Automated Car wash?

Discussion in 'New Member Check-In' started by Jnichols316, Apr 20, 2017.

  1. Jnichols316

    Jnichols316 Active Member

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    Guys- the Owner's Manual says the Raptor is too wide for most automated car washes. Has anyone run theirs through one yet?
     
  2. VT Raptor

    VT Raptor Full Access Member

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    just reading the title of this thread made me cringe..... and even if one guy goes thru without a scratch doesnt mean the next guy will. cant we all agree to hand wash?


    2 interesting post from the "other" Raptor forum - again - not mine but relevant..

    So I decided to treat my Raptor to nice interior and exterior detailing. I called local carwash/detailer. They said no problem we wash Raptors all the time.. I drove up the sceptical that my truck would fit. I talked to the manager and he came out and looked at the truck and said "no problem"

    I drove the truck around and drove it through their "touchless wash" the guy waved me in and lined me up. Covered the whole truck with soap, and sent me on the way. Get to the tire cleaner and the truck gets caught between the brushes. And brings the carwash to an abrupt stop...
    The guy runs over and tells me to put it in neutral and let go the steeringwheel. I told him I was.. So he runs in front of the truck and says the truck jumped the track and they will need to get a tow truck to pull me out.
    By now I am getting pissed, and said i will just back out. The manager said you can't you'll pop your tires and break the tire scrubber if you move the truck. So I try to get out and unable to so I look out the window and decide to back up.
    The manager said "STOP! There are cars behind you" I yelled at him, "they'll move.." I gunned the motor and popped the front tire up and over the wheel brushes and snapped them off. And backed right out of the car wash, and all the cars behind me moved right out of my way.

    Get out of my foam covered truck and go into the managers office. He apologized and gave me a refund, and sent his guys out to spray off the truck. I tell him to leave my truck alone and just spray that shit off, I will go somewhere else.


    AND -


    One of my business investments is a chain of car washes. As a result, I've been pushing the manufacturer/supplier of our wash equipment to come up with designs that will accommodate the Raptor and other large 4X4 trucks. This has proved more complex than you might imagine.

    There are several key "choke" points that come into play with the Raptor as follows:
    • Tire width - This comes into play initially with the track or belt width. Most older tracks are to narrow. More modern ones appear to fit up to a 35 x 12.5, however, when you add in sidewall lugs, many will not fit. The second issue is the tire wash or tire shine applicator. Nearly all of the rotating versions cannot accept anything wider than roughly 11", so no go for the Raptor. The bar or pad applicator styles have more flexibility and can be set-up to accommodate a 35 x 12.5.
    • Frame width - This refers to the square tube frame that supports the wash equipment. Most older designs are to short to handle the height of the Raptor and in some cases also to narrow. More modern frames have the height and width to work but the articulating arms (support for the rotating brushes) that adjust to each vehicles width and also move across the front and back of the vehicle don't always have the range to handle larger trucks.
    The next evolution of wash equipment will handle larger tire and vehicle sizes but, for now, be very skeptical if a wash operator claims your Raptor can fit.



    AND AND - for the record this should probably be in the cleaning / detailing section of the forum.
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2017
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  3. Nexmeister

    Nexmeister Full Access Member

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    i cringed as well when I read the title. My dealership told me they don't hand wash and run it through a machine. I told him not to wash it. He said "totally understand. most people with a $70k truck don't want a machine wash".
     
  4. Vikes91

    Vikes91 Well-Known Member Military

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    Ok, hammer me if you will. I was a super freak with my cars and would not let brushes touch them. Through the years I have found that less and less people care about some surface scratches, shit most can't see them. It doesn't affect what I will get for my truck when I move on. Plus the brushes have gotten so soft they really don't leave them if you wax your vehicle regularly. On top of the above, I now live in Wyoming where hand washing a car for 5 months a year is more or less impossible without a proper storage building.

    So after all that, I run my truck weekly through our local car wash, brushes and all. No problems ever. Now the blowers at the end extend and have some sort of cloth covering them. It rubs down the passenger side and makes me nervous everytime. But to this day, I do not see any scratches on my Avalanche Gray paint. If I had a dark color I bet I could find them.

    So bash away, I have thick skin and know what my truck looks like. :gr_guns:
     
  5. Nexmeister

    Nexmeister Full Access Member

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    HHAHAHA understand. I ordered black. That light colour of your wouldnt bother me either.
     
  6. Rapere1

    Rapere1 Full Access Member

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    To each their own but i bet most of us here who've spent $70k for their truck, won't even think of taking a chance of driving it through an automated car wash. Hand wash at home or do the self power wash.

    Now the funny thing is this, we are afraid to get the truck scratched at the carwash but have no fear what so ever to go blasting off road with it. We all know there's no trees, dirt, rocks, etc that could possibly scratch our babies off road.....................
     
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  7. Nexmeister

    Nexmeister Full Access Member

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    thats why I am going to Opti-Coat mine. Less stress and more fun! ;)
     
  8. Gdog

    Gdog Full Access Member

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    What's the cost of this opti-coat?
     
  9. Nexmeister

    Nexmeister Full Access Member

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    Waiting to get quoted. I'm hearing about $700
     
  10. blackhole

    blackhole Full Access Member

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    if u scratch it up enough u will have it ready to kevlar it. should cut down on cost from 5k to 4k of that process :):gathering:
     
  11. Gdog

    Gdog Full Access Member

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    already have 4 to 5k in goodies added in mods. I'm done for now. you rich boys charge ahead. post pics !!!
     
  12. TXRAPTR

    TXRAPTR Full Access Member

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    Short answer to your question is yes, you can run your truck through "select" automated car washes, you just have to do a little homework on the front end and once you know there is a good one in town that is safe then just keep returning to that one and problem solved. One thing I have found, if you go inside and ask a manager about it (not the teenager at the front of the wash) and specifically ask if they have prior experience with Raptors they will give you an answer quickly yes or no. The $10 charge is not worth to them breaking expensive parts inside the car wash by hoping for the best so usually they will be pretty honest with you quick.
     
  13. Rapere1

    Rapere1 Full Access Member

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    I'm all about the charity car washes:
    [​IMG]
     
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  14. Jnichols316

    Jnichols316 Active Member

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    OK great advice TXRaptr- thx so much!
     
  15. Vikes91

    Vikes91 Well-Known Member Military

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    I need them to come here.
     

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