Ramvac
Expose utilities without damage. Dig more, dump less.
×
Your Authorized Ramvac Hydro Excavation Dealer
Brown Equipment Company is an authorized Ramvac dealer providing the full line of HX Series hydro excavators and industrial vacuum trucks. Built by Sewer Equipment Co. in Dixon, Illinois, Ramvac units deliver more payload capacity in a shorter package with simple hydraulic controls that keep your crew working instead of troubleshooting.
Expose utilities without damage. Dig more, dump less.
Ramvac hydro excavators are built for utility crews that need to expose buried infrastructure without striking it. Hydro excavation uses pressurized water to break up soil and a high-CFM vacuum to lift the slurry into a debris tank, so a crew daylights a gas main, fiber bundle, or stormwater lateral at precise depth without the strike risk that comes with hand-digging or mechanical excavation. The platform is the production-side answer to the question: how do we expose more utilities per shift without crossing the threshold where someone hits something.
The HX Series is the current production line. The HX-9 fits the routine utility-locate workload (smaller jobs, tight access, frequent moves between sites), and the HX-15 sits above it for high-volume potholing and longer setbacks. Both run reliable hydraulic systems instead of stacked computer controllers, so a crew can troubleshoot a fault in the field without dealer-only diagnostics. Specialty options like the DIG DEEP Telescoping Boom (extended boom geometry for deep cuts), Hot Water System (frozen-ground and frost-line work), Wireless Remote Control (one-operator setup), and the Mud Pump System (off-loading the slurry without a transfer trip) round out the platform for departments that want to standardize on Ramvac for both utility-locate work and stormwater / catch-basin maintenance.
Brown Equipment Company is an authorized Ramvac dealer for the Midwest. Built in the same Dixon, Illinois facility as Sewer Equipment Co. and Mongoose, the platform shares the same parts catalog and service network. We sell, demo, and run factory-trained service on the HX Series, and stock the wear parts (water-system seals, vacuum-system gaskets, boom hardware) that go through these units on a normal duty cycle.
- Founded
- 1941
- Headquarters
- Dixon, IL
- Manufacturer Site
- Visit
- Hydro excavation that daylights utilities without strike risk, no hand-digging required
- HX Series shorter footprint than competitors, easier to maneuver on tight utility sites
- Reliable hydraulic systems with no dealer-only computer diagnostics required
- DIG DEEP Telescoping Boom adds extended reach for deep cuts
- Hot Water System cuts through frozen ground and frost-line conditions
- Wireless Remote Control supports one-operator setup, frees crew for spotting and traffic control
- Made in Dixon, Illinois; shares parts catalog and service network with SEC and Mongoose
- Ramvac HX-9 Hydro Excavator
- Ramvac HX-15 Hydro Excavator
- DIG DEEP Telescoping Boom
- Hot Water System
- Mud Pump System
Why Ramvac?
DIG DEEP Boom
Patented telescoping boom reaches 26 feet, accessing excavation points that competitors cannot reach without repositioning the truck.
No Transfer Case
Direct hydraulic drive eliminates the transfer case found on most competitors. Fewer moving parts, lower maintenance cost, no shop-floor diagnosis when something stops working.
Vac Enhancer / Reversible Blower
Reversible blower lets the operator clear stuck vacuum lines without leaving the truck. The vac enhancer keeps suction performance up as the tank fills instead of falling off at the end of a shift.
Simple
Straightforward controls any operator can learn and any mechanic can service. No complex computer systems to fail in the field.
Every Ramvac model we sell
Browse the complete lineup, including inspection, components, and software solutions.
HX-12
Full-size hydro excavator with 12-yard debris tank, DIG DEEP telescoping boom with 26 ft reach, and greater payload capacity than comparable units in a shorter overall package.
HX-6
Mid-size hydro excavator on a standard truck chassis with 6-yard debris tank and DIG DEEP telescoping boom. Lower GVW for easier permitting and broader road access.
HX-3
Compact hydro excavator with 3-yard debris tank designed for utility potholing, daylighting, and precision excavation in tight residential and urban environments.
