Modern Car Care 02/2003: Mini-Tunnel vs. In-Bay Automatic

Mini-Tunnel vs. In-Bay Automatic
Which system is best suited for your location?

By Tracy Charuhas

Most operators know that adding an in-bay automatic carwash to their locations can jumpstart business and generate extra income. That's why in-bay automatics are becoming staples of self-serve carwashing.

But what if you could wash more cars and make more money with a different kind of wash? Some operators are doing just that by adding a mini tunnel to their sites.

What's a mini tunnel, you ask? There really isn't an exact definition, but it generally refers to a wash tunnel that is approximately 30 to 75 feet in length. If there isn't room to build a conventional tunnel of 80 feet or more, in some cases it makes sense to build something shorter.

But before you run out and order blueprints for a mini tunnel, there are several factors to consider.

John Antonis, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Hanna Carwash Systems, says operators who are thinking of adding a mini tunnel need to consider two things: cost and throughput.

When it comes to cost, Antonis says most operators don't realize they can purchase and install a conveyor system for the same price (or lower) as an in-bay automatic.

"The price of in-bay automatics has soared in recent years," Antonis says. "Touchfree [in-bay] systems require expensive chemicals, water heaters and water softeners. Consequently, operating costs tend to be higher. Throughput is also limited to about 12 to 15 cars per hour.

Antonis says a mini tunnel can wash 35 to 65 cars per hour, depending on the location. Andretti Winning Finish Car Wash in San Francisco has a mini tunnel that consistently washes 5,000 to 7,000 cars per month and is operating in what is essentially an in-bay automatic building, he says.

"Mini tunnels allow the operator better return on investment," Antonis says. "Not only can the operator maximize the number of cars washed during peak business hours, but the cost of operation per car is considerably less."

With this in mind, you might wonder why every operator doesn't have a mini tunnel at his wash? Antonis and Steve Davis, national sales manager for Ryko, says operators need to consider car counts before making the move to a mini tunnel. He says a location will not be successful if it is not properly laid out. The cars need to be able to line up properly so they can be driven into the tunnel with ease. Some smaller sites will not provide this kind of space. Car counts are another crucial part of mini-tunnel success. If site traffic is not good to begin with, there's no point in adding a conveyor, he says.

"If the site has the potential to do higher volume, then a conveyor would be a good choice...but if you're not washing that many cars a month, a conveyor wouldn't make a difference," Davis says.

Johnny Jones, co-owner of Nashville-based National Car Wash, says his company has touchless tunnels at two of its self-serve carwash locations. The tunnel washes operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no attendant on duty.

"We can wash about 50 cars an hour," Jones says. "Our in-bays only do about 12 per hour."

Bill Consolo, owner of Chief's Manufacturing, is a big believer in mini tunnels. He says there are numerous advantages to adding a mini tunnel rather than an in-bay automatic including higher income, faster wash speed and lower water consumption.

In terms of price, operators could easily spend thousands of dollars more on an in-bay automatic than a mini tunnel, only to wash 20 or 30 fewer cars per hour. Another advantage of mini tunnels, he says, is that customers don't have to wait as long in line for a mini tunnel wash.

"I would rather be the tenth car in line at a mini tunnel vs. an in-bay," Consolo says. "It would take 40 minutes to an hour at an in-bay depending on how many customers opted for the deluxe wash."

Another advantage of mini tunnels, Consolo says, is that they consume less water than in-bay automatics.

"It is far easier to re-use reclaim water for the entire mini-tunnel wash process and save about 70 percent on water and sewer costs," Consolo says. "In a typical in-bay automatic, only the first pass of high pressure can be recycled due to the limited rinse capability. This reduces potential water and sewer savings to 40 to 50 percent," he says.

Property considerations

Once an operator decides to add a mini tunnel to his carwash, he needs to figure out how much space he can dedicate to it. Antonis says the amount of space needed for both types of washes is approximately the same. While an in-bay automatic with an onboard dryer can operate in as little as 28 feet, the growing length of popular vehicles, like the Ford Excursion, requires manufacturers to install longer tracks. Also, most touchfree systems require drive-through dryers, that extend the bay length to easily that of a mini tunnel, he says.

Another area for operators to consider is the equipment room. Consolo says the equipment rooms for mini tunnels and in-bay automatics are approximately the same, but room size will vary according to the type of wash--whether it is touchfree or friction.

The difference in tunnel length between a mini tunnel and a regular tunnel means that a car will move through the shorter tunnel more slowly, getting the full advantage of the equipment. Some say longer arch time can produce better results by the time the car rolls off the end of the conveyor, while other operators believe that having more equipment works better. But the longer dwell time may be the method of choice.

"A typical mini tunnel is two-thirds to three quarters slower than the track of an in-bay automatic," Consolo says. "Since any work performed is always a function of time and horsepower, this means more work is performed [by the mini tunnel]."

Attendants

Once the mini tunnel is built and ready to roll, operators need to decide if they are going to have an attendant on duty at the tunnel entrance.

Some operators are hesitant about letting customers load themselves onto a conveyor without an attendant close by. Customer safety is the main reason. But Jones says he hasn't had any problems since the tunnels were opened.

"We felt that people, once they had been through it a time or two, could load themselves on that conveyor just as easily as loading themselves into an automatic carwash," he says.

But there are some things an attendant can do that a customer can't--prep the cars and assist customers, thereby increasing the number of cars washed per hour.

Consolo says that while mini-tunnel washes can operate successfully without an attendant, he wouldn't recommend it. First of all, he says, operators will need to spend thousands of dollars on an interactive point-of-sale (POS) system that gives verbal instructions to customers--one that tells them about the different wash options, when to stop and when to put the vehicle in neutral. Despite the high price tag, this equipment obviously can't prep cars loaded with snow, ice, bugs and mud. Only an attendant can do that.

Attendants also make the customer feel more "at home," Consolo says. He adds that the act of putting a vehicle in neutral and taking your foot off the brake is not a natural one for most customers.

"We operate a high-volume--1,000-plus car a day--exterior wash, and keeping cars bumper to bumper and getting people in neutral is a challenge even with an attendant. I would not even contemplate a conveyor system without one, regardless of the technology available," Consolo says.

But Davis says he knows of several self-serves with mini tunnels that do not have attendants on site. He does, however, recommend that mini tunnels be attended on busy days to increase throughput. Antonis agrees.

"Most operators decide to have attendants because unattended washes tend to slow throughout and reduce profits as inexperienced customers try to operate the unattended POS systems," Antonis says. "However, in some markets like Chicago, Hanna has many unattended tunnels. It is probably more dependent on the individual market norms."

If you're contemplating adding a mini-tunnel or in-bay automatic, check your carwash site and your car counts. A mini tunnel may be just what you're looking for.