Finding More Abandoned Car Washes | Episode 4

[@davehoffman9767]

Your opening statement is so true,,,,,!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Buy a yellow truck and all you see is yellow trucks HA! HA!

[@2manycuntryrds355]

Love the work ethic

[@therevestor]

Thanks for watching

[@McLivin410]

What happened with the first one? Can we get a follow up on it?

[@Knightfall23]

Yes where is part 3!

[@therevestor]

Should have an update on that location for you guys this month...stay tuned

[@RudyRudolph]

So not sure if it has been mentioned in previous videos or not, but one piece of equipment you will absolutely need is a pit cleaner. You have to be able to clean out the mud and junk from your pits so that they do not get backed up and overflow. You can find used ones and they tow behind your truck. They work like a mini excavator for mud. I grew up in the carwash business as my family owned probably 20+ in our area.

[@therevestor]

If I could find a good used one at a reasonable price I would consider buying it but most guys in my area that only have a few will pay $1500 once or twice a year to a company to clean their pits.

[@downbeatfinancial]

Interesting, The third one you showed is listed as "permanently closed" on apple maps

[@robthomas7232]

$25k - $30k for 5 meter boxes, wow! TBH I don't know what they do exactly but it just seems like there should be a more cost effective device and set up for this. I'm from the UK and we don't have car washes like this, ours tended to be mostly automatic ones attached to petrol (gas) stations where you drive in and it does its stuff around the car. Then say 25 - 30 years ago they then started putting in jet washes as well. 10 -15 years ago we got fully automated pull your car along types, but these were attended. Also in the past 15 years we've seen the rise of the hand car wash which set up mostly on sites of disused petrol (gas) stations and seemed better or more obvious value originally starting at £5 but now at £8 depending on where you live. I think your type of car wash didn't develop over here as land is expensive and often difficult to come by.

[@therevestor]

Yup that estimate was so that we could expand to a larger meter that would fit a card reader on it as well and then install coin vaults underneath so there are quite a few pieces involved.

[@robthomas7232]

@@therevestor Surprised coins and notes and still that popular since contactless payments have arrived especially since covid hit. Removing the coin / note mech from each bay but leaving just a contactless option would make that a lot simpler, more reliable and possibly cheaper. You could then have 2 or 3 coin / note machines in the central vend area which could issue a code for the bay. Not sure what the adoption of contactless is over in the US and this type of change might put people off.

[@hunterhoughton5752]

keep us updated!

[@therevestor]

Going to have a lot of good car wash stuff coming up in the next month. Making some large purchase right now.

[@jesusfelix2605]

I dig it

[@therevestor]

I appreciate the feedback

[@jesusfelix2605]

@@therevestor yeee

[@stepheneggert7388]

It's a lot of work..brother..and costly to maintain.. no vacation time ..stuff aways breaking down. .you,lol get no sleep. Trust me..I'm at the self service every day..you never know what's what..bring your luanch..to work..get it..late nights..a pillow..

[@jimzocco6365]

Totally agree.

[@robthomas7232]

So what are the typical breakdowns?

[@stepheneggert7388]

Coin box's..quarter slots .dallor slots .vacuum moters.going out..vav hoses getting clogged up.. chemical ..tanks needs adjusments your air lines from compressor leaking .hoses..just a start..I've had belts on my dallor readers for quarters whare out.. high pressure hose s cut in the bays, ripped off the walls you name it it's happened..at our car wash..I'm there every morning..we have a brand new oasis XP touch free unit. Since April of 2021 love it.. had a high pressure hose to the unit burst.., but it's in my opinion one of the best built unit .built in Kansas,mo. I manage this self service car wash..for the owner..there me ..and I have 2 other guys who come by each day to empty trash can s. Am and pm each day..and to check everything ..I hope this helps ...I'm Simi retierd..I'm there at least 3 hrs m-f. Weekends. With the auto wash ..a big hit 6 hrs ..the unit can wash up to 12 cars and HR..so I make shure customer s are happy..when they leave..that the difference ..just being there .. customer s like seeing someone on site..you build good reviews on line..

[@robthomas7232]

@@stepheneggert7388 Interesting and I guess you can only build so much redundancy and resilience into each service. With everything becoming more internet connected then are these machines able to report their faults directly to you or are you just having to rely on the customers or whoever goes to the site to check they are working? Also is there anyone doing smartphone apps for customers that can push out offers and encourage them to come back?

[@stepheneggert7388]

Typical a self serve bay should bring 2 grand or more a month....our vacs have 6 of them one with a shampoo should fill a 5 gal bucket..a month ..we have 6 ..vacs. that's alot of change..we're on the gulf coast..of fl. Weather good yr round..here. The new automatic wash should pay it's self off in a yr or two..at a hundred thousand cost ..pluss extra s. To install..I'm just the guy here on site ..each day. You must love people..to do this kind of work.. and being outside.i grew up in the service station.. business ..it's all customer experience..to make the difference..ok..

[@garretrounds5815]

Oh i saw that abandoned car wash i drove by it

[@therevestor]

Yeah its in a great location

[@boejangels8008]

I wish someone would link up with a good chemical/soap supplier like Adam’s or chemical guys you could market it more towards detail guys

[@therevestor]

Yeah that would be great and add their logo/brand on the rotary switch in the bay but I havent heard of anyone doing it yet.

[@boejangels8008]

@@therevestor do it first man it’s a good way to attract the do it yourself detail guy I hand wash my car but go to a self wash in between to do some light washing

[@jimzocco6365]

They are run down, cause they didn't make enough money real simple. The self serve bussines model is becoming a dinosaur. I have two operating sites, tough way to make money.

[@therevestor]

There are a lot of good functioning locations in my area as well and from what I have found the sites that are abandoned or not running is because the owner is distracted and focused on something else in their business or professional life.

[@sandyrodriguez2803]

The nice self washes around me do incredibly well.

[@thatredcam]

Depends what state. If you’re out here in California , people are washing their cars 24/7, especially people with their nice modified cars who don’t want their paint scratched use these. Looking into getting one soon in California 👌🏼

[@fernesal]

Before you buy an used carwash I recommend you to work at one for a couple years. Do the maintenance and repairs and customer service. Attend phone calls and deal with everything. There's a constantly investing on parts and servicing. Parts are crazy expensive and they don't last anymore as they used to. Beside all that customers dont care and destroy stuff when frustrated.

[@RealCountryMusic882]

I DONT LIKE THE LOGO ON YOUR CAR MR LOL if you want me to tell you the meaning of ford i will