Has anyone on the forum added an express car wash to an existing self serve car wash. I currently have five self serve bays and three pdq touch free automatics. I've been looking at expanding one of my 38 foot bay automatic bays to a 70 foot tunnel. I have already had the plans approved by the city. So I guess my question is if there is anyone out there who has done this and how was the transition? How many cars are you washing through your tunnel? How was your touch frees and self serve bays affected? I have watched all of the sonnys case studies where they claim the tunnels are doing around 4000 plus cars a month, but I was just curious to talk to someone with first hand experience.
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Adding express tunnel to existing self serve
- Thread starter waterway
- Start date
robert roman
Bob Roman
I have several clients that added tunnel operation. The transition is easy. All you need is the money.
As much as 50 percent of wand and in-bay users may switch over to tunnel. So, you should consider that the sales volume claims includes these customers.
Does it work in Florida?
Out of season, the carwash business has become even more difficult in Florida due to fallout from economic crisis.
So, I believe a $3.00 base price and free vacuums is necessary to gain traction.
For example, I live in the Tampa Bay Area and someone in my neighborhood recently converted a 5 + 2 to a 5 + 1 + tunnel (70’).
Nice tunnel but the base price is $6.00 and it doesn’t include air drying or free vacuums.
Consequently, this operator isn’t washing many cars at all.
I believe the most important aspect of the transition is the need to humanize the business.
In the beginning, it’s not enough to entrust the growth and sustainability of the business to an hourly employee.
The marketing demands are greater.
If you want to attract the Millennials, you will need loyalty program, functional website, phone app, text message promotion and social media strategy.
If you want to attract 65 and older crowd, you will need the low price and traditional marketing like direct mail coupons.
Otherwise, tunnel addition can increase customer base and extend market range of successful wash or it can be life saver for an underperforming wash.
As much as 50 percent of wand and in-bay users may switch over to tunnel. So, you should consider that the sales volume claims includes these customers.
Does it work in Florida?
Out of season, the carwash business has become even more difficult in Florida due to fallout from economic crisis.
So, I believe a $3.00 base price and free vacuums is necessary to gain traction.
For example, I live in the Tampa Bay Area and someone in my neighborhood recently converted a 5 + 2 to a 5 + 1 + tunnel (70’).
Nice tunnel but the base price is $6.00 and it doesn’t include air drying or free vacuums.
Consequently, this operator isn’t washing many cars at all.
I believe the most important aspect of the transition is the need to humanize the business.
In the beginning, it’s not enough to entrust the growth and sustainability of the business to an hourly employee.
The marketing demands are greater.
If you want to attract the Millennials, you will need loyalty program, functional website, phone app, text message promotion and social media strategy.
If you want to attract 65 and older crowd, you will need the low price and traditional marketing like direct mail coupons.
Otherwise, tunnel addition can increase customer base and extend market range of successful wash or it can be life saver for an underperforming wash.
*are. Do you agree with the claim that an express can retain .75 percent to 1 percent of the traffic count. I've heard that formula from multiple manufactures as a way to figure out your proforma. I already have 16 vacuums at the self serve so I am planning on doing free vacuum tokens with the tunnel. Are there any washes in Florida you know of that have a set up like this? I'm looking to travel around and see some good examples.
robert roman
Bob Roman
I meant “forced-air” as in drying the car with producers. In other words, the $6.00 is a wet-wash.
Daily capture rate is a naïve and unreliable method to estimate sales volumes. The reason is it is motorists that cause sales volumes to fluctuate not traffic count.
Like a new car window sticker, pro forma from OEM is a tool designed primarily to sell carwash equipment.
For example, a window sticker on a new car contains EPA estimated MPG city/highway.
However, actual mileage depends on how people drive their cars and in what conditions.
So, just as you want to look at several examples of washes to support your decision making, I would consider several methods to estimate sales volumes (i.e. analogue-based, gravity and spatial models, expert opinion and capture rate).
The most efficient method to view relevant washes is to contact equipment dealers in your region that have relevant experience.
After all, you don’t want to waste your time looking at bad examples.
Daily capture rate is a naïve and unreliable method to estimate sales volumes. The reason is it is motorists that cause sales volumes to fluctuate not traffic count.
Like a new car window sticker, pro forma from OEM is a tool designed primarily to sell carwash equipment.
For example, a window sticker on a new car contains EPA estimated MPG city/highway.
However, actual mileage depends on how people drive their cars and in what conditions.
So, just as you want to look at several examples of washes to support your decision making, I would consider several methods to estimate sales volumes (i.e. analogue-based, gravity and spatial models, expert opinion and capture rate).
The most efficient method to view relevant washes is to contact equipment dealers in your region that have relevant experience.
After all, you don’t want to waste your time looking at bad examples.
The biggest challenge you will have is perception . The motorists who have been. " passing by " your wash all the years you been open see you as a self service wash not a conveyorized exterior wash.
Since the highest percentage of car wash customers patronize a wash (52% in one survey) because they pass by your challenge is to change the perception of those who pass by and have never come in.
For those who come in you post signs in the self service bays and handout flyers to the inbay automatic customers.
Bud Abraham
Since the highest percentage of car wash customers patronize a wash (52% in one survey) because they pass by your challenge is to change the perception of those who pass by and have never come in.
For those who come in you post signs in the self service bays and handout flyers to the inbay automatic customers.
Bud Abraham
I saw two locations in NC where they converted a self service bay to a mini tunnel and it SEEMED to be the best decision the operator made. I spoke to the operator and he stated that even on the busiest days, they were never able to wash anywhere near as many cars as they have been washing by converting to a mini tunnel.
