When I parked the 1986 F-350 wrecker at work, I was halfway there. The mileage:
500,031

499,969 miles to go.

I weonder if the boss will finally put a new 3rd gear synchro in the tranny now.

It turned 500K on I-395 with a Mercedes E320 on the hook.

 

my truck is about to hit 300 thousand within 50 miles. I want it to be a special occasion, cause she might not make it to 400 K.

 

Mine is getting close to 90,000 I hope it lives as long as your all's is!

 

That is pretty cool. How many engines?

 

Hey, you were on I-395, so your in CT I take it ??
I use that highway many times myself. When I had my truck it was 55K and it hit that when I was rolling through the local supermarket parking lot. Its amazing we know where all the major millage markings took place

 

Original engine, original T-19 (with the third gear synchro pretty much totally gone) tranny, had 2 clutches replaced, one flywheel, one injector pump (probably will need another one soon), about 4 injectors, one radiator.

The original radio still works, & the A/C still blows cold.

 

I should also mention what it's survived:

Hit head-on while stopped in a parking lot by a Cavalier wagon going ~25MPH. So glad it has a BIG push bumper (I-beams welded together). I drove the truck back, the Cav left on a Fuso rollback.

Rear-ended by an idiot in an Accord--stopped, she hit the stinger at ~35MPH. She said she "didn't see those small taillights". (To which I responded: "Well what about the BIG ****ING TOW TRUCK?!")

Did 40 miles towing a Stepvan. No, that wasn't anywhere near legal. Nor anywhere near smart. Nor was I the one who did that.

Highway road construction, pavement was milled down to put on a fresh layer of asphalt. Well, they didn't warn anybody that there was now about a 2" rise to the bridge expansion joints, didn't paint them orange (which they usually do), no "BUMP" signs...NOTHING. Running empty, I hit that bridge at about 68MPH...if I didn't get the front end a foot off the ground, I'll eat my toolbox. Did I mention all tires running at max (80) psi? I looked the entire front end over on a lift. Total damage: 2 missing weights on the left front wheel. Coffee on the floor. All my paperwork covered in coffee. Coffee in my boot (fun). I keep my coffee tightly covered now.

Pulled a loaded Ford F-Super Duty dump truck out of a ditch...no, stupid, you CANNOT take a 30MPH posted turn at 45 with a box full of topsoil in the rain! That took some creativity--and about 2 hours. Good thing he didn't need the hook--the 86 is tough, but not THAT tough!

 

Did you put on all those miles?

 

Oh, heck no! I've only been there a couple years-they've had the truck since November 1986.

We also have a 1974 GMC C-35 rollback still in service.

 

Thanks Jarlaxle I laughed for 10 minutes when i saw this lol


Rear-ended by an idiot in an Accord--stopped, she hit the stinger at ~35MPH. She said she "didn't see those small taillights". (To which I responded: "Well what about the BIG ****ING TOW TRUCK?!")

 

I didn't...probably because I was in the BIG ****ING TOW TRUCK, and spent my lunch break filling out paperwork.

 

An '86 wrecker in New England and it only has 500,000 miles, you guys must not be very busy, sounds like Ford country over there!

 

Our van (I think an E-350) has 220,00 miles and still running good.

 

Not that we're not busy, we just spread the miles out a bit:

1974 GMC C-35 rollback (292 I-6, 3 on the tree): 469,000 (backup truck)
1987 GMC R-35 wheel-lift/sling (454/TH400): 388,000
1986 F-350 wheel-lift/sling (6.9 IDI/4-speed): 501,000
1992 F-350 wheel-lift (460/E4OD): 296,000
2001 F-550 rollback (entered service 3/2003, PSD/6-speed): 110,000 (!)
1972 F-800 HD rollback (361FT/Clark 5-speed): Fates only know how many times it's turned over

Replaced by the 550: 1992 Mitsubishi Fuso rollback (diesel/auto): 297,000

Also in service, though not very often...
1968 Chevy C-30 sling, 350/SM465, somewhere north of 250,000 miles, just put back on the road after sitting 4 years due to going head-on with a Mercedes S320.

The 74 is on its second 292 & fourth clutch, the 87 had its 454 replaced at ~280K, the 92 cooked its trans at 210K, the 86 is on its third clutch & second set of doors (road salt sucks!), the 550 will probably get a new clutch this winter. The F-800 is on at least its third set of doors, & second cab (salt sucks).

The Fuso ate 3 trannies, 2 air compressors (air brakes), & no less than 4 radiators (quite a pain in a COE) between 90K & when the boss finally dumped it. I think he almost cried when he saw the trade-in value.

 

axle, maybe we should start a thread on wrecker bloopers , we have the same stupid crap happen here in Missouri. Ive run a class 8 wrecker for 7 years now along with a 1 Ton