This is from my trip back from the ICA meeting in April. This was down the street from this wash.
Bay setup
Vacuum setup
Hamilton changer and vending
Noble Avenue Car Wash, Florida
W Noble Avenue and NW 5th Street Florida Google street view link
This is from my trip back from the ICA meeting in April.
Front venting area: Dilling & Harris Max-Vend-Master with bill acceptor and an American AC2225 changer
Coleman vacuums
Bay setup
Water Wizard setup and American entry unit install
Kleen-Rite Corp Seminar and Expo
I got my packet for the Kleen-Rite Corp seminar and expo. If Pennsylvania was not so far away I would go. I really think that SECWA or other regional shows should watch out: the only thing this Kleen-Rite show doesn’t have is heavy equipment vendors (but the SECWA show just started having heavy equipment around 5 years ago). The next step would be the exhibitors colluding to form their own show and ditching all the regional meetings. But this seems like a great seminar / expo for self serve owners. The seminars that they are having sound better then what the ICA show had.
Long vac nozzle / small vac nozzle?
It seems that the long vac nozzles break way too easily. I purchased them at the ICA show. Seems that the small vac nozzles last a lot longer.
John Thomason owner now broker
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I checked out carwashbrokers.comat the ica show and noticed that my Dad’s express wash was for sale. Seems like a pretty good web site, if you want to purchase more car washes.
I was suprised that John is a broker now. I remember talking to him at the ICA Texas show after he sold his car wash. He used to be on the board of secwa also. [email protected] if you want to spam him.
iwash ICA booth
I really like the iwash and took a couple pictures of their pumping station and their residential version? It would work perfectly next to your mailbox at your house.
Have you ever wondered what the automatic kleen-rite was selling looked like? Well I did, it always seems to be the page I open to. It is a Hydrospray Cobra and the little thing in the last picture is a Rainmaker. Which seems like half a Cobra?
![51YK32NWA4L._SS500_[1].jpg](http://cwguy.com/wp-images/upload/File/200804/02/51YK32NWA4L._SS500_[1].jpg "51YK32NWA4L._SS500_[1].jpg")
I hope the Hydrospay Rainmaker is better then the movie.
I have a picture of an UFO drone / flying fish!
“Buff-It Car Wash” or “$5 Exterior Ride Thru Wash”
While at the ICA show I wanted to check out a couple car washes in the area. I decided to go to the Gatorland Carwash at 14513 Gatorland Drive, Orlando, FL. My first picture of the car wash/oil change next door had a UFO drone in it. The next picture I took did not have the UFO in it, which is proof it was an actual UFO!
Also, in the first picture, besides the UFO, is a sign “irrigated with reclaimed water, do not drink”. There must have been a problem with people drinking water in the median of the road?
Well, this location was a full service wash & detail, an oil change and an express exterior wash blow dry place.
I cracked the code!
Did you ever wonder why there was no ugly information booth women? Well, I figured it out. The lady I was talking to said they were all models.
Rowe vs Standard changer
My Dad has a MC520RL-DA Standard changer and wanted to purchase another one, so we checked out their booth at the ICA show. I was very impressed with how simple the changer is compared to my Rowe changer. This is a comparison of my Rowe changer and a Standard changer.
I believe this is a Standard MC400RL (left picture) which is a little larger then my Rowe BC-200 (which I would swap out in a minute for). The Standard changer is very simple looking, has metal coin hoppers, and uses a Mars or Pyramid bill acceptor. The unit on the right is a MC535RL-CC with is more complicated looking but has a credit card acceptor and a bill acceptor. Very organized looking and plenty of room in the units.
Now here is my Rowe BC-200 tank (actually works). First picture is the changer without the stacker and bill acceptor. The second picture is the stacker and bill acceptor. The third picture is the CCC, while trying to fix any problem with a Rowe changer, the final solution is always replace the CCC.
This coin hopper has to win the most complicated hopper available. Why not make the coin hopper consist of 2 parts? One part (left) consists of a motor (red arrow) and a coin counter (top black thing). Then on the other piece (right, coin hopper) why not have a bike chain with little knobs that snakes up the length of the hopper to spit out the quarter at the top? You also need to clean this once a month or crap will clog up the chain.
Next, add the most complicated bill acceptor (BA-50 transport) that needs to be cleaned every week and sent in to get fixed every year (low volume location). Rowe seems to be in the process of dropping this bill acceptor at this point, which I have to say is the best idea ever. Maybe that’s why every other changer sells their unit with a Coinco, Mars, Pyramid, etc. option?
To be honest I never have any problems out of the ccc and coin hopper, except the coin counter needs to be replaced on one of my units. I do not use the bill stacker and I send my bill acceptor to get fixed every year.
NEW Rowe $5 upgrades
If the Rowe five dollar upgrade board was released and for sale, this is how you would change it out (like a how-to for a product that does not exist). You first take out the CCC board from the Rowe changer. (I lost this guys business card so unfortunately I can not give out his information. I need to try and get this information from my dad.) The first picture shows (red arrow) the board that will be replaced. The second picture shows the board that you will get in the mail. The distributor said that the kit will also come with 2 chips like the one next to his thumb. He also said that the chip on your old board will be labeled and that type needs to be on your new board. He is also pointing at the notch (third picture) that you have to line up with the notch on the ccc board. Looks pretty easy and he said he will be selling them for around $66.
Update: I believe that I found his business card. Jess Vasquez from Baca’s Changer Service & Sales Inc. bcschangers.com