HELP! Sub 32F...need to keep working!

[DrdetailNashville]

Re: HELP! Sub 32F...need to keep working!

Nashville probably has pretty similar weather to where you are. When we have those type of temperatures, I either don't work or detail cars inside a garage. I've tried detailing outside in those temperatures, its a real pain. Everything freezes like you're experiencing, it increases your work time by quite a bit. Even "waterless" washes require a small amount of water, which will freeze.

I found a shop willing to let me use a bay on a per detail basis. I pay them a percentage of each detail I do there. It wasn't easy to find a place that would do this, but if you keep asking around you can probably find a garage you could use for not as much money as you think.

[jarred767]

Yeah, any way that you can get the car indoors will be beneficial and worth your time and probably any money spent. We don't get too many days too cold up here in Seattle, but when it does, I have customers drop there cars off at my house (unless they have a garage they're fine with me working in) or I simply reschedule.

There's a good chance I'm moving my business to a little colder climate (central Oregon) within the next couple years, and will have to deal with it more often, so I'll keep up on this thread to see any other advice other guys have.

[Jarhead0754]

Just a thought but did u ever try to set up one of those tent things over the car and then wrap plastic around the poles making it an enclosure. And then running the space heater inside and it can get pretty warm in there too. It's kinda like the bricklayers do in the wintertime in order for them to work. U can even back ur van up to it and still have access to it if u wrap it right. Should only take u half hour to set it all up. But it b worth it if it took an hour and half cuz then u could at least still work.

[owendavidj]

Yes, I've thought about the tent idea and it seems like a great idea. Would be with my time a long as I was doing some sort of service that I was getting paid at least $90 or more for. Smaller services wouldn't be worth the hassle.
I've been looking for a garage, but haven't found any wiling to work out an affordable deal with me yet.
Luckily I had a week and a half of warm weather again, but looks like the cold front is moving back in tomorrow morning.

Unfortunately money is a bit tight do I won't be buying any tents yet, but I plan on waking up a little later around 830 am and if the weather is above 17 F or so I feel comfortable using alcohol as a water additive.
The last cold wash I did worked well like this:
First of all my foam lance came in the middle of the cold bout last week. The water in my tank isn't frozen do this helps too.
Foam 1 panel of car.
Have a small rinse bucket maybe a half gallon of water diluted with 16 oz 91% isopropyl.
Dunk microfiber glove in rinse bucket and scrub panel.
Rinse panel.
Semi-dry panel quickly.
Go to next panel down and repeat process, overlapping drying of previous panel from splash.

This took a little longer than normal, but not as bad as you'd think. At least I'm working, imo it beats picking up a shift as a server. Fyi, this was successful with little to no freezing on the car at 19F.

Bonus: customers were leaving bigger gratuities because they felt bad for me...

[Daniel Kinder]

Re: HELP! Sub 32F...need to keep working!

Glad your doing well for yourself and fiqured it out owen!

[Jarhead0754]

Well if u did the tent and heater u wouldn't have to worry about any freezing also u prob could do it without a jacket on cuz u can get it prob close to 75. U ever thought about possibly talking to a fire dept around u? They usually have a free bay and theres drainage in the floor. After all they wash their trucks in there.

[owendavidj]

Ya know, I never thought about talking to a fire dpt. Man, I've got 1 every 3 miles around my neck of the woods, at least 10 in my local area...maybe that could even be an advertising gimmick and a way to keep the fire dept happy for lending me a space...10% of all revenue donated to your local fire department... Ill look into this

[Daniel Kinder]

Re: HELP! Sub 32F...need to keep working!

U ever thought about possibly talking to a fire dept around u? They usually have a free bay and theres drainage in the floor. After all they wash their trucks in there.

Very smart!!!

Ya know, I never thought about talking to a fire dpt. Man, I've got 1 every 3 miles around my neck of the woods, at least 10 in my local area...maybe that could even be an advertising gimmick and a way to keep the fire dept happy for lending me a space...10% of all revenue donated to your local fire department... Ill look into this

Donating 10% of earning's is a fantastic idea, plus the fact that you could generate more details from the guys their and there friends and family plus you just might drum up some business with keeping their fire truck up or a yearly deal? Do keep us posted!!! That jarhead is pretty smart!

[Jarhead0754]

My dad was a fireman and growing up that's what I did or if I needed to work on the car we went up there. Our garage wasn't heated and there's is plus alot more room to move around in there. But u could also maybe bribe by doing a quick detail a week to a lucky firefighter working that day by drawing numbers, or like u said donate to them. Me personally the guys prob would take a do a lottery of a winning detail.

[Jarhead0754]

Or shoot even offering to buy the guys lunch like a bunch of pizzas. They're easy up there or at least around my parts they are.

[Jarhead0754]

Not to bump an old thread but I did some research online and u can get quick pop up tents biggest size for the quick up was 10x20. Also u can get them with remivable sidewalls. Set it up put a space heater and u be good to go. Price is around $300-600.