Am in the midst of getting my 34’ Break/XL towed to a mechanic here in Texas. One company dispatched by Coach-Net refused as they said they couldn’t do it w/o a ‘wheel lift’ due to thin-ness of the metal frame , can you say baloney. also said he wouldn’t air up the low tires due to liability ( for info Ron’s Towing out of Dallas)which I think means wheels under your rigs rear wheels, sort of a dolly assembly. had that done once w/ an old Chevy wagon.

Have anther try set up for Monday, with wheel lift stressed to coach-net..

So was curious what other folks have done re: towing after a breakdown.. Can we post pic’s of your rigs ‘on the hook’, so to speak? I would be very interested in what the config looks like ( and maybe show the operator )

Thx, M/C-W

Towed once, pulled onto flatbed and trucked 10 miles. CoachNet dispatched and knew what needed to be done. Can not be towed wheels down.

You have an idiot for a tow company. Do you recognize that Gillig is a commercial bus? Stronger than any regular motor home - a bus chassis. You can see municipal busses being towed front wheels up every day. And as for never wheels down- have had my Gillig pulled out of soft "parking" areas using the two towing eyes connected to the front frame ends! Call a heavy truck maintenance company like Cummins or Cat and they will easily transport, and fix any Gillig.

Call Stewart & Stevenson of Dallas. They are on the web.

Somehow lost my last post.
I agree with your comments. I think Coach-Net is a participant in the no-clue department. I will re-interate the bus comments to them. I understand but may have not made it clear to them. Confirming that tow has to be all wheels up..?
Thanks, any photos appreciated on any tows..

M/C-W

You can pull short distance out of mud etc four down. Can be towed a mile or two just front up. More than that must be four up or disconnect drive train with front up. Either remove driveshaft (a pita and damage to u joints is likely.) If you can't go four up I would remove the driveshafts. Pull hub covers axles slide ride out. No need to go underneath.

That tow guy is clueless Good luck.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike/Cindi W:
Somehow lost my last post.

Are you referring to this post?

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Here is how to find a post of your own or any member:
1. Click on the members name to open the drop down box.
2. Click on "View recent posts by" to get the list of posts by them member.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve VW:
You can pull short distance out of mud etc four down. Can be towed a mile or two just front up. More than that must be four up or disconnect drive train with front up. Either remove driveshaft (a pita and damage to u joints is likely.) If you can't go four up I would remove the driveshafts. Pull hub covers axles slide ride out. No need to go underneath.

That tow guy is clueless Good luck.

Back on topic for Mike. If it is you going to the hospital or your Barth, someone needs to be an advocate. Steve VW covered the easiest way to disconnect the drive line. Pulling the drive axles is best.

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I would like to ask MWrench if he thinks it is necessary to pull both axles?

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If you have airbrakes you will also need air from the tow truck to release the spring (parking) brakes. Backing off the spring brakes manually creates a dangerous roll away problem.

quote:

Originally posted by Kevin:

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I would like to ask MWrench if he thinks it is necessary to pull both axles?

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It would all depend on how far and how fast you have to tow. If speed is kept below 35 MPH,up to 25 miles pulling one axle would be OK.

Problem with pulling axles, the drive is opened up to the outside and fluid would be lost unless tow operator has covers that could be used to close the outer wheel bearings.

Most axles do not come out easily! The live axles are held in by conical lock washers and nuts. If the tow operator has done these before he know the drill. Remove all retaining nuts around the axle end. THEN, use a tree pound hammer or bigger and strike the center of the axle inward rather hard. This will cause vibration and the conical lock washers will start to loosen. DO NOT TRY TO PRY OR USE ANY DEVICE TO TRY TO PRY THE AXLE OUT! The axle or hub would be damaged and oil sealing later would be compromised. The axles are usually not gasketed, an oil type RTV sparingly around the axle flange is used.

If the coach has drum rear brakes, you will need air to keep the parking/E brake off. If you have rear disc brake as I have, the parking brake is on the transmission and when pulling the axle(s) or drive shaft you will NOT have emergency or parking brakes, have blocks handy.

On my Breakaway I would pull the drive shaft first. Even thou it means getting under the coach, The "U" joints are held in by 2 bolts for each bearing. 4 bolts at the diff end and I am good to go.

Thanks ED, Well Said! I knew we needed to enlist your expertise. I never thought about the locking rings on the inside. On my old Ford trucks, one axle was sufficient. The truck with the Detroit locker needed both axles pulled. Distances were always short. I put a shower cap over the hub end to keep the dirt out and oil in. Keep in mind mine were alwasy short distances less than 10 miles. Taping a plastic bag over hub if I did not have a shower cap, works also.

Thank you all. Having been away from my rig and the forum seriously for a year plus dealing with other concerns, is having me re-learn a lot of basics all over again, both in rig info and forum mechanics. It’s fun though..
Will report tomorrow on tow ops.. have taken into account all comments and have instructed Coach-Net on flatbed / lowboy transport. They agreed.. today anyway..

M/C-W

*****

How did your tow go?

It went ok....eventually.. a second big rig arrived.(ABC Towing).this time with a wheel lift..but he wasn’t interested (capable?) of removing axles/driveshaft to tow w/ read duals on the ground.. fast (?) forward a day, finally big rig with low boy type trailer arrived (Big Bass Towing / Lindy Lott Wrecker Service)..No problems..was raining and 35 degrees and, to boot, the guys birthday! But he came through.. Will post a few pics when I ge back home..

As a side note, I was told by the 2nd driver that they wanted me to pay a ‘cancelation fee’ ($300) as the truck arrived w/ the equipment that was recommended for my coach..Ha! Eventually they said they would bill CoachNet.

A few things I learned on this endeavor: don’t let the Tow programs ( CoachNet, GoodSam, etc..) dictate what you need for your situation ( if you know what’s needed, that is..) Also, feel free to contact the tow companies yourself and discuss your needs. After I located a service (on recommendation of the various big rig drivers looking for a ‘LoadAll’ type trailer, later a ‘Travel Eze’ lowboy. CoachNet seemed grateful that I found the business w/ the proper equipment, and proceeded to set up the response and verify w/ me all was OK.

Also, depending on your specific coach (Mine has a Gillig chassis), I started advising all prospective tow-ers that I had a BUS not a motorhome. The guy who arrived had a contract with Greyhound and therefore knew what he was doing..

M/C-W
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Thanks for the update. That first trip with DBarth I was glad the folks who came know exactly what they were doing. I wasn't clueless. But had never even given a thought before that moment.

The drunk yelling down the street that I couldn't park there in the middle of the road. That kept enough humor in the situation to make it interesting.

Mike your folder is 3694. Lately you can only send one photo at a time. I hope this gets better. Thanks for following up. Mikes pictures are on page 2.