How tall of a vehicle will fit in the 360Booth®? The structure is 10 feet. The opening, or what we call the overhang, is at nine feet. With almost 800 studios in the ground, six years, there has not been a dealership that couldn’t fit a vehicle in the studio. I’m 6’5”. My reach is 8’3”, and that first bar is nine feet.
There are a few vehicles–your sprinter vans, vehicles like that–that will not fit.
To answer your question, the studio is ten feet; the overhang is nine. How big of a vehicle can you put in there? Anything under nine feet.
FAQ
How tall a vehicle fits in a 360Booth®?
Anything under about nine feet. The structure is ten feet tall and the opening (overhang) is nine feet.
Which vehicles won't fit?
A few very tall vehicles, such as high-roof Sprinter-style vans, won’t fit through the nine-foot opening.
You do not need to go with our flooring. It’s strictly a recommendation in providing a low-maintenance solution for stores that don’t know what they’re doing. If you want to do epoxy, I personally love epoxy. Just know going in to use a floor that is a white or gray, or something that doesn’t reflect pigment or color back into your room.
We recommend Swisstrax strictly for a low-maintenance option. You don’t need our floor. In fact, it’s not even our floor. We buy it from another company and install it for you just to be a complete, all-inclusive solution.
FAQ
Do I have to use the flooring 360Booth® recommends?
No. It’s a recommendation, not a requirement.
What flooring works best in a vehicle photo studio?
A white or gray floor that doesn’t reflect color back onto the car. Epoxy works well, and 360Booth recommends Swisstrax as a low-maintenance option, which it buys and installs for you.
You’re looking at photo studios, and your question is what type of flooring? It’s entirely up to you. I love the epoxy, but know going in that you are going to need maintenance. With new epoxy, you’re going to mop and sweep every time a car pulls in.
We recommend Swisstrax. The reason we recommend Swisstrax is that it’s see-through! Look at the pearlescence in it and the color silver. It reflects the right color temperature back into the room so you don’t have colors.
Let me show you another demonstration.
Okay, here’s my demonstration. (I feel like one of those TV commercials.) Here’s water. Find the water on Swisstrax. Now, over here on epoxy and concrete, now look at the water. Watch. Even if I mop here, it doesn’t do anything. If I mop over on the epoxy or concrete, it takes time to dry.
Look at the difference. You don’t see it over here, but you see the water there. That’s low maintenance. That’s why we recommend Swisstrax.
FAQ
What kind of floor should I use in my 360Booth®?
It’s up to you. Epoxy looks great but needs mopping and sweeping often. 360Booth recommends Swisstrax for low maintenance.
Why does 360Booth recommend Swisstrax?
Its open design lets water and debris fall through so it stays clean-looking, and its silver tone reflects neutral light back into the room instead of adding color.
Direct answer: Yes, a 360Booth vehicle photo studio can potentially be installed over concrete with radiant in-floor heating, but the heating system must be evaluated before anyone drills or anchors the studio track. Heating tubes, electrical heating elements and other embedded systems need to be located and documented first. Professional concrete scanning, careful installation planning and the right fastening method all reduce the risk of damaging the floor.
The Floor Looks Empty. What’s Underneath It?
A dealership finds the ideal spot for a 360Booth vehicle photo studio.
The room is big enough. The ceiling is high enough. The vehicle entrance works. The lighting can be controlled.
Everything looks ready.
Then someone mentions the building has radiant heating embedded in the concrete floor.
That changes the conversation. The question is no longer whether the studio fits. It’s what might be damaged when the track is secured.
Before you install equipment on a concrete floor, understand what’s inside that floor.
How Is the 360Booth Track Installed?
A standard 360Booth does not use a motorized vehicle turntable. The vehicle stays stationary while the studio structure moves around it by hand.
The structure rolls on V-grooved wheels along a circular track made of black powder-coated steel. That track sits on top of the existing concrete, so the dealership doesn’t need to build a recessed turntable pit.
During installation, the track is positioned, leveled with shims and secured to the floor with concrete anchors.
That’s straightforward when the concrete is suitable. Concrete with concealed heating needs more investigation first.
Why Does Radiant Floor Heating Matter?
Radiant floor heating uses either water-filled tubing or electrical heating elements installed in or beneath the concrete. Once the floor is poured, you can’t see them. A contractor looking at the finished surface can’t reliably tell where they run.
Drilling into a heating tube can cause a leak.
Damaging an electrical heating element can create an electrical hazard and knock out the heating system.
Repairing either one may mean opening up the finished floor.
That’s why in-floor heating has to be identified before installation starts. The same goes for other concealed components, such as electrical conduit, reinforcing steel and post-tensioning tendons. A floor that looks suitable isn’t proof that it is.
What Should Be Done Before Installation?
1. Identify the existing heating system
Confirm whether the proposed studio area has radiant heating. Building drawings, renovation records and the facility manager are good places to start. The installation team needs a general picture of the system before planning where anchors go.
If the building has been renovated, the original drawings may no longer match what’s in the floor. Documentation is a starting point, not proof that every concealed component has been found.
2. Arrange professional concrete scanning
A qualified concrete-scanning provider should evaluate the area where the track will be anchored. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a common method for locating radiant heating tubes, conduit and other objects inside concrete. Scanning providers typically mark what they find directly on the floor so the installer can plan around it.
3. Document where the embedded components are
The scan results should show the area evaluated and mark every detected component. Keep that documentation and share it with the 360Booth installation team before anchor locations are finalized.
