Truck wash FYI

[m2106dunit]

There is a truck wash located in the Pilot on I-80, exit 223 in Niles, Ohio that just washed my D unit for $35 +tax + tip, including under the hood. They did a great job. That's the cheapest I've found. My truck was so dirty, I forgot what color it was!

 

[usafk9]

I just had ours washed at the Blue Beacon at exit 6b on I-270 in Illinois, just east of St. Louis. They're kiddie-corner to the Flying J. I've had just 3 truck washes since we started this adventure; two of them at Blue Beacons. Complete pieces of crap. I will never spend mine or my owner's money on those idiots again. Lazy, lazy, lazy.

Glad to hear you got a good one. This would be a good reference thread for future washes.

 

[Turtle]

A pure Americanism from the early to mid 1800's, Cater, from old French catre, meaning a diagonal across the four, from the Latin quattour. Variations include cater-cornered, cata-cornered, catty-cornered, and probably from natural phonetics of the misspellings, and the one that is probably most often used today, kitty-cornered.

Kiddie-corner is just creepy.

I've had a few decent washes at the Streakin' Beacon, but I'd be hard pressed to name them with any confidence. There are a few. I like the one behind the Pilot in Laredo, but I can't recall if it's a Beacon or an Eagle. So far, I've always had good results from Eagle Truck Washes and Iowa-80 Truck Washes. I like the no-name one across from the Flying J in Knoxville, and the one across from the J in Dallas, and across from the one in Texarkana. The one by the J in Davenport has always done a good job, as well. The Eagle across the road from the TA in Toledo is good.

 

[usafk9]

Must be a flashback from my years in the penitentiary rearing their ugly head, Turtle. That's a story for another day.

Speaking of the truck washes (we were, weren't we?), a guy just walks by the truck where parked, and I knew he wasn't the average lot scum (I know, I swore off truck stops), as he had on fairly decent clothes. Guy introduces himself as a QC person for beacon. Asks if I have had the truck washed recently. I explain that I have, and if he had to ask, he should realize what a POS job his peers have done. He then goes on to ask if he could take a look around the truck. I say help yourself, but to carefully walk around the large bugs still protruding from my mirrors. He laughs, then starts taking pics. Gets done, says I have an "okay" wash job. I tell him that I paid to have it washed....not just wetted. It wasn't that dirty when I took it in. I asked him if he would be satisfied with the wash job, and he says yes. He further states that if I was unhappy, that I should take it back. I said no way. My best way to punish you folks is to never take my vehicle to you again. You lost me. I then find out that the jerks washing the truck make upwards of $13/hour with their volume bonuses. I would have KILLED to get a job like that in Michigan....just to put food on the table. If I wanted to give money away, I'd sooner give it to my ex-wife.

Okay, rant complete. I feel a little better now. Thanks for viewing.

 

[Turtle]

I'm in a Sprinter, not a truck, so it's a little different. Not as much to wash and it's usually done by the time I pay. hehe But whenever I drive out of the wash, I always stop a few feet outside the exit and wipe the windows with paper towel. No matter who washes it, these windows will spot and streak pretty badly unless they're quickly dried off. One two occasions while I was drying the windows, someone from inside the truck wash came out to inquire what they had missed. Both times I said, "Nothing. I'm just drying the windows so they won't spot." One time he had noticed something I had not, went in and got a spray bottle and some paper towels and detailed a couple of spots on the front of the mirrors, Texas bug residue. Both times they said if there was ever a problem, to let them know right away and they'll make it right. Both times it was at that truck wash in Laredo, behind the Pilot.

They made an impression on me, anyway. Enough of an impression that more often than not after delivering in Laredo, my first stop is the truck wash, then usually Subway, then across the road to the J to park, and play with the tarantulas.

 

[termite289]

nag nag nag

 

[highway star]

I use the Beacon and I think they have a good system. Of course, it depends on the folks using it. Some of the good ones I've used are Laredo, Glendale, Ky., Walton, Ky., Carlisle, Pa.

Some of the bad ones, North Baltimore, Oh., West Memphis, the one east of Little Rock next to the Pilot.

Not a complete list of either, and the bad ones could be O.K. most of the time and I just happened to hit them at a bad time.

 

[Dakota]

are you supposed to tip the car wash people? I know I've tipped for getting my car washed but only when they did a good job on the inside(back when I lived in Cali)

 

[Doggie Daddy]

I just had ours washed at the Blue Beacon at exit 6b on I-270 in Illinois, just east of St. Louis. They're kiddie-corner to the Flying J. I've had just 3 truck washes since we started this adventure; two of them at Blue Beacons. Complete pieces of crap. I will never spend mine or my owner's money on those idiots again. Lazy, lazy, lazy.

Glad to hear you got a good one. This would be a good reference thread for future washes.

And what did you say to them concerning the unsatisfactory washes? If you are not happy with the services that you are paying for,then you need to talk to the person in charge and if you are still not happy after that then you need to contact the corporate office.

There have been times when we have gotten washes at the BB and not been satisfied,but after we spoke up the problem is taken care of.

 

[layoutshooter]

If you find yourself in the Monroe MI or Toledo OH area and are in need of a truck wash try calling:

Liedel Power Cleaning

2850 Luna Pier Road
Erie MI

734-848-2827

734-777-1934 (cell)

They are a family owned business, a father and many sons. I try to get mine done there when I am home. They do REAL truck washes, they take time to do it right. Around 50 bucks. They do commercial washing and house washing as well. Layoutshooter

 

[pelicn]

So many times, when getting the truck washed, we are in a hurry so we don't take the time to let it dry and see "what comes up". We've had great washes at the Blue Beacon, Iowa 80, and Eagle. We've also had TERRIBLE washes at all the above.
It seems to depend on who is washing, how well they rinse, and how much time you have to see "what comes up"
I'd rather have less soap and more rinse water. The streakin beacon is better when they use a plain ole hose to rinse rinse rinse

 

[arrbsthw]

Same here, we get good washes and sometime bad ones.
The last time we washed it a couple weeks ago it turned out
to be really clean when they finished. A while back, they were
through with the whole truck before I could get inside and pay and back to the truck. Now that stunk!

 

[Doggie Daddy]

Same here, we get good washes and sometime bad ones.
The last time we washed it a couple weeks ago it turned out
to be really clean when they finished. A while back, they were
through with the whole truck before I could get inside and pay and back to the truck. Now that stunk!

Had the same thing happen to us in Weatherford,TX 2 days ago,they were very fast and I was expecting the worst,but it turned out to be a very good wash.

 

[Doggie Daddy]

are you supposed to tip the car wash people? I know I've tipped for getting my car washed but only when they did a good job on the inside(back when I lived in Cali)

I used to tell the wash guys to brush my stainless steel boxes when I got the truck washed,and most times even after telling them they would only spray them and not use a brush on them.

So now I have a new plan,I say nothing about how I want the boxes cleaned and if they go ahead and brush them on their own I give each guy a $5.00 tip.

Also what I have learned about tipping the truck wash guys,is do it BEFORE they hang up their sprayers and you will get a much longer rinse.