When many people think of traditional hydroexcavating, the industries that come to mind are typically oil, gas and utilities. However, dedicated hydroexcavation services are on the rise within the municipal contracting market. A dedicated hydroexcavator works more efficiently and more safely than a traditional combo truck with hydroexcavation capabilities.

What functions can hydroexcavators perform for the municipal market?

The Department of Transportation, Street and Highway departments offer many different opportunities for a contractor with a hydroexcavator. The hydrovac’s high-powered vacuum successfully removes 100% of material within a catch basin. Dedicated catch basin cleaners offered by RAMVAC are trailer-mounted units that deliver power without the large footprint of a truck. The high-pressure water on a hydroexcavator is an effective tool for digging holes for posts, utility poles and street signs. Municipal needs would also require the use of a hydroexcavator to dig trenches when installing culvert pipe or daylighting before road expansion projects.

Water departments also employ the services of hydroexcavators in numerous ways. Valve box maintenance requires the use of high-pressure water to locate buried boxes, as well as high-pressure vacuum and water to clean the boxes. Installing new water services are a breeze with a hydrovac, eliminating the need for hand-digging and using its vacuum capabilities when working with water-filled holes. A hydroex truck becomes very useful during a water main break to assess the damage to the pipe, especially during the winter months when hot water is needed to cut through frozen ground.

Utility departments are another municipal entity that requires the use of a hydroexcavator. Hydrovac operators are contracted to daylight for locating underground utilities and to work alongside drilling rigs vacuuming up the drill mud. In many cases, hydroexcavators can easily replace the use of old trenchers, dump trucks, equipment trailers, backhoes and multiple pickup trucks, freeing up the work space required on busy roadways. This is especially true when utilizing a mid-size hydroexcavator, which offers debris body sizes of 3 and 6 cubic yards, providing you the ability to replace other expensive pieces of equipment while still limiting the working space required by a full-size hydro truck.

What hydroexcavator is right for you?

There are many hydroexcavators available to you. How do you choose the right one? The RAMVAC HX truck series offers a number of features that have been packaged together in the shortest truck on the market, that are simple to operate and simple to maintain. With no transfer case, RAMVAC trucks operate in neutral, allowing for vac-on-the-go as standard equipment. RAMVAC trucks have no computers or CANbus, eliminating complex troubleshooting while requiring very limited chassis integration. The HX series offers a vacuum enhancer in conjunction with a reversible blower, providing operators the ability to burp the truck to clear obstructions from the boom tube, as well as pressure off-load debris from the tank. The standard Dig Deep boom allows for 330 degrees of rotation, is rear-mounted for increased efficiency in curbside applications, can dig a 12-foot hole utilizing only one 6-foot dig tube and has the ability to lower the boom hose to ground level for ease of maintenance and increased operator safety.

For more information on the RAMVAC line of vacuum trucks, please visit RAMVAC by Sewer Equipment. Used and rental trucks are available through Rock Rental, a top nationwide dealership that works with nationally-recognized financial institutions to provide necessary financing solutions for contractors. Rock Equipment provides full service and support of all its rental units with service locations spread across North America.