Beginning in 2 weeks (March 15th), I will be stocking a new product from the makers of Hoover and Dirt Devil (www.ttifloorcare.com), the Nomad 18V 90psi pressure washer with a 3.5 gallon water tank. With an integrated power pack, you can wash anything without having to be plugged into a cigarette lighter.

Original Nomad


The new 18V version has been completely redesigned and includes a battery pack and charger or can still be powered via the 12V cig lighter.



I will be demoing this in Vegas at AMVIV. I think it will be a GREAT solution for keeping the wheels clean, and even washing the MINI while on vacation. Store it in the boot. Just fill it with distilled water from your local grocery store for spot free washing under the sun or to get the smashed bugs off your windshield or front end before they turn to hardened corpses!

BUY IT HERE

 

Ok I've got them in stock now, and a lucky person at AMVIV is the first recipient of them. I've also donated one to the MINIMania Event on Saturday May 17, 2008.

Want to buy one??
http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=171

Here are more details on this system.

First Impressions:

The construction is superb. The quality of the materials down to even the charger are heavy duty. Doesn't feel like one accidental drop and it's history. The feel when taking it apart and the quality of the accessories are top notch. The battery is on charge right now..so more action shots will be taken soon--now if I can only find the battery charger for my DSLR!! lol.































http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=171

 

How much current does the AC charger pull ??? Thinking about size of AC invertor needed

 

Not sure what the question is?? To charge the battery from the car? You can plug the unit into a 12v cig lighter to power the unit without the battery as well.

The charger specs are

120 V 60Hz 80W output/19V 2.2A

Ok the battery is charged, and I got 8 gallons of distilled water from the store--ready to go play!!!

Richard

 

Ok, I just washed my MINI with the washer. It's awesome!!! Ok first some quick notes:

1.) There's definitely enough pressure to get off bugs and wash a dirty MINI and wheels
2.) There's enough water to rinse off a MINI and the wheels and still have water left over. The water capacity is 3.5 gallons.
3.) I used a 3.5 gallon bucket filled with tap water and mixed with car wash soap. I use the Nomad to rinse the dirt off, then wipe a panel down at a time with soap. Then rinsed it off, and dried it with a MF Waffle Weave. It takes some practice to rinse the panel without getting the just dried adjacent panel wet again.
4.) No water spots at all when using Distilled Water. At my local grocery store it costs $5 for 5 gallons of distilled water.
5.) The cord is long enough to position the washer at the rear of the MINI and walk around without restriction to the front and spray the roof, so you don't have to lug it around as you wash.

This is by FAR the best and more usable solution to wash your MINI. I've tried bug sprayers and various hand pump washers and none worked very well.

Pictures being uploaded now.

Richard

 

Since a few people asked me if they should buy it from me or not, here's the link to my store:
http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=171








Wheels were cleaned off and paint was hosed down







Medium Volume Spray

Higher Volume Spray

Pencil thick jet stream for distance











Hose is long enough to reach all the way around the MINI and to the roof without restriction.





http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=171

 

i do many weekend shows wanting to recharge the battery while at the show... does it recharge when pluggged into the lighter or just run off the lighter???

 

That's a good question. Based on the design of the washer, I believe the 12volt plug is for powering the washer only as the location of the battery would interfere with the 12volt plug.

A single battery will last 3 tanks or 10.5 gallons of water. You could potentially get additional batteries and charge them ahead of time.

You can see the jack here


And what it looks like with the battery in place

 

That charger and battery look vaguely familiar. Could it be possible that a Ryobi 18v charger and bat would fit in this system? Thanks

 

Could be. I don't have one to compare or verify though. Why not buy one and let us know? tsk tsk tsk. =P

 

Ok one of my friends came over on Saturday to get her MINI washed, so I demoed the Nomad.
http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=171







The wheels were pretty dirty so I spritzed on some Meguiar's Wheel Brightener first.

Hit it with the Nomad

Use a soft brush to clean the wheels

Then rinsed them clean


Using the Nomad to rinse the dirt off. I adjusted the spray pattern

Used a lambswool wash mitt with a 3.5 gallon bucket filled with Turtle Wax Ice Car Wash soap--just for fun.























Black Wow was used on the trim, Nero on the interior, Clarity on the glass, Hydro on the wheels, Meguiar's Insane Shine on the tires, and Meguiar's Trim Detailer spray on the grills.

I started with 3 gallons of water in the Nomad, and added 2 more gallons via 1 gallon water jugs. I used about 4 gallons of water to wash the paint, wheels, and glass. And another 3.5 gallons in the soap bucket. I didn't charge the battery at all.

One of the surprising attributes of the Nomad is just how quiet it is. It's completely silent unlike typical pressure washers!

http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=171

Richard

 

That must not be anywhere near the pressure of a 'conventional' pressure washer (1400-1500 psi), since they picture using it on a dog!!! Look, I created a new breed, a yellow lab chesepeake hairless!

I'm guessing that's not the intent and that kind of pressure isn't needed for a general car wash anyway. I dial mine way back when washing the cars or truck. Dont' want to remove paint!

 

Haha. Nope--they kept it under 100psi to be safe for humans and animals. FWIW, most household hoses are rated for a max of 140psi.

You're right--you don't need a lot of high pressure to wash a MINI--but if you wanted it---this isn't the product for you. It's not intended to replace a conventional pressure washer--however given the choice of using a local car wash, or a Nomad and a bucket of wash wash soap while travelling, it's a no brainer to me.

I can get very close to the water pressure I get from home, but use spotfree distilled water if I choose.

I'm actually working on some alternative forms of car wash soap applications to eliminate the 3.5 gallon bucket for travelling applications.

Richard

 

Sounds good for the intended purpose.

 

Sure looks like a Ryobi battery and charger to me!

 

Cool, well nothing wrong with using quality components. =)

 

QEW + Nomad = FTW?

 

FTW??

Naw better than QEW. QEW is a no rinse car wash solution--great for RV's and in situations where water is limited for rinsing it off--but not my preference for a good car wash soap. But I would like to avoid having to haul a bucket or similar--I know about the collapsing buckets--and that could be a potential companion as well.

Richard

 

For The Win

 

That looks slick. Really handy at car shows and on long trips.

How about posting some short videos of it in action? It's hard to get an idea of what kind of pressure it puts out.

 

Richard - the ultimate collapsible bucket for this would be "The Kitchen Sink" made by "Sea to Summit".

It's a PVC coated nylon bowl that's wider at the base than it is at the wire framed neck. As you fill it with water, the water pushes out the sides making the whole thing stand of it's own free will. They come in 2.5 and 5 gallon sizes, and when empty, fold down to almost nothing and weight just a few ounces. I have no affiliation to the company, except loving their products when I go camping.

 

Thanks for the tip! I've seen similar much lower end ones--so I'm very interested in seeing this one.
Yep working on them!! Will have them soon. Btw, the AMVIV winner picked up his today--so there is atleast one other MINI owner who owns one now, lol...sad though--I think he's giving it away.

 

Part 1 of 2


Support the NAM community and buy it here
http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=171

 

Part 2


Support the NAM community and buy it here
http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=171&bc=no

 

Great videos! That's very impressive for something that small and QUIET. Not to mention being able to wash in the sunlight when using distilled water.

And it looks perfect if you are in an area with water restrictions. Pick up distilled water and you're good to go. Last year there were quite a few posts from owners that weren't allowed to wash their cars. This solves that problem. If you're just concerned about conserving water, this looks nice for home use since you know exactly how much water you are using.

Damn it, I want one.

Nice tip on sheeting the water off too!