Has anyone converted their long IBA to a mini tunnel?

[Roz]

Has anyone converted their long IBA to a mini tunnel? Watched a Sonny's presentation about converting an IBA to a mini tunnel (anywhere from 43' to 65'). An interesting idea as they suggested that by using a belt system (instead of chain) you could run 24-7 unattended. Personally I think it would be a huge liability especially after watching customers try to navigate a soft cloth with railings for guides.

 

[Blanco]

People already have enough trouble positioning in a IBA. It gets much worse when you put a conveyor in front of them. Belts are even worse for positioning since there are no guide rails. They are also a maintenance nightmare. I personally seen a few owners that installed belt conveyors and within a few years they ripped them out and called it a loss. Ive also never seen a automated conveyor wash become successful regardless of belt or chain. Most close down within few years. Sonnys will make a video about anything to sell anything. Once the check is in there hand they don't care like most other manufacturers. 43' "mini tunnel" will never clean a car especially since there is no prep. A huge liability for the equipment like you said. Tommys car washes builds $4-8 million dollar 120 foot plus attended tunnels with no prep and still can't clean a car. There is a reason why you don’t see these on ever corner and tunnels still have attendants which they are not doing out of the kindness of their hearts. It’s a marketing scheme.

 

[MEP001]

FWIW there are two washes in my area that are conveyor mini-tunnels that could be operated unattended, but they don't.

 

[washnshine]

I think the mini tunnel concept can be great for a very busy and long IBA. That being said, I would always have one attendant on duty. Even if you do not want to do any prepping, you will want someone to guide and oversee conveyor loading. The plus is, if you want to to do some light prepping ( bug prep etc.), you have someone there to do it. If your volume is such that you can justify the mini tunnel, you should be able to justify one employees too. Of course you can no longer wash 24/7, but how many cars are being washed on those “off” hours.

 

[traveler17]

I like the idea except for leaving it unattended. Did you get a cost on converting?

 

[traveler17]

People already have enough trouble positioning in a IBA. It gets much worse when you put a conveyor in front of them. Belts are even worse for positioning since there are no guide rails. They are also a maintenance nightmare. I personally seen a few owners that installed belt conveyors and within a few years they ripped them out and called it a loss. Ive also never seen a automated conveyor wash become successful regardless of belt or chain. Most close down within few years. Sonnys will make a video about anything to sell anything. Once the check is in there hand they don't care like most other manufacturers. 43' "mini tunnel" will never clean a car especially since there is no prep. A huge liability for the equipment like you said. Tommys car washes builds $4-8 million dollar 120 foot plus attended tunnels with no prep and still can't clean a car. There is a reason why you don’t see these on ever corner and tunnels still have attendants which they are not doing out of the kindness of their hearts. It’s a marketing scheme.

I have played w the idea because I have a site that could use the speed but I’m glad you posted your experience w it. I did ride through one and it did a terrible job!!

 

[washnshine]

I have played w the idea because I have a site that could use the speed but I’m glad you posted your experience w it. I did ride through one and it did a terrible job!!

What a lot of operators forget is that if you are going to have a very small equipment package and no prep, your conveyor speed has to be very slow and you do need more advanced chemistry - even though it is friction. That is the only way you will be able to tackle all the various soils on a car. You should have low and high pH chemistry going on, specific targets on bumpers, windshields and some type of Omni or high pressure arch too. Most regular tunnels can cheat on some of this because we have preppers, two sets of wrap arounds, 2-3 mitters and/or top brushes. In the mini tunnel world, you have to maximize everything to tackle whatever could be driving through your wash.

 

[Blanco]

I have played w the idea because I have a site that could use the speed but I’m glad you posted your experience w it. I did ride through one and it did a terrible job!!

Is the site you have that can use the speed a touchless or brush machine?

The idea is great. Sounds game changing. No attendant and small tunnel. What can go wrong? The results are far from that just like you stated. I owned at 60ft tunnel at one point that prepped with gun/brush and id be lying to you if I said every car came out perfect. Sonnys is not the only manufacture that try to sell these 43 foot mini tunnels. The problem is length and customer guidance. In a 43ft tunnel you have to account a minimum 15ft for loading and a minimum 10ft for drying. That leaves you with 18ft to fit your mitter, rockers, single set of wraps, HP arch, and SF/CC Arch. Everything is crammed in with no drip space either between last arch and dryers. By the time the front of your vehicle enters the first dryer arch, the HP rinse won't even be halfway down your car. Imagine how difficult it is to dry a vehicle with a HP arch not even 5 feet away running at the same time as your dryers. It can't be done. Let alone clean a car in 18 ft of equipment with no prep. Like WASHNSHINE mentioned the conveyor speed must be slowed down tremendously to even give an attempt to clean a car along with touchless strength chemicals. I would never recommend anyone installing a tunnel less that 60 ft and especially not unattended.

 

[traveler17]

Is the site you have that can use the speed a touchless or brush machine?

The idea is great. Sounds game changing. The results are far from that just like you stated. I owned at 60ft tunnel at one point that prepped with gun/brush and id be lying to you if I said every car came out perfect. Sonnys is not the only manufacture that try to sell these 43 foot mini tunnels. The problem is length. In a 43ft tunnel you have to account a minimum 15ft for loading and a minimum 10ft for drying. That leaves you with 18ft to fit your mitter, rockers, single set of wraps, HP arch, and SF/CC Arch. Everything is crammed in with no drip space either between last arch and dryers. By the time the front of your vehicle enters the first dryer arch, the HP rinse won't even be halfway down your car. Imagine how difficult it is to dry a vehicle with a HP arch not even 5 feet away running at the same time as your dryers. Let alone clean a car in 18 ft of equipment with no prep. Like WASHNSHINE mentioned the conveyor speed must be slowed down tremendously to even give an attempt to clean a car along with touchless strength chemicals. I would never recommend anyone installing a tunnel less that 60 ft.

