Underbody sprayer??

Jokeman said:
Lawn Sprinker
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I tried going that route once... problem is it just didn't have enough pressure behind it to get caked-on mud cleaned off. Ended up pulling the car up on ramps so I could blast it with the pressure washer wand.
 
if you have a pressure washer can't you rig it to some sort of dolly and then slide it under there?
 
audilover said:
if you have a pressure washer can't you rig it to some sort of dolly and then slide it under there?
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That would be similar to the thing that someone posted the link to on ebay. It's a spray attached to wheels and you can slide it under the car.

With all of these I think the issue is clearance. Some cars are low to the ground so unless you have a special sprayer (or ramps). Using a regular pressure washer wand makes it pretty difficult to get everything off.
 
SeaJay's said:
Yeah but for $50 I figured why not. It's worth a shot. Trust me I'll let you guys know how it works.
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I thought the same thing. I was gonna just buy one. But now that you bought it, I'll wait it out. :xyxthumbs:
 
well, I should have it by the end of the month. Hopefully my pressure washer doesn't crap out on me before then. it's on it's last leg! That's another thing I have to invest in this year is a good pressure washer.
 
zimc5 said:
How's this?

16" Undercarriage Cleaner with Extension Wand 4000 PSI on eBay!
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So I purchased this undercarriage sprayer and was able to test it out today. Not to bad for $50. It's seems to be made very well, everything is pretty heavy duty. The wheels roll really nice on the pavement and the sprayer is heavy enough to keep it rolling smoothly (if that makes any sense).

It has 4 sprayers on the end, One of which didn't want to work. Will fix that later.
IMG_6032.jpg


Here is a pic of it spraying. It does spray much better than the pic shows. And this is only with a 1500 PSI pressure washer that is on it's last leg.
IMG_6033.jpg


It in use...sorry for the bad pic
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Over all I'm pretty happy with it and it did a good job of cleaning under my truck. I think with a higher PSI pressure washer it could really do a great job.
 
Jokeman said:
Lawn Sprinker
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+2

I set mine to do the half moon pattern and run hot water through it. I run the hose lengthwise under the vehicle starting under the engine. I let it run for 5 minutes or so then pull the hose back a few more feet and continue the same until it has reached the rear bumper.

Just my thoughts, but I do like the one from ebay and thanks for the review SeaJay!
 
Nice man. Thanks. Is it just me, or is it not spraying out of the nozzle all the way to the right? In the pic it looks like one isn't working. I will be buying that thing as well. It's a good cheap tool that can make me some dough! Thanks for the review man, I appreciate it. :props:

What would you charge for an undercarriage wash? I was thinking $20??
 
Kristopher1129 said:
Nice man. Thanks. Is it just me, or is it not spraying out of the nozzle all the way to the right? In the pic it looks like one isn't working.
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Don't read, Kris? :poke: :p

SeaJay's said:
So I purchased this undercarriage sprayer and was able to test it out today. Not to bad for $50. It's seems to be made very well, everything is pretty heavy duty. The wheels roll really nice on the pavement and the sprayer is heavy enough to keep it rolling smoothly (if that makes any sense).

It has 4 sprayers on the end, One of which didn't want to work. Will fix that later.
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:dblthumb2:


And $20 for an undercarriage rinse? :laughing: The gas station/line wash does it for free!
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
And $20 for an undercarriage rinse? :laughing: The gas station/line wash does it for free!
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I bet you I could sell it for $20. You can also vac your own vehicle out for $2.50...but I still get $25 for just a vac! You'd be surprised what people will pay for as long as it's not a machine doing it. Plus they're getting it done along with their detail. I don't see it any different than my other add on services.

I get $15 for fabric guard, $50 for headlights, $39 for sealant, $35 for engines...why not $20 for undercarriage? Makes sense to me! haha.Im the MAN
 
Kristopher1129 said:
I bet you I could sell it for $20. You can also vac your own vehicle out for $2.50...but I still get $25 for just a vac! You'd be surprised what people will pay for as long as it's not a machine doing it. Plus they're getting it done along with their detail. I don't see it any different than my other add on services.

I get $15 for fabric guard, $50 for headlights, $39 for sealant, $35 for engines...why not $20 for undercarriage? Makes sense to me! haha.Im the MAN
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Just keep in mind, I too am a detail business owner. I totally understand the desire to profit from what you're doing, I just look at certain services like an undercarriage rinse and think it's way too much price gouging to rip people off on it.

Guess it's the difference between being in it for the money and being in it because it's something you're passionate about in a way that transcends pure profit.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
Just keep in mind, I too am a detail business owner. I totally understand the desire to profit from what you're doing, I just look at certain services like an undercarriage rinse and think it's way too much price gouging to rip people off on it.

