Self Serve Truck Wash in Bellevue, NE

Quick answers for truck owners

You need five facts before you drive over. Here they are.

What you can wash in the truck bay

The 14 foot bay at Olde Towne fits:

• Half ton, three quarter ton and one ton pickups
• Lifted trucks with larger tires and roof lights
• Dually pickups
• Work trucks with ladder racks, toolboxes or utility beds
• Box trucks and moving trucks
• Semi chassis (tractor only)
• Fleet vehicles, cargo vans and full size SUVs

Before you pull in, check the tallest point of your vehicle. That includes the light bar, antennas, racks and anything loaded in the bed. If the total is under 14 feet, you fit. The bay is 15 feet 4 inches wide, so fold in wide tow mirrors before you pull in.

If you drive a standard pickup with no lift and no rack, you can also use our 41st & Harrison location at 6911 S 41st Ave. Its bay height is 10 feet.

How to wash your truck in a self serve bay

A truck has more surface, more gaps and more places for dirt to hide than a car. This order gets it clean in less time.

1. Start with the undercarriage and wheel wells

Mud, gravel and road salt pack into the frame rails, wheel wells and suspension. Use the undercarriage wand first. Work from the front bumper back, then hit each wheel well from both sides.

Starting here means anything you knock loose drains away before you wash the body.

2. Clean the tires and wheels

Spray tire cleaner on each wheel and let it sit for a moment. Then rinse with the high pressure wand. Larger off road tires have deep tread, so hold the wand close and move along the tread blocks.

3. Wash the cab and body from the top down

Use the high pressure setting on the roof first, then the hood, doors and tailgate. Gravity pulls dirty water down, so you only need to wash each section once.

On a lifted truck, stand back and angle the wand up to reach the roof. The 14 foot ceiling gives you room to do this without hitting the bay walls.

4. Use the foaming brush on the paint

Rinse the foaming brush with the high pressure wand before you touch the paint. This clears off grit left by the last driver. Then brush the body in straight lines, panel by panel.

5. Rinse the bed last

Dirt from the cab and roof runs into the bed. Rinse the bed after the body so it stays clean. Spray from the cab end toward the tailgate so water drains out the back.

6. Finish with spot free rinse

Spot free rinse uses filtered water that dries without leaving mineral spots. Go over the whole truck once, top to bottom, and you can drive away without towel drying.

Winter truck washing in Bellevue

Nebraska roads get treated with salt and liquid de-icers from late fall through early spring. That salt sticks to your frame, brake lines and wheel wells, where you cannot see it.

AAA estimates that rust damage from road de-icers costs U.S. drivers about $3 billion a year, according to its road de-icer and rust damage fact sheet. AAA also says liquid de-icers can be more corrosive than rock salt, because they stay wet and work into small gaps.

AAA advises frequent washing with extra attention to the undercarriage. Its guide to road salt damage also recommends one last full wash in spring to remove what winter left behind.

Here is a simple winter plan for your truck:

• Rinse the undercarriage after every snow or ice event, once the roads are treated.
• Wash the full truck at least every two weeks while salt is on the roads.
• Wash on days above freezing when you can, so doors and locks dry before night.
• Do one full wash, including the frame, in spring.

Our Olde Towne bay is open all night and the floors are heated. You can wash after a late shift, before a job, or during a warm afternoon break, and you will not be standing on ice.

Lifted trucks and car washes

Many lifted truck owners search "can lifted trucks go through car washes." Most automatic tunnel washes have height and tire width limits, and a large lift or oversized tires can go over them. Rails and brushes in automatic washes can also catch on wide tires, running boards and racks.

A self serve bay avoids those problems. You drive in, park, and wash by hand with the wand and brush. Nothing touches your truck that you are not holding.

Our 14 foot bay fits most lifted trucks with room to spare. Measure to the top of your light bar or roof rack to be sure.

Serving truck owners across Bellevue

Our Olde Towne bay sits in the historic Olde Towne district on Mission Ave. Drivers come to us from across Bellevue, from Offutt AFB, and from Papillion and La Vista.

If you are stationed at Offutt and drive a lifted truck or a moving truck, the Olde Towne bay is a short drive from the base. If you live in Papillion or La Vista and your truck does not fit at your usual wash, our 14 foot bay is built for it.

Have a question we did not answer here? Our Bellevue car wash FAQ covers hours, payment and more.