Large tanning units in average size tanning rooms

[GTStudio]

The most work I have done on tanning beds is taking some of the surface pieces apart on them to do deep cleaning; acrylics, trays, lamps, base covers, etc. I have worked on large beds like ergo 650s and 800s but they don't look like they come apart much further than this (other than canopy coming off the base) and I haven't seen one installed. How do you get large VHR and HP beds down a 4ft hallway, through 3ft doorways, and into 9 X 9 rooms? I've seen many salons with large equipment and it looks like the scenario of getting the ship into the glass bottle.... I know you don't place equipment in the vanilla shell and then build walls around them, but how do you do it?

[engfant]

you build the room around the bed.

[sparky]

Sideways, up on end like moving a sofa, I've even thrown a bed over the wall and 'caught it' on the other side.

It is not for the faint of heart, to say the least!

The more bodies, the better at times!

[GTStudio]

That's what I assumed Sparky. I've moved some couches that I thought were horrible. I can only imagine the agony twisting these things down a narrow hallway. I was hoping someone had some magical information to make this easier. I guess it's just going to suck lol.

[northtanman]

^^^ magical info: take out the 36" door and install double doors, wide enough to roll the new bed in...maybe even install the bed first...after cutting out the rough opening...then finish framing in the doorway.

[RobertK]

Pretty much every bed will fit into a room with 36" door and a 5' hallway. If the hallway is narrow you need to cut the header of the door so you have room to pivot the bed when standing on its end. My guys carry:

[GTStudio]

Two of the rooms will have double doors, the other eight will not. I will be opening with five tanning units. A sunboard will be going in one of the rooms with double doors. Two base beds will be going in, no issue there. Sunless which is in pieces is also no problem. Worried about getting a unit like a silver bullet, ergo 600, or kbl 5600 in a room with a single door. (Have not purchased VHR yet) The rest will be added later and be the same VHR and stand ups. I didn't know if a tanning bed was stable enough to be put up on its end. Thanks for your input.

[northtanman]

ergo 650/600 a real chore to fit in a room. hard to take apart. i paid to have my moved from the lobby to the very first room,,,not even 10 feet away! it was a real chore tearing it apart and moving it in. could'nt of done it without a tech...and my room is very large...even double doors on it.

[RobertK]

Sunboard can fit into almost any size door. Unit breaks into small peices.

SilverBullet SE will fit.

[sparky]

I'd put 5' doors on every room in the next store. I remodeled double doors after the fact in the existing salon.

Always cheaper to do it right the first time. A couple hundred a room ain't no biggie at this point.

[GTStudio]

I may go ahead and put in more rooms with double doors. I'd like to add two standups, 1 VHR and 1 HP, another base, and a couple more VHR. It may be better to place double doors on all rooms with large VHR units.

[northtanman]

the double doors also act as a showcase effect for your nicer beds to show off while not in use. accent lighting and other room decor a must.

[Michelle N]

I actually did have the beds set up where they were going to go and had the walls put in around them. Alot easier for me since I did the Tan Walls. I would highly recommend double doors on all. You never know, you may want to get rid of all of your base beds and only do VHR and HP. Wish I would have gone with the double doors when I first started this. I'm with Sparky, if I ever do this again - all rooms will have double doors regardless of the bed.

[GTStudio]

I'd like to go ahead and just put the units I already have in the shell and build around them. With drywall and painting though I think they could get damaged. Even if I wrap them with plastic the drywall sanding will get everywhere. I am going to put double doors on the majority of my rooms now as advised by several on here. Do you think it's a good idea to build with drywall around the beds?

I wish I didn't have to have base beds. In my market I need to have some. I am opening with two, they are 15min beds though. I will probably have to add one more but that will be it. The other seven rooms will be VHR, HP, and sunless.

[RobertK]

You are over thinking the rooms. It is not like you move beds every year. If you have 5' hallways and 3' doors pretty much every unit will fit. If you hallways are smaller put double doors for the the biggest beds. If you want to be nice to the installers do not install the doors and trim until the beds are installed. What equipment are you buying?

[Michelle N]

RobertK - you are right, but I don't know many salons that actually have 5 ft hallways. Most are literally as big as they need to be to pass code (3-4 ft here).
GST - I would leave it at the 2 base beds. If you bring in more equipment I would bring in VHR or better. It makes upgrades alot easier for you if their choice is to wait for the next 2 people to go through or to upgrade right now. Most people are on a walk in basis with their salons and that means that the customer wants to tan now, not wait 40 minutes for the next base bed to be available. Just a thought for you. You want to make yourself stand apart from your competition, not be the same as...

[GTStudio]

Robert - I am overthinking the rooms. I just know it's going to be a PITA. My hallways will be four feet so I will just have to twist the beds into the rooms. Right now I have tropicals, a sunboard plus, and an autobronzer. Looking for one large VHR right now. Purchased all used and will be buying used VHR as well. Like UWE equipment but may not stick to that line for VHR.

Michelle - I understand where you are coming from. My comps have many base beds which is what I don't want. I may just keep it at two. I want them to be full so people will upgrade bc they won't want to wait. But I don't want to have a lobby full of pissed off people.

[RobertK]

All those units will fit through a 32" door! I would do 36" doors except in the front two rooms where I would do double 32" or so.

I would however wire each room with a 3 phase 60amp disconnect.

What state are you in?

[GTStudio]

I am in Kentucky.

[kpowr82]

Every bed comes apart. The most important thing is the separate the canopy from the lounge. Remove the ballast tray to make things lighter. I would definately remove the lamps to make sure you don't bust anything, even though most of the time they come shipped with lamps in them.

When I got my KBL, it was shipped COMPLETELY assembled. Had to be taken apart and reassembled in the room.