SS 3 + 1 convert ideas.

[South FL Newbie]

Thanks for all the information you guys have posted over the last several years. I've been searching lately for my first SS 3+1 to convert to an express detail and have found a couple locations.


The one I'm most interested in is pictured below. Its on a main 6 lane road in a city of 100k. Average income is 40k and there's virtually no competition.

What i'd like to do is replace the in bay automatic thats made by Sonny and install their new 35ft automatic wash. They're local which makes them convenient and seem to be doing well as a company financially; why are they not very popular here on this forum? I've been looking into other companies such as Hanna, Peca and Ryko to see if they can accommodate for the tight space were working with.

Our plan is to add the conveyor wash, have drying in the rear of the building which loops back into the outter two bays which is where we'll have the vacuums. The inner most bay will be converted into storage and a lobby. Has anything like this been done before? What do you guys think, any suggestions?


http://s50.photobucket.com/albums/f308/AutoUnionAG/?action=view&current=OriginalTunnel.png

Thanks in advance! I look forward to adding some input as my business progresses!

Cheers!

-Tom

 

[DiamondWash]

Are you talking about Sonny's new Mini Extreme Express? I'd stick with sonny's being they are in your backyard for service and support

 

[mac]

While Sonny has been in the conveyor market for a long time, IMO, they are still learning the inbay automatic. I've witnissed two new installation in south FL and both have had major issues. Feel free to send me a PM if you want owners names. Thw wash you mentioned does sound good. Sounds like the information you've acquired here may be paying for itself soon.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Check out AVW car wash equipment too.
Good solid equipment and the cost is right.
Don't know if they have a distributor there, which is a must since you know nothing about maintaining and servicing anyone's car wash equipment.
Here's a link but check out their whole site:

http://www.avwequipment.com/en/fleet-systems/drive-through

 

[robert roman]

“Why are they (Sonny’s) not very popular here on this forum?”

Most of the members of this forum have kinship because they are mom & pop business owners. As independents that purchase equipment, building and chemical, they tend to speak their mind without need to pay particular attention to political correctness.

This venue is one of the few public forums available to carwash operators and it provides the opportunity to air out one’s cripes about participants in the industry. So, we get to read comments by people who are not happy with a particular company, Sonny’s being no exception.

As for: “Has anything like this been done before? What do you guys think, any suggestions?”

Yes, like most things in the carwash industry, it has been tried or done before or copied.

I am currently working on one of these projects now, in Florida. This is a multiple wand-bay facility that may be redeveloped as an express exterior tunnel with detail. Another project I worked on like this, just opened. This is a self-service with two wand-bays and one in-bay that was redeveloped into an express exterior wash with two wand-bays and one in-bay express system, free use vacuums, no detail.

“Our plan is to add the conveyor wash….drying in the rear of the building which loops back into the outter two bays which is where we'll have the vacuums. The inner most bay will be converted into storage and a lobby.”

Instead of remodeling the building, you plan to change the business model and take the property to a higher and better use. So, my suggestion would be to think in terms of “redevelopment” rather than “plan to add the conveyor wash.”

This means you should begin with property length and width planning, pretending that the building in place does not exist. After designing a layout that maximizes the site as an express wash with detail, you would compare it with the current layout to determine if it is possible to use the existing building without compromising the likely performance of the wash, financial and quality.

If you can use the building where it is currently placed, don’t limit your choice to only one OEM. Designing a compact mini-tunnel (i.e. 35’) isn’t rocket science today because the technology can be pulled off the shelf.

MacNeil, Peco, N/S, Ryko, etc. offer mini-tunnels with some of these OEM’s having the ability to customize to your needs. You may also want to consider a moving platform rather than a conventional over/under or surface mounted chain conveyor or an express in-bay system.

Your proposed layout would work but I see other options that would extract a lot more potential from this property.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Thanks for all the information you guys have posted over the last several years. I've been searching lately for my first SS 3+1 to convert to an express detail and have found a couple locations.


What i'd like to do is replace the in bay automatic thats made by Sonny and install their new 35ft automatic wash. They're local which makes them convenient

Our plan is to add the conveyor wash, have drying in the rear of the building which loops back into the outter two bays which is where we'll have the vacuums. The inner most bay will be converted into storage and a lobby. Has anything like this been done before? What do you guys think, any suggestions?


-Tom

My thoughts.
1. From the photo, dimensions are difficult to make out. Make the conveyor as long as possible. This will allow for more options later.
2. Looping back to exit thru a bay is problematic. Why do that? It seems like all cars exit now on the side of the building opposite the IBA.

3. Convert a bay to a lobby and storage? Why? Do SS and EE's have lobbies in your area?
4. If you want more vacs for the tunnel (and assuming the top of the photo is North,) It looks like there is room for more vacs along the North and East perimeter.