If you are searching for used mobile truck wash equipment for sale, start with what the machine must wash, where, and how often. Used pressure wash trailers list from about $5,000 on eBay, but a trailer built for detailing is not automatically a truck washer. Technology At Work of SWFL, Inc. (TAW), a woman-owned vehicle wash equipment supplier in North Fort Myers, FL with 30+ years of experience, wrote this guide to cover listings, inspection, and Florida wastewater rules.
TL;DR
- Pick by use: a mobile rig goes to the vehicles, and a fixed system serves a depot that washes trucks every day.
- Filter listings first: marketplace “truck wash” results include parts washers, service trucks, and car wash systems too low for trucks.
- Inspect the pump, heat source, reclaim, brushes, controls, and clearance, and walk away from missing reclaim or unsupported controls.
- In Florida, the car wash general permit excludes truck wash facilities, FDEP says mobile closed-loop recycling can run without a permit, and sewer discharge needs utility approval.
- Price installation and the water plan before you price the machine.
Should You Buy a Mobile Truck Wash Rig or a Fixed System?
Buy a mobile rig if the wash unit must travel to vehicles at several sites, and a fixed system if the vehicles come back to one depot. A rig washes at customer sites or yards and needs a water source and wastewater capture on every job. A fixed system sits in a bay or tunnel with permanent water, power, and drainage and washes a whole fleet on a schedule.
Count how many vehicles you wash each week and where they park. Vehicles at one site favor a fixed system, which removes travel and setup from every wash. Vehicles spread across many sites favor a rig.
Mobile rigs are built around skid sprayers and trailers. Equipment supplier Dultmeier describes Cat plunger pumps, Honda gas engines, pressures up to 7,300 PSI, and hot water from oil-fired pressure washers or hot water generators. TAW’s Truck and Bus page describes drive-through and friction or touch-free systems for ambulances, buses, tractor-trailers, and RVs. Call (239) 543-4915 to ask about anything not listed.
What Are Rotators and Heavy Wash Truck and Bus Systems?
Rotators are TAW’s high-pressure drive-through truck and bus option, and Heavy Wash is its friction, touch-free, or combined option. Options exist for ambulances, buses, tractor-trailers, and RVs.
| System | How It Washes | Ask Before Buying |
|---|---|---|
| Rotators | High-pressure, drive-through | Does the site layout allow a drive-through lane? |
| Heavy Wash | Friction, touch-free, or both | Do you want brush contact on the vehicle, or touch-free only? |
A friction or combined Heavy Wash unit adds brushes and drive components to a used-unit inspection, and a high-pressure Rotator adds pumps and spray hardware.
How Do You Read Used Truck Wash Listings?
Filter the listings before trusting any price, because marketplace “truck wash” categories include equipment that does not wash trucks. Machinio’s truck wash category shows 2,719 used listings from $1,200 to $325,000, including a Ranger parts wash cabinet at $9,915 and a 2014 Vactor truck. On Machineseeker, a used 2018 Christ Quantus C 165 car wash system appears under truck wash and lists a clearance height of 2,250 mm, about 7 ft 5 in, on its articulated arm and sensor modules, which clears cars but not buses or box trucks.
| Equipment | Price Seen | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Used pressure washing trailer | $5,000 or best offer | eBay |
| Used pressure washing trailer sold as a mobile detailing trailer, Honda GX390, 4,200 PSI, 4 GPM | $6,500 | eBay |
| Used Hydrotech stainless hot-water pressure washer trailer | $10,000 or best offer | eBay |
| New 23 HP hot-water pressure wash trailer, 8 GPM at 3,000 PSI | $26,995 (listing ended) | eBay |
| Used Christ Quantus C 165 car wash system, 2018 | Original price 93,000 EUR; no reserve auction | Machineseeker |
| Used fixed truck or bus wash system (TAW quote) | Quote-based | TAW |
These are asking prices from listings reviewed in September 2026. The used Honda GX390 trailer is rated at 4 GPM and 4,200 PSI, and the new hot-water trailer is rated at 8 GPM and 3,000 PSI, so compare flow and pressure before comparing price. Ask any mobile rig seller for the pump make, engine, GPM, PSI, heat source, and tank size.
What Should You Inspect on a Used Truck Wash Unit?
