Crazy nice Tree Sprayer in Ambulance- Need help evaluating price

[DaTreeDoc]

I built a really nice Tree Sprayer and I can't figure out the right price to sell it for. Any help would be great. It's such a unique rig, that any thoughts would be really helpful. It's a 4 tank system off pto in a Freightliner Ambulance.


I have a couple videos and about 100 pictures on:
http://www.thetreedoctor.biz/tree-sprayer-fabrication.html

I think this program doesn't allow links: the site is: thetreedoctor.biz/tree-sprayer-fabrication.html I guess you'll have to copy and paste it into a browser to get it to work.

It's basically got:

1. 4 tanks. 400 gallon, 280 gallon, 50 gallon, and 50 gallon
2. 2 big tanks have high powered jets to mix up dry powder fertilizers if they sit over night
3. 2 small tanks have low agitation to avoid too much mixing
4. Kappa 150 CC - 42 gallon per minute and 700 psi (100-120 feet spray range w. 2RPM settings for spraying)
5. Stainless steel valves on pressure side
6. Banjo poly valves on non-pressure side
7. High pressure hydraulic hose and crimped fittings between tanks and valves
8. Truck can set rpms at idle to pump at 21 gpm for smaller tanks and smaller trees and shrubs. Truck has second idle switch programmed to run at 1400 rpm's to run the pump at 42 gpm for higher spray jobs and better efficiency
9. Brand new electronic PTO with shutoff safety if you forget and drive off without disengaging. Super heavy duty 3 belt pulley system to run pump off PTO. Has jug rinse and tank rinse option.
10. Hypro chemical eductor to mix chemicals from curbside and bottom. No dumping chemicals into tanks direct.
11. Fill station and valves with backflow and multiple adapters so you can fill from a garden hose or other hose options and valves to fill up the tank you want
12. John Bean 64 gallon per minute high pressure spray gun to reach 100-120 ft spray height

As far as the truck goes, it's super nice condition:

1. 2002 Freightliner FL60 20,000 GVW
2. 197,200 miles
3. Allison automatic transmission with brand new PTO (tranny was replaced about 2 years ago)
4. Tires: 80%
5. 4 new batteries (1 mo. old)
6. All injectors were replaced 20,000 miles ago
7. No rust
8. Highway miles (the county was big and I was told the average service trip was 100 miles).
9. Cummins diesel engine
10. All electronics and sirens work
11. Power windows, cruise, tilt, air seat, AC, Heat, CD player with XM
12. Aluminum MAV body, No rust, Super heavy duty. The box alone sells for $135,000 new
13. Aluminum Alcoa rims
14. New Banks exhaust

 

[MillerTreeMN]

just so you know i clicked on the link and it says "file not found "

 

[DaTreeDoc]

link

Thanks for letting me know...

I think this program doesn't allow links: the site is:

thetreedoctor.biz/tree-sprayer-fabrication.html I guess you'll have to copy and paste it into a browser to get it to work.

 

[emr]

We saw this in Treetrader and we talked about it at work. It is definitely a unique idea but we thought it would only work for very specific companies in very specific parts of the country. It would not work as a marketing tool in my area but it might work in other parts of the state/country just fine. Personally I think the price is way to high..... $103k for a truck with almost 200k miles on the engine. I am sure you have a bunch of money stuck into this, but I think you will be sitting on this until you drop your asking price quite a bit. We don't have any spray rigs so I really cant comment on what I think the price should be, but I have got to think that chassis would be worth maybe $15k at the absolute most. That means the lights, siren, and spray rigs cost almost $90k. I am sorry to be a Debby Downer but I think you may have a real hard time selling this.

I have a question for you. Why did you make this? Are you thinking about selling a franchise with it? Have you done things like this before either for your own company or for others?

 

[DaTreeDoc]

EMR thanks for the comment!

We made one other truck like this, but it wasn't as hard to make. The idea was marketing oriented with doing "Emergency" tree spraying treatments.

The ambulance chassis will cost around 50,000 on a low mile late year model like this one, and usually around 35,000 for an older higher mile model. You're right on just finding a regular freightliner flatbed truck. I would expect you could find one of those for about 15,000, but it takes a whole lot more options to make them ambulance capable.

The basic idea came from having open trucks vandalized with roundup.

 

[emr]

I didnt realize that ambulances were that expensive. Have you thought about any legal issues driving this rig around? Again, not trying to poopoo this, but there are questions we came up with within our company.

 

[DaTreeDoc]

Hi. The only real legal thing is not sounding the sirens! As far as the lights go, as long as the red ones on top are changed to amber, it's totally legal. I left them on there in case someone didn't care.

Yes Ambulances are super expensive, but we got a real good deal on this one, which made it worth driving 3100 miles to go get We got the chassis for 35K.

 

[nms0219]

35k for an ambulance??? wow thats high. I have seen x rural metro units go for 2-10k at auction. http://www.auctionsinternational.com/index.htm they have an up coming auction of 59 ambulances. I dont see any of them going for more than 10k. Its just a veheichle thats got a limited market of guys buying them. I have seen guys buy em and pull the body off and put dumps on it.

