Vector Rapid Wash

[864real]

I'm looking to buy a wash that had a vector rapid wash in it. Will be my first one with IBA. I'm going to inspect everything as part of the purchase.

What should I be looking for?
Are these good touch free units?
How difficult are these to maintain?


If I do get it, am sure will have a ton of questions as wash appears to have poor performing SS bays and sure this will need maintenance as well.

Just want to know how good these are and what do I need to look at when evaluating the health of the unit.

 

[Greg Pack]

IMO You should budget for new autos. That's an old unit and was mediocre cleaner when it was brand new. I like to squeeze all the useful life out of machines but In 2006 I bought a wash that had two of those that were only five years old and due to their poor performance and continued reliability issues. I promptly yanked them out. I put in a gantry units (despite being warned that the customers will hate the claustrophobic feeling) and business increased substantially

On the plus side, those air cannon dryers are awesome, do not get rid of them! It will save you 15-20K on a reload and I'm still using mine that are 23 years old. If you do replace them please let me know!

 

[864real]

How much approx is a new IBA? I was hoping to get a year or 2 out of this unit to let me get rest of the wash updated, but to your point, it may pay off to go ahead depending on cost. What really is the difference between different touch free system? If it is just pressure and chemicals, is there that much advantage to a new system? I could see speed, but unless there is a line waiting, not sure if that is a huge deal. But as I said would be first experience with IBA.

 

[Waxman]

I replaced an older touchfree machine with a Washworld Razor a few years ago. The razor has on overhead bridge design and mine rolls back and forth on a stainless cage.

The difference is night and day. The new Razor changed my whole business. New technology is the main benefit, imo. The razor has a touchscreen that is easy to navigate and can be accessed remotely.

Wash quality is superior. Maintenance is easier. Design is better. Washes faster.

 

[Greg Pack]

Well, I don't want to insist that you have to reload immediately but it would be on my short list of to-do items. A new IBA is 150-200K Keep your dryers, they are some of the best on the market and will save you a lot of money. If a dryer motor goes out you can replace it for $1500.

If on a budget, I'd consider replacing one vector with a new friction unit(unless you're surrounded by tunnels) and keep the old vector for spare parts. If people want a touch free wash you can point them to a vector. If the vector doesn't clean well enough you can refer them to the soft cloth. I have an istobal cloth unit that cleans very well (and you would have an excellent service tech for istobal in SC). But washworld makes a good friction unit and also one of the better inverted L touch frees on the market and this would hopefully help with service and parts by having the same brand. I don't know who services- washworld there though, someone here does I'm sure.

 

[Fatboy769]

Greg, looks like for Washworld in South Carolina, there are a few choices, like Etowah Valley, Power Clean and Howco

 

[cbchevy4x4]

Well here is my take, I bought my second wash last april that has a well maintained vector in it. My other wash has a razor edge. I did some upgrades to the vector to buy me some time and start producing cleaner cars. I spent probably 3k doing some simple upgrades. Basically: Changed the TF delivery, added an extra output to add another option (graphene), converted from pulsafeeder to injectors and put new HP hoses and nozzles on it. Aside from a gearbox and a couple sonars going out ive kept it going. I swapped my chemicals to McClean from what ever the other owner was using, and redid the entire wash menu. Customer have been raving about how much cleaner and drier their cars are after the wash. I wanted to get 2 years out of it myself. With seeing how much better the unit is operating and the revenue increase i have gotten from redoing the wash packages, i am planning on sometime in the next 6 months of doing my reload to a razor edge. Both my Razor and Vector Packages are the same for the most part but the time savings is huge for thru put from the vector to the razor. Top wash comparison is 5:49 to 4:18 between the 2 machines not counting driers this is from stop light to green light on both. If you have to put much more than 10k in it to just get it running probably not worth it.

 

[864real]

Thanks for the feedback. With the purchase and other things that have to be taken care of would love to put a few $k in it and get some time out of it and glad to hear you had good results updating it some.

I think I would like to stay touchfree just to be different than the tunnels.

Anyone know someone that could work on the vector in the upstate of SC?

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I know that Etowah Valley Eq. in Etowah, NC has/had a Vector in their own wash. I'm not sure what brands he sells, but I would contact them. 888-920-2646