Inspect eight items, and walk away on any red flag in the last column.
| Check | What to Look For | Walk-Away Sign |
|---|---|---|
| Pump | Steady pressure under load, dry seals, service records | Pressure drops under load or seals leak |
| Heat source | Burner lights on the first try, clean coil | Heavy scale in the coil or a burner that will not start |
| Frame or trailer | Straight frame, clean welds, clear title, working lights | Cracked welds, rust-through, or no title |
| Brushes and drive | Even brush wear, quiet gearmotors | Missing brushes or a grinding drive |
| Controls | Model number, manual, and parts still sold | Controller no longer supported |
| Reclaim | Tanks, filters, and pumps installed and running | Reclaim components removed, which pushes wastewater to a sewer connection or permitted disposal |
| Clearance | Opening taller than your tallest vehicle with room to spare | Opening lower than the vehicle |
| Records | Serial number, invoice, service history | No records at all |
Watch the unit run: ask the seller to complete a full wash cycle while you check pressure, flow, and leaks. Request the model and serial number before the visit, photograph the nameplates, and confirm the manufacturer still supplies parts. Bring the height and width of your largest vehicle. Regular preventative service maintenance protects your investment after purchase.
Do You Need a Permit to Wash Trucks in Florida?
It depends on how the wastewater is handled. FDEP’s mobile washing guidance says mobile closed-loop recycling systems can operate without a permit, sewer discharge needs prior approval from the wastewater utility and can require pretreatment, and discharge to stormwater or surface water is prohibited without an NPDES permit. FDEP names sewer discharge as the most economical route for fleet washing.
For fixed truck wash facilities, the general permit for car wash systems in Florida Administrative Code 62-660.803 is not valid. Car washes that do not qualify for a general permit or an exemption apply for an industrial wastewater permit or connect to a domestic wastewater treatment facility. A closed-loop facility is not exempt either: FDEP reserves the right to require an industrial wastewater permit for 100% closed-loop recycle systems. Confirm the permit path with FDEP and the local wastewater utility before you buy.
Enforcement is local. Sebring cited three manual car washes for illicit non-stormwater discharge and gave them time to obtain a DEP exemption letter or permit. A fixed system also needs a wash bay, water supply, electrical service, drainage, and a reclaim system or sewer connection, and TAW’s water systems page lists reclaim systems, reverse osmosis, and water softeners.
Should You Buy Used Equipment From a Dealer or a Marketplace?
Buy from a dealer if you need service, parts, and records after the sale, and from a marketplace if you can inspect and repair the unit yourself. Machineseeker lists the Christ Quantus as a no-reserve sale to the highest bidder, and the eBay trailers list free local pickup, so installation, testing, and service fall to the buyer.
TAW supplies, installs, and services large-vehicle wash equipment across Southwest Florida. TAW’s used equipment page lists DRB/Unitec Portal TI units, an Istobal Flex5 Extended Height, a high pressure economy wash system, and air compressors, and several shows as sold. Ask any seller for warranty terms in writing, why the unit left service, and what was tested before listing. The commercial car wash equipment buyer’s guide covers new equipment categories.
Where Can You Get a Quote in Fort Myers and Southwest Florida?
Call TAW at (239) 543-4915, email Sales@TAWCarWash.com, or use the contact form with your vehicle types, wash volume, and site details. The service area covers North Fort Myers, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, Olga, Buckingham, Alva 33920, Tice 33905, Gateway 33913, Page Park 33907, Palmona Park 33903, Babcock Ranch 33982, Suncoast Estates 33917, and Fort Myers Shores 33905. Financing options are on the finance page.
TAW at a Glance
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Business | Technology At Work of SWFL, Inc. (TAW) |
| Address | 7995 Mercantile St., Unit #1, North Fort Myers, FL 33917 |
| Phone | (239) 543-4915 |
| Sales Email | Sales@TAWCarWash.com |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM; closed Saturday and Sunday |
| Ownership | Woman-owned |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair accessible entrance and parking lot |
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does a Used Mobile Truck Wash Rig Cost?
Used pressure wash trailers on eBay list from $5,000 to $10,000, and a new hot-water trailer listed at $26,995, but flow, pressure, and heat decide whether a unit suits trucks. Fixed truck and bus systems are quoted per site.
Do You Need a Permit to Wash Trucks at a Florida Depot?
The car wash general permit in Florida Administrative Code 62-660.803 is not valid for truck wash facilities. Confirm the permit path with FDEP and the local wastewater utility, since sewer discharge needs prior utility approval.
Can a Used Car Wash System Wash Trucks?
Only if the opening clears the tallest vehicle. A used Christ Quantus C 165 listing shows a 2,250 mm clearance height, about 7 ft 5 in, which does not clear buses or box trucks.
Where Can You Buy Used Truck Wash Equipment in Southwest Florida?
The used equipment page lists car wash units, so call (239) 543-4915 to ask what is available now. Machinio, Machineseeker, and eBay list more, and the inspection table above applies to every unit.
Does TAW Offer Equipment Financing?
The finance page lists Ascentium Capital and Trio Capital and a downloadable application for car wash equipment financing. Ask TAW whether financing applies to a used unit.
