Truck Car Wash Bay with Unlimited height

[washregal]

Looking to add a Truck wash bay to my existing wash facility - open air bay. Has anyone put something like this together in the past - experience with equipment / layout etc? ws it worth the extra cost / addition? Any tips / hints?

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Dear God no, it wasn't worth it! They are the biggest mess magnet ever! You will not only get trucks, which will occasionally grease it up real well when the clean off the back end. You will get that mud covered piece of equipment up on a trailer that will make a mess 10-15' farther out than the bay hose will reach. You'll get anything and everything, 90% of which you won't want. Regular vehicles will seldom use it because it has no roof. Long story short, it will be responsible for the majority of your cleanup, but only a small fraction of your deposits. I've had two, and got rid of the last one in 1994...good riddance!

 

[MEP001]

You can make a lot of money with a truck bay or two, but as I.B. said it will probably be very messy. Plan on a full-time person to keep it clean. I was just talking to someone yesterday who attended the same wash I did in 1982 - he said before it got sold for a toll road it had gotten so bad they were cleaning one of the four pits every day with a backhoe. Sometimes someone would leave rocks in the bay so big they had to bring out the backhoe to move it. But it wasn't unusual for each truck to spend $50-100 at a time.

 

[2Biz]

OK...I'm the opposite! I have a truck bay that a semi can pull through. 14.5' of clearance under the boom... I get semi's, boats, campers, trucks and trailers. All of which can't use the inside bays. I also encourage atv's, mowers, and muddy trucks to use the outside bay so its easier to clean up and helps keep the inside bays cleaner. Seems to work ok for me.....

Yea yea, I occasionally get a mess that makes me cuss...But I get that in any of the bays. So I just try to take the good with the bad and keep moving forward.

 

[chaz]

Many areas won’t allow open bays due to waste water entering the storm water system....obviously older set ups are grandfathered.

 

[OurTown]

Many areas won’t allow open bays due to waste water entering the storm water system....obviously older set ups are grandfathered.

Or storm water in the sanitary sewer.

 

[MEP001]

Or storm water in the sanitary sewer.

That's the case here. One of the last new washes in the area had to put an extra-wide canopy and channels leading to storm drains at the bay entrances and exits so driving rain wouldn't enter the pits.

 

[2Biz]

Benefits of living in a small town. Yes, the outside bay is grandfathered in. The OP might check local restrictions before breaking ground.

 

[washregal]

2Biz - just curious the cost of the equipment / addition of the wash - do you also have a pit that you installed? Are there any Truck wash manufacturing companies that specialize in Truck wash extension type of equipment? Just doing my homework and cost justification on this. I have several companies that have large fleet vehicles that cannot use my other facility's ss or automatic - this I am thinking will separate me from other's in the area as they are all tunnel wash's

 

[JMMUSTANG]

If it’s an open bay and you only have one wall I would suggest installing a cat walk high enough so large trucks and Semi’s can spend more time($) cleaning the top of the rigs.

 

[Randy]

Been there and done that and never again. I think the straw that broke the camels back was when a jerk trucker came in and washed off his 5th wheel, grease everywhere. The next customer got covered in black grease, he wasn't very happy to say the least. I don't care how much they spend it's not worth the effort or aggravation.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Randy I totally agree.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

As my dad would say "I wouldn't have one stuck up my butt, even if it felt good."

 

[MEP001]

I'd do it as long as I didn't have to clean it.

 

[2Biz]

2Biz - just curious the cost of the equipment / addition of the wash - do you also have a pit that you installed? Are there any Truck wash manufacturing companies that specialize in Truck wash extension type of equipment? Just doing my homework and cost justification on this. I have several companies that have large fleet vehicles that cannot use my other facility's ss or automatic - this I am thinking will separate me from other's in the area as they are all tunnel wash's

The truck bay was added back in the 80's when the CW was rehabbed with new pump equipment. So I wouldn't have a clue as to the cost. The arch is made out of 4" x 8" I-Beam...Very substantial. That would be easy to calculate. The truck bay pump and chemical selection is exactly the same as the other 3 bays. So that would be easy to calculate cost...The 2 stage pit is like the other bays, about 12' long, 16" wide, and 18-20" deep. I only have to shovel the pit out about once a month. I can do all 4 in less than an hour...The truck bay does collect a little more mud than the other bays, but its the way I want it....Most of the time, people follow the rules. I guess that's better than nobody following the rules all the time!

The truck bay isn't my busiest bay. The bay to the left of the Er is the busiest, the truck bay second. Its this way every week. And all the bays have the same performance as close as I can get them set. So the truck bay has its place. Its the 2nd biggest $$$ generator at the wash. Aside from the Pop machines, LOL....You've heard it before, Location...Location...Location...Has a big role to play as to how a wash is used and how successful it can be.

 

[washregal]

JM - Was thinking Catwalk on either side as well as maybe plexiglass high side walls like Mosmatic shows on their website.

 

[2Biz]

And then you have to think about the dark-side! WHAT IF someone falls down the steps. Can you be held liable? I like the idea though. But I don't have the room. If starting from scratch, I'd look at it from all angles....

 

[washregal]

2 Biz -

Thank you for this detail guessing it was built by previous owner? Something more hand made - vs. a wash company's design? Can you do semi tractors in it? Also - have you seen a reduction of current customers in your bays with the truck wash added - I mean do these larger vehicals detract from others washing?

 

[2Biz]

Since my truck bay was installed back in the 80's, yes the arch is home-made! And yes, a semi can get under the arch since it's 14.5' high. I get a few semi's who are local. They love it. They say they can wash for about $10 v's $100 at the semi washes they use on the Freeways. Most just leave the trailer at home or parked somewhere else. Some bring the trailer and wash it too. Since the truck bay is on the end and there is a side entrance, they mostly pull in from the side street (More straight in). I don't think it deters others from using the other three bays. Never had a complaint. As long as you can make it to where they can't block the main entrance or other bays, I don't think you'll have any issues.

 

[washregal]

I get what people are saying about the clean up - completely understandable - if the 5th wheel grease is the worst - maybe let me ask this - is there a chemical or product that would handle that 5th wheel grease well in terms of clean up? Maybe what I do is add to my meter box - a cycle that shows "Truck Bay Clean Up" if someone is nice enough and so inclined they would clean it - if not a nice option for my maint guys to use when cleaning it up in my other SS bays..i would need to charge I higher rate or less time for this service for sure.. I have a fair amount of Tractor's in the area - Semi.. along with a large volume of handyamand / box trucks / and larger trucks with ladder's that can not wash anywhere within a 10 mi radius.