Originally printed in the 2004 issue of the Colorado Spring Business Journal
Thomas Edison. Bill Gates. Preston Hall. Edison and Gates are household names, and Hall is about to become one, especially in the homes of millions of recreational-vehicle enthusiasts.
Hall has served in the Air Force, is a Colorado native and a Falcon resident. And, like his famous predecessors, he took an idea and followed it through so the rest of the world could reap its benefits.
Hall is the owner of All Pro Water-Flow, and he has created what he refers to as “the biggest untouched service industry launched in the United States in the past 50 years.” Hall has invented a hydro-cleaning system. Using plumbing equipment adapted to the cleaning service and a customized nozzle that Hall invented and patented, along with high-water pressure (500-6000 psi – determined by the size of the tank), RV holding tanks can now be completely flushed and cleaned – free of foreign matter and leftover waste that results in sludge and crud.
RV owners no longer have to rely on chemicals to clean the holding tanks. And even the best of the chemicals do not eliminate odors or prevent the build-up of matter, Hall said. RV holding tanks can be health hazards, too, because of the lingering waste material. RV owners are susceptible to diseases like Hepatitis A, Hall said.
A plumber for 25 years, Hall is the owner of Preston Rooter – a 15-year Falcon-based plumbing business. Hall and his wife, Pat own an RV. Tired of chemicals and an unsanitary holding tank, Hall decided to create a better cleaning system. Using a fiber optic underground camera, which Hall originally brought to Colorado from its inception in California, he discovered that a special nozzle and regular plumbing equipment used with the friction of the water flow and regulated by the water pressure would thoroughly clean the tanks.
That was more than a year ago. Hall started All Pro Water-Flow on April 1, 2003. Today, his holding tank hydro-cleaning system is used in service centers in Denver, Colorado Springs and Canon City, 14 cities throughout California and eight cities in Washington.
Hall’s new 21st century RV holding-tank technology featured in the October 2003 issue of RV News, and he is now a household name at RV service centers, RV campgrounds and RV dealers around the country. K&C RV, the largest RV dealer in Colorado, is an All Pro Water-Flow service center. The three most popular campground corporations in the country have solicited Hall’s expertise and information.
Utah-based Flying J Inc. has 175 travel centers and large truck stop locations in the United States. Flying J’s management team talked with Hall at an RV show, and All Pro Water-Flow has just been approved as the only outside vendor allowed to advertise its cleaning method at the Flying J RV gas pumps. Flying J also is looking to Hall to set up service centers at travel centers.
Hall said a new RV’s holding-tank material buildup occurs within one to two years. With the cost of a new RV between $25,000 and $1.8 million, Hall said used RVs are popular. ”However, many used RVs sit on lots with full holding tanks,” Hall said. ”No one has wanted to talk about this, but I think we need to pass a law that requires a hydro-jetting cleaning process before used RVs are sold. Before I am done, the entire nation and all of the used RV dealers will be using our service to ensure customers their families are in a healthy environment.”
Hall’s ingenuity is opportunistic for potential entrepreneurs. For a significantly lesser amount of money than it would cost to own a McDonald’s franchise, co-operative RV cleaning-system service-center territories are up for grabs across the country. Eager entrepreneurs have snatched up the top-three spots for RV enthusiasts in the country – Sand Diego, Ca, Eugene, Or, and San Bernardino, Ca. Hall has signed contracts in Florida – Miami and Orlando, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Chesapeake, Va, and Phoenix.
Hall said the RV industry continues to grow. He said studies indicate 30 million of the retiring baby boomers are bound for the RV lifestyle, adding to the eight million who are already traveling in the big mobile second homes. With 4,500 RV dealers, 16,000 RV campgrounds and 1,500 mobile RV services nationwide, there are many ways to market Hall’s holding tank cleaning service.
Hall recommends RV owners have their big wheelers brought in for the hydro-jet cleaning service once a year. For $125 to $175, the RV holding tanks can be clean as a whistle in one hour, and Hall invites the owners to observe, through the fiber optic camera, the washing away of the “nasty black junk,” but most are not interested, he said.
It’s a family business, too. In addition to Hall’s wife, there are two brothers and a sister involved with All Pro Water-Flow. Sister Christine also lives in Falcon. Hall’s mother and father have contributed as well – financial backing from dad, and Hall said his mom is the family’s business “conscience.”
Hall’s enthusiasm is epidemic to the travel and recreational industries. After his product is common knowledge to the RV industry, he will tackle the boating and airline industries, where the system is also applicable.
Move over Gates – it’s Hall’s turn, and it all started just east of Colorado Springs.