Window Cleaning Van Setup UK: Tank, Pump and Layout Guide

A good one-operator window cleaning van is a 350–650 litre baffled tank mounted low and forward of the rear axle, a 12V pump on a dedicated leisure battery with a split charge relay, a wall-mounted hose reel by the side door, and racked poles that come out without unloading anything else. Water weighs a kilogram a litre, so payload — not tank capacity — sets your real limit.

Weight and the law

• Check the payload on your VIN plate, then subtract tank, frame, hoses, kit and yourself.
• 500 litres of water is half a tonne. Many small vans cannot legally carry it once fitted out.
• Overloading invalidates insurance and is an offence — plan around a comfortable margin, not the maximum.
• Fill part-tanks for tight rounds rather than running full every day.

Tank placement

1. Mount low, and just ahead of the rear axle, to keep handling predictable.
2. Use a baffled tank so water does not surge when you brake.
3. Bolt the frame through the floor with spreader plates — straps alone are not enough.
4. Leave the outlet and filters accessible without crawling over the tank.

Pump, battery and wiring

• Dedicated leisure battery, split-charge relay from the vehicle, and a proper fuse close to the battery.
• Flow controller so you can dial flow to the job instead of wasting water.
• A mains charger for cold months when short drives never top the battery up.
• Keep the electrics out of the wet zone and label everything for the next person who works on it.

The layout that works

• Hose reel at the side door, at waist height.
• Poles racked along one wall, longest at the bottom.
• One crate for traditional kit, one for gutter and fascia work, both labelled.
• Spare rubbers, jets, fittings and fuses in a single small parts box — breakdowns happen mid-round.

The part most people forget

A well-built van makes you efficient on the road but does nothing for the enquiries arriving while you're on it. Set the van up once, then set the quoting up once — so a missed call becomes an online quote instead of a lost customer.