Marking the floor doesn’t help if the results never reach the people doing the work. The goal is for the person planning the installation and the person drilling to have the same information.
4. Agree on an approved installation plan
The installation team evaluates the actual floor conditions and decides whether a suitable anchoring arrangement is possible. Fastener type, placement and penetration depth are project-specific. They depend on the slab construction and where the embedded systems are.
Where structural conditions call for it, the building’s engineer or another qualified construction professional should review the plan.
If the heating system can’t be adequately located, installation doesn’t proceed on the assumption that drilling will be safe.
Does Concrete Scanning Guarantee Nothing Will Be Damaged?
No. Scanning is an important way to reduce risk, but it can’t promise that every concealed object will be found.
Results depend on the concrete mix, reinforcement, how deep the targets are, the tubing material, the scanning equipment and the operator’s experience. Closely spaced or deeply embedded objects can be hard to pick up.
A qualified scanning professional should note any areas of uncertainty. When a critical component can’t be located with confidence, drilling stops until the question is resolved.
A scan is evidence for planning. It isn’t permission to guess.
Does a Heated Floor Change the Photography Process?
No. Once the studio is installed, daily photography works the same as in any other building.
360Booth provides the controlled environment: the vehicle stays put while the studio moves, lit by four 5600K LED lighting heads under a diffusing white ceiling. SHOOTit AI guides the capture, starting from the VIN, walking the employee through the dealership’s 40+ image sequence and stopping for a reshoot when an image is too dark, blurry or off-center.
The heating in the slab is an installation consideration. It doesn’t add a single step to daily photography.
Why Site Planning Matters
Dealerships usually judge a potential studio location by space. That’s necessary, but it’s not the whole picture.
A standard 24-, 26- or 28-foot 360Booth needs a minimum clear room of 30 feet long (in the vehicle-entry direction) by 30 feet wide by 11 feet high. The studio itself stands 10 feet tall, with standard entrance openings of 14, 16 and 18 feet respectively.
A vehicle photo studio should be simple to operate. That doesn’t mean its installation should be handled casually.
The last thing a dealership needs is a damaged heating system because nobody asked what was under the concrete.
We’ve spent more than a decade installing vehicle photo studios in all kinds of dealership buildings. Every building is different. Our job is to find those differences before they become installation problems. Here’s how that process starts.
The smartest installation begins with understanding the building, not discovering what’s under the floor with a drill. That’s how you protect the facility and give 360Booth Authentic Capture™ a long-term home.
FAQ
Can 360Booth be installed over radiant floor heating?
Potentially, yes. The heating system must be located and evaluated before an approved installation and anchoring plan is set.
Does the 360Booth track sit inside the concrete?
No. The standard track sits on top of the existing concrete. It doesn’t need a recessed turntable pit.
Does 360Booth use concrete anchors?
Yes. The standard installation anchors the track to the floor. The final fastening arrangement has to suit the specific floor.
Can ground-penetrating radar locate radiant heating pipes?
It can help locate embedded tubing and other concealed components. How well it works depends on the slab construction and scanning conditions.
Does scanning guarantee the heating system won't be damaged?
No. Scanning reduces uncertainty but can’t guarantee every component is found. Unresolved areas need more evaluation before anyone drills.
Should the dealership arrange scanning before installers arrive?
Yes. When in-floor heating or other embedded systems are known or suspected, scanning should be coordinated during installation planning.
Does radiant floor heating interfere with SHOOTit AI?
No. Floor heating is a building infrastructure issue. SHOOTit AI’s guided camera workflow is completely separate from how the track is anchored.
Your question is a great one, and I’d love to be involved in any new and fresh ideas in and outside of the auto industry as far as building bigger or smaller studios.
Your question is, “Jay, I’ve seen your spec. You have a 24, a 26, a 28. I heard you built a 30, 35,…” and you’re 100% correct. I’ve even built 31’s. I’ve built them smaller–24, 17–for industries out of the car business. Motorcycle, for instance.
To answer your question, absolutely. I would love to be involved in the next latest and greatest ideas as far as photo studios, whether it be in or out of the auto industry.
FAQ
Can 360Booth® build studios larger or smaller than standard?
Yes. Beyond the standard 24, 26 and 28-foot sizes, 360Booth has built 30, 31 and 35-foot studios and smaller ones, such as a 17-foot studio.
Can a 360Booth be used outside the car business?
Yes. 360Booth has built studios for other industries, such as motorcycles.
Okay, you’ve seen our specs. You’ve done your research. You heard we make three sizes, standard 24, 26, 28. We’ve built them bigger, and we’ve built them smaller. We’ve made them ten feet and even shorter, but your question is, “Does it cost more if I have to customize the studio for you?”
No. Let me visit your space. If you haven’t heard, I visit everyone’s space without obligation. In six years, I’ve never asked for a check. Let me make some measurements at your space. Let me make some recommendations, and let’s see what we have to do. The
To answer your question, we get there. If we need to make it shorter, or a little bigger, or smaller to fit your space, that’s no cost to you.
FAQ
Does a custom-size 360Booth® cost more?
This 2022 post says no: if the studio needs to be shorter, bigger or smaller to fit your space, there’s no extra charge. Confirm current pricing with 360Booth.
What are the standard 360Booth sizes?
24, 26 and 28 feet. 360Booth has also built larger and smaller studios.
