Did I buy a tank to large

Hello everybody I'm new to the pressure washer business. I'm still trying to name my business. I have a 09 tahoe 5.3 two wheel drive with a big tex 50la 6.5x 14 I have a hot water 8.0gpm 3600 psi I just purchased a 525 tank did I over killed it kind my truck handle that can of weight?

Just make sure your trailer has good brakes when the tank is full. Make sure your trailer can handle the weight.

Demetrius73 said:

Hello everybody I'm new to the pressure washer business. I'm still trying to name my business. I have a 09 tahoe 5.3 two wheel drive with a big tex 50la 6.5x 14 I have a hot water 8.0gpm 3600 psi I just purchased a 525 tank did I over killed it kind my truck handle that can of weight?

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Does the trailer have double axles? Brakes on the trailer? As long as you set your rig up with most of the weight (the tank) over the trailer axles you'll be ok. Just because your tank can hold that much doesn't mean you'll need that much water. I have a 525 gallon tank and only fill it up once in a while. Plenty of guys drag their rigs around with half ton trucks. When my dodge went down I pulled my trailer around with my half ton Chevy no problem. Be smart about it and don't tax your truck too much..... Or you'll be buying a new one sooner than planned. Move up to a 3/4 ton or 1 ton as soon as you can.


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I would be more concerned about my trailer, a properly balanced trailer at the weight you'd be working with isn't very difficult to tow. A few things to consider about your trailer... What weight axles are you working with? I personally wouldn't go less than 5200's (Dual axles obviously) anything less and as you turn the trailer you could be putting too much of a load on one side of the trailer. The 5200's bearings are literally twice the size, so when you get that weight shift they are much more suited to handle the load.

Also take into consideration the distribution of the load throughout the trailer. When you balance out the trailer, you are going to want a good 10% of loaded trailer weight of downward force on the tongue.

With your trailer properly balanced, you are taking considerable stress off your vehicle... With that being said I wouldn't necessarily haul around 500 gallons of water everywhere, but when you need it you will be able to handle it.

The trailer you bought is only rated for 5,000 lbs. The trailer itself according to Big Tex weighs 1400 lbs empty. Figure 800 lbs for a 8 GPM hot water skid, 600 lbs for hoses and hose reels, 300 lbs for a toolbox with some tools in it, 75 lbs for the empty water tank by itself. Water weighs about 8 lbs a gallon. This leaves you room enough for about 200 to 225 gallons of water and you will be maxed out on the trailer. From the website it says the trailer only has brakes on 1 axle.

These figures are just rough estimates. Make sure you get a weight distribution kit though if you're going to pull it with a Tahoe.

Vince has it right, more to worry about then just the truck.

Thank for the info guy's maybe I'll down grade my tank and invested in a better trailer down the line.

I believe a 300 gal tank would be overkill.

I use 275 gal. Cage tank I bought from a farm co-op for $20 apiece. Normally I only have about 75 - 100 gal on board in transit. The 5.3 is a little short on HP for pulling your trailer with even 400 gals in the tank.