MegaWash and Mega RV Storage opened in recent months near Ashland. The facility caters to RVs and other large vehicles. (ourtesy of MegaWash)
The region’s unofficial motorhome hub has a new $6.5 million addition.
MegaWash, a carwash for RVs, and sister business Mega RV Storage recently opened at 10500 Vermeer Place in Hanover County, just up the road from the area’s two largest RV dealerships.
Miles Morin, managing partner of the new facility’s ownership group, said they’re hoping to corner the big-vehicle niche in the fast-growing car and vehicle wash market with the added lure of a storage space.
Miles Morin
“We’re not aware of any other facility in the country — there may be one but we haven’t found one — that bundles the services that we have,” Morin said. “The car wash industry has been growing a lot, and a lot have come into Richmond. We wanted to expand it to meet needs not yet being met.”
The MegaWash features a 100-foot-long wash tunnel for large vehicles, such as RVs and tractor trailers, as well as a 75-foot-long touchless car wash tunnel. There are also three self-service car wash bays geared toward boats, cars and motorcycles.
The 8,500-square-foot MegaWash facility is next to the storage facility, which has 132 spaces that can be used by RVs and boats.
“They build off each other,” Morin said. “We have built a community of people who are washing everything they have with us.”
The venture opened about two miles from the region’s two major RV dealers and rival neighbors: General RV at 12500 Harley Club Drive and McGeorge’s Rolling Hills RV at 11525 Sunshade Lane.
Morin said the idea is to bring the experience of an express car wash to owners and operators of large vehicles. He said large vehicle washes tend to be a do-it-yourself project for the owner or a service at a truck stop.
Washes in the large vehicle tunnel run from $49 to $84 based on the vehicle size and package selected.
The MegaWash had its soft opening in September, following the soft opening of the storage facility in August. A grand opening ceremony is planned for Friday.
Morin said the RV wash has seen usage from recreational vehicle owners as well as commercial operators like towing and delivery companies.
“It’s a really good mix of the two. We probably do 50 to 60 percent RVs and 40 to 50 percent commercial vehicles,” he said.
The company said its storage facility is at 40 percent occupancy.
It cost a total of $6.5 million to build the facility, a figure that includes the land purchase, Morin said. An LLC tied to the ownership group bought the 9.5-acre pair of parcels where the facility is situated for $700,000 in June 2020, according to online property records. Of that, about 6.5 acres were developed for the facilities.
The contractor was Evans Construction. VHB handled engineering. The project was financed through Village Bank.
Morin declined to name other members of the ownership group. His Morin Management, a local real estate and assets management firm, manages the facility. Morin said the group is weighing additional locations.
“We see a lot of potential for this concept,” he said.
MegaWash comes as Richmond has caught the eye of the rapidly expanding carwash industry. Several chains, both local and out-of-town, have been making investments in the region by building new locations. Some are fueled by private equity money.
One of the local chains is Hogwash Express Car Wash, which recently opened a second location at 4205 W. Broad St., where Aunt Sarah’s Pancake House previously operated.
MegaWash and Mega RV Storage opened in recent months near Ashland. The facility caters to RVs and other large vehicles. (ourtesy of MegaWash)
The region’s unofficial motorhome hub has a new $6.5 million addition.
MegaWash, a carwash for RVs, and sister business Mega RV Storage recently opened at 10500 Vermeer Place in Hanover County, just up the road from the area’s two largest RV dealerships.
Miles Morin, managing partner of the new facility’s ownership group, said they’re hoping to corner the big-vehicle niche in the fast-growing car and vehicle wash market with the added lure of a storage space.
Miles Morin
“We’re not aware of any other facility in the country — there may be one but we haven’t found one — that bundles the services that we have,” Morin said. “The car wash industry has been growing a lot, and a lot have come into Richmond. We wanted to expand it to meet needs not yet being met.”
The MegaWash features a 100-foot-long wash tunnel for large vehicles, such as RVs and tractor trailers, as well as a 75-foot-long touchless car wash tunnel. There are also three self-service car wash bays geared toward boats, cars and motorcycles.
The 8,500-square-foot MegaWash facility is next to the storage facility, which has 132 spaces that can be used by RVs and boats.
“They build off each other,” Morin said. “We have built a community of people who are washing everything they have with us.”
The venture opened about two miles from the region’s two major RV dealers and rival neighbors: General RV at 12500 Harley Club Drive and McGeorge’s Rolling Hills RV at 11525 Sunshade Lane.
Morin said the idea is to bring the experience of an express car wash to owners and operators of large vehicles. He said large vehicle washes tend to be a do-it-yourself project for the owner or a service at a truck stop.
Washes in the large vehicle tunnel run from $49 to $84 based on the vehicle size and package selected.
The MegaWash had its soft opening in September, following the soft opening of the storage facility in August. A grand opening ceremony is planned for Friday.
Morin said the RV wash has seen usage from recreational vehicle owners as well as commercial operators like towing and delivery companies.
“It’s a really good mix of the two. We probably do 50 to 60 percent RVs and 40 to 50 percent commercial vehicles,” he said.
The company said its storage facility is at 40 percent occupancy.
It cost a total of $6.5 million to build the facility, a figure that includes the land purchase, Morin said. An LLC tied to the ownership group bought the 9.5-acre pair of parcels where the facility is situated for $700,000 in June 2020, according to online property records. Of that, about 6.5 acres were developed for the facilities.
The contractor was Evans Construction. VHB handled engineering. The project was financed through Village Bank.
Morin declined to name other members of the ownership group. His Morin Management, a local real estate and assets management firm, manages the facility. Morin said the group is weighing additional locations.
“We see a lot of potential for this concept,” he said.
MegaWash comes as Richmond has caught the eye of the rapidly expanding carwash industry. Several chains, both local and out-of-town, have been making investments in the region by building new locations. Some are fueled by private equity money.
One of the local chains is Hogwash Express Car Wash, which recently opened a second location at 4205 W. Broad St., where Aunt Sarah’s Pancake House previously operated.