The site I purchased has 2 automatics which are MarkVII’s. One a soft touch and the other is a combo wash which offers both touchless and soft touch. I wasn’t familiar with them but am happy w how well they clean. Downside of these machines are lack of floor space and they’re just not fast enough for my taste. I have the business for a small tunnel and only thought of doing so just to speed things up. But I appreciate your advice, I wasn’t impressed at all w the mini tunnel I rode through. It was fast but was a really poor wash!! Guess I’ll just suck it up for now til these machines wear out unless you have another idea for me

 

[Blanco]

THREE WORDS. OASIS TYPHOON! lol IYKYK haha. Many people think a Petit is the latest and greatest in speed for a touchless. Thats what they market and its a lie. Don't get me wrong I am a little biased since I've operated oasis machines for over ten years and have installed many. A 2 arm petit is impossible to keep up with a 4 arm machine. They do come in second place though. A typhoon can wash 250 cars a day like a walk in the park. If your looking for speed and CLEANING in a touchless wash then the typhoon is the way to go. As far as brush washes, most are slow. The oasis i5 takes about 7 min for a top wash. The touchless typhoon can do it in about 3 minutes for a top wash including dwell passes to allow the chemicals to work. When its time to upgrade I would look at both of those machines.

 

[traveler17]

THREE WORDS. OASIS TYPHOON! lol IYKYK haha. Many people think a Petit is the latest and greatest in speed for a touchless. Thats what they market and its a lie. Don't get me wrong I am a little biased since I've operated oasis machines for over ten years and have installed many. A 2 arm petit is impossible to keep up with a 4 arm machine. They do come in second place though. A typhoon can wash 250 cars a day like a walk in the park. If your looking for speed and CLEANING in a touchless wash then the typhoon is the way to go. As far as brush washes, most are slow. The oasis i5 takes about 7 min for a top wash. The touchless typhoon can do it in about 3 minutes for a top wash including dwell passes to allow the chemicals to work. When its time to upgrade I would look at both of those machines.

Not Washworlds?

 

[MGSMN]

Any kind of unattended tunnel (chain, belt or drive through) will be a huge headache for the owner/operator. The general public is clueless on how to properly use them and signage won't help much. You will have people driving through them, backing up in them, stopping in them, hitting other cars and hitting the equipment. All of this even happens at sites like rental car places and dealerships that only have employees using the equipment.

 

[Rodj]

I feel like my area is in the minority. A majority of C-Stores with car washes here are unattended chain mini tunnels, and haven’t really seen people have troubles with them, though it could be due to the area being more rural and people are more used to conveyors than IBAs.

 

[Blanco]

Not Washworlds?

Not if your looking speed in a touchless. The profile is a awesome brush machine. I might even like it better then the I5 to be honest. There are pros and cons.

 

[Blanco]

Has anyone converted their long IBA to a mini tunnel? Watched a Sonny's presentation about converting an IBA to a mini tunnel (anywhere from 43' to 65'). An interesting idea as they suggested that by using a belt system (instead of chain) you could run 24-7 unattended. Personally I think it would be a huge liability especially after watching customers try to navigate a soft cloth with railings for guides.

After hearing all the comments I'm curious Roz, what you thinking?

 

[soonermajic]

Eclipse

www.oasiscarwashsystems.com

I gotta 2nd the Oasis Typhoon & i5!

If you want speed , & a "mini tunnel" experience, check out Oasis Eclipse. That, IMHO, is actually revolutionary. If I needed throughput , could afford it, & wasn't worri3d about a tunnel (or had a tunnel coming but customers loved my touchless) I'd dam sure do their Eclipse model.

 

[washnshine]

Eclipse

www.oasiscarwashsystems.com

I gotta 2nd the Oasis Typhoon & i5!

If you want speed , & a "mini tunnel" experience, check put Oasis Eclipse. That, IMHO, is actually revolutionary. If I needed throughput , could afford it, & wasn't worri3d about a tunnel (or had a tunnel coming but customers loved my touchless) id dam sure do their Eclipse model.

Great point, coach. I wonder if they can do an “eclipse version” of the i5.

As I’m typing this, I wonder if the bay length required for an eclipse is more than some mini tunnels.

 

[soonermajic]

Yes, they can definitely do the i5 Eclipse / mini/tunnel style. We got "in the weeds" on it, w/ the i5, & i was so intrigued. We were gonna take the interior door out, for my site.

I think having dbl Eclipse bays w/ Typhoon & i5 would be a dam CA$H COW! They got 1 in Mizzou, that they had to buy front end loaders, to haul all their money to the bank in!!

 

[Blanco]

Great point, coach. I wonder if they can do an “eclipse version” of the i5.

As I’m typing this, I wonder if the bay length required for an eclipse is more than some mini tunnels.

Bay length for a I5 eclipse should be 75 feet. The typhoon is slightly shorter at 65 feet.

 

[washnshine]

Bay length for a I5 eclipse should be 75 feet. The typhoon is slightly shorter at 65 feet.

That was what I was thinking - you can do mini tunnels in less space.