Car Wash Forum
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Wichita video shows car wash theft
- Thread starter Diana
- Start date
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
Diana,
That is where a really good license plate camera recording could pay for itself just for one incident. Those grates are very expensive & are usually custom made up. We had to replace an approximate 2' square section recently & it was almost a $100. We checked into fiberglass grating & for our specific opening of our pits ... it would be too risky in terms of ... if a vehicle would ever drive in with their wheel driving over the grate area. That judgment on our part was based on the engineering specs & visiting with the fiberglass grate manufacturer technical department.
mike walsh http://kingkoin.com/USA_Deficit_Reduction.html
Ghetto Wash
Active member
As my grates are stolen I have replaced them with fiberglass. They haven't taken the fiberglass ones yet.
The ones that I've replaced were 3'x3' and 2'x4'. I have driven right over the center of them many times without any problems. Oldest ones are probably 6-7 years old.
The ones that I've replaced were 3'x3' and 2'x4'. I have driven right over the center of them many times without any problems. Oldest ones are probably 6-7 years old.
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
Any chance that you have a link to those specific fiberglass grates that can be driven over by possibly a much heavier vehicle than the average car etc.?
When I had my grates stolen it would have cost me almost $2000 for new grates, they aren’t cheap. If the Washington State Patrol hadn’t stopped him for not wearing his seat belt they would have been gone, he was on his way to sell them when he got stopped. He worked at a scrapyard and each section of bar grate would have gotten him about $3.00 scrap. Luckily I got them back. The court system kind of pi$$ed me off, they didn’t do anything to the little puke.
Ghetto Wash
Active member
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
Thanks Ghetto for the link.
They seem to be less than 1/3rd of the cost of metal grates. If the below supporting iron channels are within the chart's specifications ... it could very well work out. We sometimes get heavy skidsteers & even heavier loads in our 13' height bay ... I wonder if anyone else has done research on the worst case weight issue or has the expertise to give us more certainty when it comes to a potential unexpected extra heavy load? I notice the KR video does not show self service ... which is where I am concerned about because of the much greater potential of something straddling the center of the bay floor.
mike
tdlconceptsllc
Well-known member
I just replaced one grate with fiberglass and only thing I do not like about it vs, custom metal or wooden ones is the clean up when washing down the bays you no longer have the big cracks for mud and debris for the pits and the fiberglass ones catch every little thing just my two cents.
Diana: I own 3 car washes in the Wichita area. The same low life stole 8 of mine @ Derby wash. Have him on camera but no tag had rag on it. Derby police have video. Strange, SE Wichita wash I have found 3 JEA coin boxes and security bars like new in field w of wash. Mine were all there. Last month found Coinco vending change maker in pit while cleaning @ west wash and 2 changers @ SE wash? All of mine are intact! Had front door distroyed in Dec and corners of dual changer pryed on last week. Halstead breakin guy was cought by police, he had tokens from wash with him, good police work, cop just didn't like the guys looks and pulled him over, small town @ 2am. Diana feel free to contact me, tkx
