pressure and water temperature.
- A separate acid unit for brightener and wheel acid, if you run them.
- A tyre shine sprayer with seals that suit the dressing.
- Spare parts, so one worn wand or seal does not shut the bay.
Foam clings, holding the chemical on a trailer side long enough to lift road film. Our article on why foam beats spray explains dwell time, and everything below sits in car, truck and fleet wash equipment.
Choose the foamer by bay size, water and air
Airless foamers need no compressor and give a wetter foam. Air assisted foamers give a higher volume of drier foam over big areas. Here is how the fleet washing equipment NORA PRO supplies lines up, using each maker's figures.
| Your setup | Unit | What it needs and does |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile wash, hose only | Lafferty Model 251 hose end foam gun or CT Italy hand held split system foamer | Water from 1.4 bar, no compressor. Foam throw up to 3.7 m (Lafferty) or 3 m (CT Italy). |
| Pressure washer on site | Lafferty Model 20SS | Washer delivering 13 to 21 L/min at 69 bar (1,000 psi) or more. Two chemical pick ups, full pressure rinse from the same gun, no chemical through the washer pump. |
| Fixed bay, mains water, no air | Lafferty A50 airless wall mount foamer | Water at 2.4 to 8.6 bar. Throws foam up to 2.4 m. |
| Fixed bay with compressed air | Lafferty Wall Mount HV Foamer with gauges | Water at 2.4 to 8.6 bar plus air up to 142 L/min. Covers up to 46.5 m² a minute. |
| Heavy soil, strong mix | Lafferty HVHC wall mount foamer | Air assisted, runs chemical as strong as 2.8 to 1. |
| Chemical in drums or totes | Lafferty Drum Mount HV Foamer | Straps to a 205 L drum or tote, no decanting. Needs water and air. |
| Ready to use acid, sprayed | Flojet wall mount or Meclube IBC mount air driven sprayer | Double diaphragm pump on compressed air. The Flojet box unit has VITON elastomers and a regulator preset at 4 bar for acid work. |
The air assisted units sit in our air driven sprayers range, and NORA PRO supplies genuine Lafferty air driven foamers plus airless and pressure washer systems. All foam units are under foamers and foam injection.
Truck wash chemicals split into alkaline and acid
Most truck, bus and fleet wash detergents are alkaline. Aluminium brighteners and many wheel cleaners are acid based. The split decides the seal.
| Chemical | Seal | Hand sprayer options |
|---|---|---|
| Alkaline truck and fleet wash | EPDM | Klager 1.2L Alkaline Resistant, Gloria ALKA5, Klager Foamya Clean |
| Strongly alkaline rim cleaner, up to 10% | EPDM | Klager 1.2L Alkaline Resistant |
| Aluminium brightener (acid) | VITON (FKM) | Klager 1.2L or 1.5L Acid Resistant, Gloria AR5 |
| Acid wheel cleaner | VITON (FKM), check the SDS | Klager acid models, Gloria AR5 |
| Anything with hydrofluoric acid | Ask us | Send the SDS first |
| Solvent based tyre shine | VITON (FKM) | Gloria 505TK or 510TK Car and Truck Wash, Klager 1.0L or 1.5L Solvent Resistant |
Two cautions. Some truck washes contain hydrofluoric acid or solvents, so read the SDS before you assume EPDM. And brighteners or wheel cleaners with hydrofluoric acid are an ask us, because the sources disagree on safe strengths. If the label gives a pH, above about 9.5 is EPDM work. The full matrix is in the Chemical Compatibility Guide.
On the wall the split shows up as two builds. The Lafferty HV, HVHC, drum and airless foamers are general duty units for cleaning chemicals, while the Lafferty Acid LC foamers are built for acid duty, including aluminium brightening on trucks and trailers. See the Lafferty range.
Why a bay running both usually needs two units
A seal that suits one side of the pH scale is not built for the other. Klager rates its EPDM models for caustics and its VITON acid models for acids, and does not recommend the standard VITON models for caustic soda. Run both chemicals through one unit and one set of parts always sees the wrong chemical, plus residue in the line.
So the usual answer is two labelled units: a general duty foamer for the alkaline wash, and an acid unit such as the Lafferty one way Acid LC Foamer for brightener. Hand sprayers work the same way, one EPDM and one VITON. The exception is the Lafferty Model 20SS, whose product data lists an alkaline detergent and an acid brightener from its two pick ups. Send us both SDS before relying on that.
Rinse guns, hot water and lances
The CT Italy RB65 hot water wash gun is a low pressure gun rated to 24 bar (350 psi) and 60 L/min, with VITON seals and a swivel inlet. It takes water up to 60 degrees C continuously and 90 degrees C for short periods only. For higher pressure, the CT Italy RL16 is rated to about 159 bar (2300 psi) and 90 degrees C. The RB65 is made for clean water with normal detergents, so send us the SDS before running anything corrosive. See spray guns and lances.
Tyre shine and detailing
The Gloria 510TK Car and Truck Wash is a 10 litre stainless steel sprayer for wash chemicals and tyre shine, with VITON seals, an RL16 gun, a stainless flat fan nozzle and a spiral hose that stretches to 4.0 m. It connects to the workshop air line. The 505TK is the 5 litre version. Neither is for acids, alkalis or acetone based products, so strong alkaline wash goes in an EPDM sprayer. Water based tyre shines differ from solvent ones, so check the label. More gear is in automotive detailing.
Servicing and spare parts
- Rinse after every job, so metering tips and nozzles do not block.
- Release the pressure before you open or store a tank sprayer.
- Stock the wear parts. HV ball valves, the A50 foam wand, the RL16 gun and Gloria TK relief valves are stocked, and genuine Klager seal kits rebuild a hand sprayer.
- No hot fills. Klager says not to fill its sprayers with liquid above 30 degrees C.
Find kits in parts and seal repair kits, and the seal differences in our VITON or EPDM guide.
Frequently asked questions
What equipment do I need to start a mobile truck wash?
A foam applicator that runs off what you carry, a rinse gun, and a separate acid sprayer for acid wheel cleaner or brightener. With only a hose, the Lafferty Model 251 foam gun works from 1.4 bar. With a pressure washer, the Lafferty Model 20SS foams and rinses from one gun.
What seals suit truck wash chemicals?
EPDM suits alkaline truck and fleet wash detergents. VITON (FKM) suits acid aluminium brighteners, acid wheel cleaners and solvent based tyre shine. Anything containing hydrofluoric acid is an ask us, so check the SDS before you choose.
Do truck wash foamers need compressed air?
Not all of them. The Lafferty A50, Model 251 and Model 20SS are airless and give a wetter foam. The Lafferty HV, HVHC and Drum Mount HV need a compressed air line and give a higher volume of drier foam.
Can one foamer run both truck wash and aluminium brightener?
Usually not, because alkaline wash and acid brightener need different seals and wetted parts. Most bays run a general duty foamer for the wash and a Lafferty Acid LC foamer for brightener. The Lafferty Model 20SS has two pick ups, but send us both SDS first.
How hot can the water be in a truck wash gun?
The CT Italy RB65 takes water up to 60 degrees C continuously and 90 degrees C for short periods only, at up to 24 bar. The CT Italy RL16 is rated to 90 degrees C. Wear gloves and eye protection above 60 degrees C.
Fleet operators and mobile wash businesses can request a quote: tell us your chemicals, water pressure and air supply and we will size the setup. Chemical companies and resellers can apply for a trade account for wholesale supply and custom labelled units. Klager hand sprayers come from NORA PRO, the exclusive Australia and New Zealand distributor of Klager.