Guess it's the difference between being in it for the money and being in it because it's something you're passionate about in a way that transcends pure profit.
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You make me sound greedy for wanting to charge for this service, haha. Ok, that's fine. But we all charge for our services. Trust me, I do a LOT out of the passion of it. I shut my mouth when someones car is full of tree sap, or dog hair, or road paint. You can have a flat rate that's high, and do all these additional services everytime, or you let people pick and choose exactly what they want done, and charge accordingly. It's all the same. I never nickle and dime my customers.

I have packages that include certain things. My Gold, and Platinum Packages would most likely include the undercarriage wash to begin with. But when someone just wants an undercarriage wash...what would you charge? I wouldn't do an undercarriage wash just for the "passion" of doing it.

Basically your saying you would do it for free, because you're the detailer with "passion", and I'm the money grubbing detailer that likes to stick people for their cash, ha. I disagree, I'm extremely passionate about detailing. Which is why I'm successful at it. It's also why I charge for it, and get paid for it...just as you do! :D
 
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Kristopher1129 said:
You make me sound greedy for wanting to charge for this service, haha. Ok, that's fine. But we all charge for our services. Trust me, I do a LOT out of the passion of it. I shut my mouth when someones car is full of tree sap, or dog hair, or road paint. You can have a flat rate that's high, and do all these additional services everytime, or you let people pick and choose exactly what they want done, and charge accordingly. It's all the same. I never nickle and dime my customers.
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You may not see it that way, but you do have to be careful about managing customer perceptions. What you're essentially saying is "I'll sell you a wash for $20, but if you want the wheels thoroughly cleaned that'll be $40 more, if you want the tires dressed that's $10 more, underbody rinse $20..." by the time you're done you have a $90 wash. I guarantee you that even if you do have customers willing to pay you that much, there are probably just as many out there who see your pricing structure and think you ARE out there trying to nickel and dime people.

Not to mention the other unfortunate reality of being in this business, which is that a lot of people don't really know what they want or need. I'd rather just charge a higher flat price that includes services you'd pay extra for at most other places than offer stripped down services at rock-bottom prices because it just leaves people with a different feeling about the experience. Yeah they may be paying a higher price off the bat, but the fact that they aren't having to specify a bunch of extra services or guess at what they might like and thus aren't watching the bill go up and up the whole time makes things less stressful.

I have packages that include certain things. My Gold, and Platinum Packages would most likely include the undercarriage wash to begin with. But when someone just wants an undercarriage wash...what would you charge? I wouldn't do an undercarriage wash just for the "passion" of doing it.
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I sell my services more often than not on the premise of making the customer's investment last longer. In a climate like I am in, we deal with a lot of road salt and other corrosives being thrown all over vehicles all winter long. It does little good to clean up and protect the body and interior, then turn around and ignore the underbody that gets the bulk of the salt and grime exposure. What good is a pristine body and interior sitting on a rusted out frame/floor pans? That doesn't make the investment as a whole last longer.

Instead of trying to compete on price, I prefer to compete in the market on the quality and breadth of services I offer without up-charging like most other people do (though of course, I do still offer certain other services that are an up-charge... just not in quite the same way most people do it). It's psychological warfare marketing, basically. :props:

Basically your saying you would do it for free, because you're the detailer with "passion", and I'm the money grubbing detailer that likes to stick people for their cash, ha. I disagree, I'm extremely passionate about detailing. Which is why I'm successful at it. It's also why I charge for it! :D
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I'm not saying you're not passionate about detailing on any level, I'm saying you don't appear to be passionate about it for the same reasons I am. :hungry:
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
You may not see it that way, but you do have to be careful about managing customer perceptions. What you're essentially saying is "I'll sell you a wash for $20, but if you want the wheels thoroughly cleaned that'll be $40 more, if you want the tires dressed that's $10 more, underbody rinse $20..." by the time you're done you have a $90 wash. I guarantee you that even if you do have customers willing to pay you that much, there are probably just as many out there who see your pricing structure and think you ARE out there trying to nickel and dime people.

Not to mention the other unfortunate reality of being in this business, which is that a lot of people don't really know what they want or need. I'd rather just charge a higher flat price that includes services you'd pay extra for at most other places than offer stripped down services at rock-bottom prices because it just leaves people with a different feeling about the experience. Yeah they may be paying a higher price off the bat, but the fact that they aren't having to specify a bunch of extra services or guess at what they might like and thus aren't watching the bill go up and up the whole time makes things less stressful.



I sell my services more often than not on the premise of making the customer's investment last longer. In a climate like I am in, we deal with a lot of road salt and other corrosives being thrown all over vehicles all winter long. It does little good to clean up and protect the body and interior, then turn around and ignore the underbody that gets the bulk of the salt and grime exposure. What good is a pristine body and interior sitting on a rusted out frame/floor pans? That doesn't make the investment as a whole last longer.

