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waterworks

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I have a three bay wash with laser 4000's. I am continully having issues with dually trucks and their hitches stopping the wash. I am installing the lazer minders but am looking for a positive way to discourage them from entering. Anyone have any ideas on signage?
 

DiamondWash

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I have a three bay wash with laser 4000's. I am continully having issues with dually trucks and their hitches stopping the wash. I am installing the lazer minders but am looking for a positive way to discourage them from entering. Anyone have any ideas on signage?
I recently put up as sign on our Ryko Softgloss coinbox that explains to:

Remove ALL trailer hitch accessories
BEFORE entering the wash
Failure to do so may result in the following:
-Loss of your Wash
-Damage to our Equipment
-Damage to your Vehicle
and I have a note to Smile because they are on Video Survailance

I will send you a JPEG of the sign and so far my customers have been doing just that reading it and folling the "New Rule" because I would like to keep my FoamBrite Brushes on the machine and not on the floor.
 

waterworks

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I recently put up as sign on our Ryko Softgloss coinbox that explains to:

Remove ALL trailer hitch accessories
BEFORE entering the wash
Failure to do so may result in the following:
-Loss of your Wash
-Damage to our Equipment
-Damage to your Vehicle
and I have a note to Smile because they are on Video Survailance

I will send you a JPEG of the sign and so far my customers have been doing just that reading it and folling the "New Rule" because I would like to keep my FoamBrite Brushes on the machine and not on the floor.
thanks for offering your opinion, that was exactly what I am looking for. Please send me the JPEG.
 

mac

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If I was you, I would try to figure out how to wash them rather than send them away. Dually trucks don't have many wash options. Can't go through a tunnell, and the owners usually spent too much for them to wash by hand. If other automatics can safely wash them with no issues, why can't the much heralded PDQs do the same?
 

MEP001

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mac said:
the owners usually spent too much for them to wash by hand.
Not around here. I see customers routinely spend $30-40 washing a nice dually or big crew cab truck in a self-serve bay.
 

DiamondWash

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My sign basically states the facts that you need to remove objects that have the potenial to stop the wash or even damage the wash in no way do I want a customer feel they are not welcome at the wash, but the laserminder will help alot with that issue even if they don't remove the hitch accessory it will continue to wash the vehicle just at a further distance at the back.
 

dogwasher

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Word on the street is that a woman washed her car at your wash was missing her driver window glass?? I heard she came out of the automatic wash looking like a Soaked CAT!! You need to install a sign for that to!
 

Washmechanic

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If I was you, I would try to figure out how to wash them rather than send them away. Dually trucks don't have many wash options. Can't go through a tunnell, and the owners usually spent too much for them to wash by hand. If other automatics can safely wash them with no issues, why can't the much heralded PDQs do the same?
Don't know what the problem is, but we've been running duallies through the Laser 4000's for over ten years without any major problems. We can fit the biggest duallie that they make, full crew cab with eight foot bed. As to price, some of our customers will prep or full hand wash and then buy the top wash in the automatic to get the undercarriage, high end polish and dry.
 

jcollins

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Your L4000's should be able to wash any dually just fine. You may need to check what your setting is for the "length measurement adjustment" in the Programming "Automatic Parameters" menu. Normally the "length measurement adjustment" is set at "4", you may need to set this at "5" or "6" to make sure it clears all trailer hitches.
Even if you have the 24' rails instead of the 26' rails, you should be able to wash any dually unless they have an abnormally long trailer hitch. It will wash one with an abnormally long hitch if they will stop as far forward as they can without turning on the "backup" light ( I usually instruct these guys to go forward till the "backup" light comes on, then backup just enough to turn the "backup" light off).
I wouldn't turn away the money from duallies, not many automatics "can" wash them.
 

Bud

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What he said.....I have a small professionally made sign at each cashier that describes about pulling up then back again. I didn't have ANY problems with 4 door dullays until I had the virtual treadles installed. Then it all started. You can wash a much longer truck with the old treadle than the VT. We struggled with this for 6 months before It was figured out. I kept telling the distributor that I went to the VT to make more money not chase it away and the dullays would not go thru anymore. They had a tech move the loading eyes forward a few inches and move the rear flag & stops rearward. This took care of most of the problems but I still believe the VT is NOT dullay friendly. If any of the 4 door dullays have a hitch, it hits it. If they do not pull forward enough it will hit the rear bumper. Most of the time it is Fords, they are longer by about 4 inches. I still believe I have lost customers because of this.
 

billintexas

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we own 3 G-5's, each with VT, my Chevy dually has an aftermarket front bumper replacement, and a rear hitch, this procedure works for me and (most of) our dually customers:

drive in until red stop light comes on, stop

watch in mirror (I never fold in) until pre-soak starts along left side

ease truck forward, when arm has turned and is spraying front of truck pull front bumper up to within about 2" of arm, stop and put in park
 
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