110" tall tunnel - good idea?

[Icky]

Considering opening a 120' conveyor tunnel with a 110" height capacity to accommodate cars, pickups, and high top sprinter vans. Your thoughts on the height. Good idea?

 

[MC3033]

Ceiling or clearance height?

I guess either way I don’t think I’d recommend

 

[Icky]

Clearance height. Allow Sprinter/ high top cargo vans.

 

[MC3033]

It would take a lot of custom equipment to do this (expensive) and your return would be minimal. To get a even decent sized customer base of the higher vehicles your main marketing message would need to be this, which would seem wasteful.

 

[washnshine]

I think 7’6” or 90” is a pretty standard clearance for a mitter. I’m guessing you would not want top brushes. You’d need all your arches, blowers etc. extended almost two feet. Side wheels and wraps too. I think this would be quite an expense that might not be returned in profits from these vehicles.

There might also be some sacrifice in wash quality for normal sized vehicles with the oversized dimensions/clearances.

 

[OurTown]

After all these comments I suppose the question is how much extra will it cost? Compare that to what your oversized vehicle market potential is. I think it is a good idea if the numbers work out. You would want to go after fleet customers big time. Washnshine's comment about wash quality could be a concern. Try finding one that is out in the wild first and try it or talk to the owner.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

You have to take into consideration of all the different exterior add ons that these types of vehicles have.
Ladders, racks on sides and tops, light bars, larger rear bumpers with attachments and more.
Are they all secured tightly so they won’t be pulled off or blown off at the blowers?
Also what type of dirt/film are on vehicles, cement dust, paint, oil, rock among others?
Sure you could probably wash most of it off but at what cost. I would not want to be the next car in line.
All the crap would get into all of your brushes, ceiling, floors, pit and walls causing A LOT of issues.
Sounds like I’m describing pickups
It’s hard enough washing pickups when they come in with God knows what in the backends.

 

[Icky]

Amazon has a distribution center approximately 4 miles from the location I'm considering. Tommy Wash and AVW claim they can produce the necessary equipment without jepordizing the wash quality for cars. Also, the location is 3 miles from a Pilot truck stop which has Sprinter Vans sitting for their next run. I agree I will have to compare the standard tunnel vs this custom idea. AVW also said they are currently building one and I'm trying to find out where it is located so I can visit it. Roof racks, ladders, and cooling systems which are on the roofs of some of the high top vans are a concern as well. Thanks everyone! Keep the comments coming!!

 

[washnshine]

Maybe some type of hybrid set up where the larger/odd shaped vehicles could get more of a touch free wash with minimal friction after all the hp when they are mostly clean of all the stuff you don’t want in your brushes. Maybe retract most of the friction for the oversized customers. Your regular customers could get the traditional wash with all your friction components. Then you would not have to oversize everything and it would stay cleaner.

You’d probably want to tie this into menu selection too because the commercial vehicles might not want the all the lava, hot wax, rain x, etc. options anyway Your menu might offer a “commercial vehicle” or “oversized vehicle” package selection that specifically caters to these customers with a hybrid type wash to help with all the irregularities you are prone to see.

Good luck with whatever you do and keep us posted.