HX-9
Nine-yard debris tank hydro excavator sized between the HX-6 and HX-12. Built for utility crews that need more capacity than the HX-6 without going to the full-size HX-12 chassis.
HX-15
Largest Ramvac hydro excavator with a 15-yard debris tank. Built for high-volume excavation programs and contractors running multi-shift operations on major utility, pipeline, and infrastructure projects.
V-6 Industrial Vacuum
6-yard industrial vacuum truck for wet and dry material recovery, spill cleanup, and general industrial vacuuming applications.
V-12 Industrial Vacuum
Full-size 12-yard industrial vacuum truck for heavy-duty wet and dry material recovery, industrial plant maintenance, and large-scale cleanup operations.
DIG DEEP Telescoping Boom
Patented telescoping vacuum boom with 26 ft reach that extends to access excavation points other units cannot reach without repositioning the truck.
Hot Water System
Optional hot water heating system for frozen ground and winter hydro excavation operations. Heats water to break through frost and frozen soil layers.
Wireless Remote Control
Wireless remote control system for single-operator boom and vacuum functions. Allows the operator to control all excavation functions from the dig site.
Mud Pump System
Optional mud pump for decanting and transferring slurry material from the debris tank without tipping. Enables on-site water recovery and recycling.
Keep Your Ramvac Running
We stock OEM parts and our technicians are factory-trained on Ramvac equipment.
Ramvac: Common Buyer Questions
Answers to the questions municipal fleets and contractors ask most often before specifying Ramvac equipment.
- What is hydro excavation and when do I use it?
- Hydro excavation uses pressurized water to break up soil and a high-CFM vacuum to lift the slurry into a debris tank. The result is precise, non-destructive exposure of buried utilities (gas, electric, fiber, water, stormwater) without the strike risk of mechanical excavation. Use it for utility-locate work, potholing for engineering surveys, daylighting before tie-ins, slot trenching for fiber runs, and any excavation where a hidden line strike would shut the project down or trigger a damage claim.
- How does the Ramvac HX Series compare to Vactor HXX or Vac-Con HVX?
- Vactor HXX and Vac-Con HVX are direct competitors with larger market share in some regions. The Ramvac HX differentiators: shorter chassis footprint (easier on tight sites), simpler hydraulic controls (less to fail, easier to troubleshoot), and the long Sewer Equipment Company parts catalog. For a side-by-side spec discussion against the specific Vactor or Vac-Con model you're comparing, BEC can demo the HX on your sites.
- What is the DIG DEEP Telescoping Boom?
- The DIG DEEP option adds extended boom geometry to the HX chassis for jobs that need extra reach, deeper cuts, or working over obstacles. Useful for utility-locate work where the buried line is well below standard boom reach, or potholing on engineering surveys that go below standard utility depth. Specs and reach vary by chassis, talk to BEC for the unit-specific numbers.
- Can a Ramvac unit work in winter conditions?
- Yes, with the Hot Water System option. The system heats water in the supply tank to break through frozen ground and frost-line conditions that stop cold-water operation. Without the Hot Water System, cold-weather work depends on ambient temperature and ground frost depth. Most Midwest fleets running winter utility work spec the Hot Water option from day one.
- What is the Wireless Remote Control option?
- The Wireless Remote Control lets one operator run the boom, water, and vacuum from outside the cab. Practical impact: a single operator can spot the cut, work the boom, and watch the utility location without coordinating with a second crew member at the control panel. Frees up the second crew slot for traffic control or downstream work.
- Where does BEC service Ramvac?
- All seven BEC service centers across Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Factory-trained technicians on the HX Series. Same-day parts shipping upon request from our Indianapolis distribution center for most stocked items, including water-system seals, vacuum-system gaskets, and boom hardware.
Talk to BEC About Ramvac
Have a BEC Equipment Consultant contact you.
Pricing, demos, financing, parts. Whatever you need on Ramvac, leave your name and we will call.
Prefer to call? (800) 747-2312