IBA Friction Rollover + Modular Building?

[CuriousDel]

Hello Everyone again! As some of you may know I am thinking of adding a IBA to my gas/conv store. I was leaning towards a touch-free IBA such as the new PDQ laserwash system but now am considering a friction rollover IBA such as the Mark VII system. I have noticed these at kwik trip stores and really like how well they clean the car. The chemical costs per wash should be down and the initial costs. What do you guys think about a machine of this caliber vs touch-free.

I think that touch-free is still the consumers favorite for the most part, but after they realize that it has not done a satisfactory job I am afraid they are not likely to return. Of course this all depends on how well the touch free is maintained which of course will be about average in that category as my business is more than an hour away and gas station employees will do the most daily checks.

Also, I came across www.genwash.com and Modular car wash building? what are these things and what are the pro's and con's?

Thanks for your help again guys

 

[captain cw]

Customers are choosing friction more often than not nowadays. We keep charging more and they expect a clean car. Everywhere I have seen friction and touch-free side by side, the friction wins by at least 2-1, no matter the manufacturer.

 

[CuriousDel]

Captain-

What kind of friction machines are you running at your locations? $ of Wash Packages? How are the damages claims, I would assume they are more rare now with the newer technology. And also, do you recommend any friction rollovers?

 

[rph9168]

This press release came from Mark VII this week.

For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Steve Robinson
Mark VII Equipment Inc.
Phone: 303-432-4419
Email: srobinson@markvii.net

Mark VII Saw Major Shift to Friction Carwashing in 2009

January 4, 2010 – Arvada, Colorado – Mark VII Equipment Inc., the US subsidiary of WashTec AG of Germany, the leading supplier of innovative solutions for the carwash business worldwide, experienced a major increase in friction carwash sales in 2009.

“Friction in-bay automatics represented about a third of our rollover sales in recent years,” said Murray Kennedy, CEO of Mark VII. “But in 2009, when we introduced our next generation SoftWash XT® rollover, friction unit sales jumped to 51%.”

“There are four major factors driving this trend,” said Steve Robinson, Director of Marketing and Product Management for Mark VII. “First is the popularity of sleeker 3-brush designs compared to older, industrial-looking 5-brush systems. Second is demand for newer technology that significantly reduces water consumption to as little as 15 gallons to get a car clean. Third is the fact that friction machines require less chemicals, which combined with lower water consumption, reduces operating costs and makes the business greener. And finally convenience store chains, which represent the lion’s share of in-bay automatic carwashes, want to take advantage of friction’s lower operating costs and the excellent cleaning results they provide to their customers.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” continued Kennedy. “Touch-free carwashing isn’t going away, which is why we also launched our next generation AquaJet XT® rollover last year. Both wash formats have their place and we’re happy to see carwash operators more willing to give consumers a choice of the format that best suits their needs.”

 

[captain cw]

CuriousDel,

I'm sold on the Ryko SoftGloss. Damage claims are almost non-existant. I get the same amount of claims on my touch-free, which is to say 99% are bogus. I charge $5, $8, and $10. I also have many upgrade option such as tire shiner, etc.
Most manufactures are putting out good friction units nowadays. Ryko has been building friction rollovers longer than anybody else and seem to have things figured out. That being said, I would spend more time researching the equipment reps/distributors in your area. There has been a lot of turnover in the market. Distributors changing lines of equipment or not having a history with the equipment they are representing. You want to make sure you are well supported and the warranty is worth more than the paper it's written on. Good luck.