Instead of trying to compete on price, I prefer to compete in the market on the quality and breadth of services I offer without up-charging like most other people do. Psychological warfare marketing, basically. :props:



I'm not saying you're not passionate about detailing on any level, I'm saying you don't appear to be passionate about it for the same reasons I am. :hungry:
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I think you have a misconception about how I run my business. I have packages that are aimed to benefit the customer BIG TIME. If someone gets a Gold Package or higher...it's definitely aimed to better protect the customers investment. Which is why the packages include all my additional services...many of which are not even included in the price (such as the undercarriage would be).

I think the difference between me and you here, is that you stick to just the higher rates (like my higher up packages). But with me, I also offer lower cost packages...which do not include additional services. Now, if people want to break up the packages, and say I just want this or that. Then I'm going to charge for it of course. I have to charge for it, cause if I don't then it highly depreciates my higher up packages.

My prices are basically set up, so that it kind of turns away customers who want cheap prices. If they want to try and nit pick at what my packages offer...they're gonna have to pay the price for taking me out of my element. That's how I see it...and i know everybody is different. But I'd rather be doing my Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum packages all day. Rather than having someone come in and go...I just want a vac, wash, tires & rims, and a pine tree freshener, ha.


Shiny Lil Detlr said:
What you're essentially saying is "I'll sell you a wash for $20, but if you want the wheels thoroughly cleaned that'll be $40 more, if you want the tires dressed that's $10 more, underbody rinse $20..." by the time you're done you have a $90 wash.
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I found this statement to be kinda ridiculous. This doesn't pertain to how I run my business at all. I have packages that increase in quality and services along with the price tag. My prices and packages cover a wide demographic. Not just customers who are paying top dollar for everything. There's all kinds of customers out there, I want them all to be able to choose. I don't split my services up to that extent. My additional services list is fairly small. Everything else is included in the packages. I don't charge separately for petty services. Things like engine cleanings, paint sealant, undercarriage wash etc...are not all offered in every one of my packages which is why I setup seperate prices for them. That way, if someone with say a Bronze Package wants an undercarriage wash...they can have that.

What do you do if a customer tells you they don't want an undercarriage wash, or paint sealant, or fabric guard in their package? Do you just say that's too bad? I just think having only high prices that offer everything, would be turning many customers away and almost comes across as arrogant IMO.
 
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Kristopher1129 said:
Nice man. Thanks. Is it just me, or is it not spraying out of the nozzle all the way to the right? In the pic it looks like one isn't working. I will be buying that thing as well. It's a good cheap tool that can make me some dough! Thanks for the review man, I appreciate it. :props:

What would you charge for an undercarriage wash? I was thinking $20??
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As Shiny already pointed out I mentioned that. For some reason it's not spraying. But the nozzle can come off so I'll be removing it and seeing what the issue is. Definitely worth the $50 investment if you ask me.

I think $20 may be too high to charge just for that but if you can get away with it go right ahead. I mean honestly it's going to take you all of 15 minutes or so to spray the under carriage. Maybe a little longer on a bigger vehicle. So, I'd rather offer it as part of my packages which sets me a part from other detailers. I know I a lot of detailers that skip the under carriage cause it can be a pain to clean. So, I think this is how I may marktet it. Haven't really decided yet. Either way it's a great tool I think and will be great for winter clean ups!
 
SeaJay's said:
As Shiny already pointed out I mentioned that. For some reason it's not spraying. But the nozzle can come off so I'll be removing it and seeing what the issue is. Definitely worth the $50 investment if you ask me.

I think $20 may be too high to charge just for that but if you can get away with it go right ahead. I mean honestly it's going to take you all of 15 minutes or so to spray the under carriage. Maybe a little longer on a bigger vehicle. So, I'd rather offer it as part of my packages which sets me a part from other detailers. I know I a lot of detailers that skip the under carriage cause it can be a pain to clean. So, I think this is how I may marktet it. Haven't really decided yet. Either way it's a great tool I think and will be great for winter clean ups!
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Yeah, sorry I somehow skipped over that part when reading. I was only asking to see what others possibly charge for it. It's gonna be included in my Gold and Platinum packages...cause just like you, that will set me apart. I'll probably do like $10 for an undercarriage rinse outside of the packages as just an add on service too. I think that's fair. :xyxthumbs:
 
Kristopher1129 said:
Yeah, sorry I somehow skipped over that part when reading. I was only asking to see what others possibly charge for it. It's gonna be included in my Gold and Platinum packages...cause just like you, that will set me apart. I'll probably do like $10 for an undercarriage rinse outside of the packages as just an add on service too. I think that's fair. :xyxthumbs:
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That's what I was thinking too right around $10. It's not a lot of money extra and it will more than compensate me for the extra time. Plus you explain the benefits of having it done and to me it sounds like a win win.
 
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