How much SHOULD a wash mat cost?

R

Rayc777

Show Car Shiner
Mine cost $900. It's 10 by 22 feet. I think that's too much money for the average detailer.

What do you think?



Derrick
 
Those things are expensive, I dunno if that's what they SHOULD cost, but that's how much they DO cost. Food for thought: the plastic storage containers they sell everywhere...do you think they are fairly priced, for a small amount of plastic? I think a lot of the cost is what the market will bear, based on the organization you get from the product...the value to you.
 
I think wash mats are one of the most overpriced pieces of equipment. I use ONR and don't use a mat. If I were to get a mat I'd just make one. I've looked at some mats online and they are 40mil 10 x 20 for $900. I can buy a 15 x 20 45mil pond liner for $118. Large diameter foam noodles would lift the sides 5-6".
 
Scottwax said:
That is why I pay $35 for a gallon of Optimum No Rinse. No wash mat needed. :)
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ScottWax,

I have to wash the car to correctly complete my service onsite. No way around it. I use ONR as a clay lube though.



Derrick
 
PhaRO said:
I think wash mats are one of the most overpriced pieces of equipment. I use ONR and don't use a mat. If I were to get a mat I'd just make one. I've looked at some mats online and they are 40mil 10 x 20 for $900. I can buy a 15 x 20 45mil pond liner for $118. Large diameter foam noodles would lift the sides 5-6".
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You are right. They are waaaayyyy overpriced. The material might cost $50 to $100. Add $30 for labor and the rest is pure profit. Using stock pond liner sounds like a good idea. I'm just wondering how heavy it would be?



Derrick
 
$30 for labor? Even at low rate labor, that's maybe a half hour to fabricate that whole mat, I don't think that's realistic. Remember a mfr. has overhead, etc. that adds a lot to the employee's actual wage. I'm not saying that it's got $900 of content, just that it probably doesn't have only $80-130. If that's the case, maybe you should stop detailing and make wash mats that sell for $500--you might corner the market. Or you might wind up having to spend so much on advertising and marketing and meeting reseller price points to reach the very small market for wash mats that you wind up making no money on them at all. Just food for thought.
 
RTexasF said:
Please pardon my ignorance but what is a wash mat? I've never heard of it before.
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There's a picture of a Texas Ranch Limo on a wash mat on my website. It's the second one on my blog page . The wash mat is designed to keep the water from going into the storm drain. The dirty wash water is pumped into a tank and discarded according to the EPA and the state of Texas regulations.



I don't know how to put a picture on Autopia. It says "Insert Image" but it ask for a URL. That's different.



Derrick
 
RTexasF said:
Please pardon my ignorance but what is a wash mat? I've never heard of it before.
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DE1900_wChris.jpg
 
the other pc said:
DE1900_wChris.jpg
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Ok now I have to ask... What in the blue hell is the point of that thing? to collect dirty cruddy water to get right back up on your fresh detail???? I don't think I'd use one of those if someone gave it to me and told me they'd pay me $500 in endoserments to push it.
 
Yeah, in that pic it isn’t too obvious where the pressure washer is. The recovery tank is totally separate.



Latimat actually makes closed loop systems with water filtration.





PC.
 
Thanks for the explanation. I had no idea such an item was required in Texas (commercial usage) and I'd never heard of nor seen one until today.
 
Derrick said:
You are right. They are waaaayyyy overpriced. The material might cost $50 to $100. Add $30 for labor and the rest is pure profit. Using stock pond liner sounds like a good idea. I'm just wondering how heavy it would be?



Derrick
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Depending on the thickness I think they are similar in weight to wash mats. A 10 x 20 45mil is 60lbs, 15x20 is 90lbs. I looked them up on pondliner.com Honestly I'm shocked mats are so expensive. The material is readily available and the design is incredibly basic.
 
RTexasF said:
Thanks for the explanation. I had no idea such an item was required in Texas (commercial usage) and I'd never heard of nor seen one until today.
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I think EPA regulations require it for any commercial usage in the US. However enforcement seems to be done at a local level. I seem to recall it getting worse then just having to reclaim your water in some localities. The recovery water can be viewed as hazardous waste and then you have to get approved to transport it. I hope where I live it doesn't get enforced.
 
This is funny... I guess I could make my own.



I work for a PVC, TPO, and EPDM roofing membrane manufacturer. 10x20 would be 2 squares of product. We sell it to the customer for way less than $100. I have to confirm the price because I work with specifications and details. I know we have 45 and 60 mil TPO and PVC, and up to 90 mil EPDM. They should not cost more than $30 or so per square. Then all I need is to get a heat welder and some products (maybe fesco or iso insulation) to make the sides. But then... we dont really have water disposal laws here.
 
Kapinn, you also have to get the hose fitting built into the mat so the runoff water can be gravity fed or pumped to an appropriate location. The "sides" have to be rigid enough to stand up, light enough to transport, and rugged yet deformable enough to be driven over repeatedly (that is, of course, how the vehicle gets onto the mat).
 
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