 

[ASD]

My ? is what is the tare wight of the truck/van. That truck is most likely @ or over wight with out water in it! fill up the 780 gal. and that puts 5000 to 6000 more lb. on bord

 

[BC WetCoast]

What a really nice looking rig. We run double tank spray units, that can also be used for fertilizer and I wish there was a 3rd small tank. It would give you the flexibility to hit small jobs when you are in the neighbourhood, in the middle of a large single product run. A 4 tank unit would be better.

How much hose does it carry and does it have power reel?

In future, you may want to consider adding a small gas motor/pump with smaller hose for small jobs ie spraying the small apple tree in someone's backyard, where pulling 3/4" hose is a pain.

 

[HorseShoeInFork]

My ? is what is the tare wight of the truck/van. That truck is most likely @ or over wight with out water in it! fill up the 780 gal. and that puts 5000 to 6000 more lb. on board

Water is 8.34 lbs / gallon so it's more like 6500lb. GVWR is under 25,500 - truck / body probably weigh in around 12-14K.

Yes Ambulances are super expensive, but we got a real good deal on this one, which made it worth driving 3100 miles to go get We got the chassis for 35K.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230406003017

03' $13k http://www.govdeals.com/eas/closedItems_sold.cfm?itemID=2&acctID=2274&CFID=13846898&CFTOKEN=14729248

99' $15k http://www.govdeals.com/eas/closedI...47&acctID=1900&CFID=13846898&CFTOKEN=14729248

97' $12k http://www.govdeals.com/eas/closedItems_sold.cfm?itemID=2&acctID=2234&CFID=13846898&CFTOKEN=14729248

97' $5k http://www.govdeals.com/eas/closedI...16&acctID=2079&CFID=13846898&CFTOKEN=14729248

96' $15k http://www.govdeals.com/eas/closedItems_sold.cfm?itemID=5&acctID=2354&CFID=13846898&CFTOKEN=14729248

00' $20khttp://www.ambulancetrader.com/cgi/...results_format=long&db_id=336&query=retrieval

00' $15khttp://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=2233010


I don't have a dog in this fight and don't really care one way or the other. But, if you are paying $35k for an 02 FL60 with 200k miles on it, maybe I should quit my day job and start selling worn out ambulances. To each his own.

 

[emr]

ambulancetrader.com...... what will they think of next? Maybe schwanstrucktrader.com?

 

[DaTreeDoc]

I'll try to answer the questions

1. How much hose does it carry and does it have power reel?

In future, you may want to consider adding a small gas motor/pump with smaller hose for small jobs ie spraying the small apple tree in someone's backyard, where pulling 3/4" hose is a pain.

Both reels are power reels. The first set is 300 ft of 5/8 and the second set is 300 feet of 1/2 The point of the smaller tanks and smaller hose was exactly what you're talking about with not having to drag a heavy hose into a back yard Nice thing about this truck is there's no gas motor, and the truck exhaust is on the other side so curbside is very quiet, and not smelly

2. I don't have a dog in this fight and don't really care one way or the other. But, if you are paying $35k for an 02 FL60 with 200k miles on it, maybe I should quit my day job and start selling worn out ambulances. To each his own.

I'm sure you could find worn out ambulances cheap, but they key is to find the ones that aren't worn out, which is what we've always looked for. Most the one's you've posted probably have 10-20K in repairs to get road worthy and pass inspection.
3. Someone should start schwanstrucktrader. All the woodsy guys on propane would eat that up

I'm still hoping someone would have an idea of what this thing should be worth and the price point they would expect to see it at. It seems like a bunch of people who don't buy ambulances or multi tank specialty tree spraying equipment want to just talk about what they can buy a worn out ambulance for at a government auction site for...

I probably overbuilt and overspent on this truck and that's my mistake that I'll have to live with. A couple builders have told me my price is cheap, but they build these things for a living and get those type of orders and phone calls. I don't so I'm just putting a price tag on it for roughly what I have in it. Anyone out there that owns fancy tree spray rigs that might have an opinion on what this thing is worth would be great.

Thanks to all of you for posting.

 

[HorseShoeInFork]

It seems like a bunch of people who don't buy ambulances or multi tank specialty tree spraying equipment want to just talk about what they can buy a worn out ambulance for at a government auction site for...

I probably overbuilt and overspent on this truck and that's my mistake that I'll have to live with.

Pretty much sums it up. We're kinda weird like that. Good luck and good day.

 

[nms0219]

problem is that you are trying to compare apples to oranges. You cant compare a new custom built rig to something you made yourself out of an ambulance.

 

[B-Edwards]

Nice rig . I have no idea what it is worth as I use a small tow-able and skid sprayer. I put mine on a rollback all lined up and take them off when finished. It does suck to get a call and have to load it back up, sometimes I just pull the small tow-able unit. It is funny that most people don't even see the rollback, they think it is a dedicated rig. I like the idea that people will pull over and free food on top of that!!!!! Good luck with this hopefully there is a market for it and you can sell it . Maybe have the fellows who do this full time help you find a buyer.

 

[DaTreeDoc]

finders fee

I'm offering a $2500.00 finders fee for anyone who brings me a buyer, or even submits your contact info along with the lead on our site at:

http://www.thetreedoctor.biz/contactus.html I'll do the cold calling, all you have to do is get me the lead of someone you know that might be interested in this truck, and you'll get 2500 bucks if I can close the deal.