Maybe Shorebird or someone else in the biz can answer this.

Disclaimer: This is not a rant about tow operators. I have used their services many times, and I have been impressed with their abilities and politeness.

On to the question. I'm just wondering how dangerous the tow I will describe was.

My daughter and her husband rolled a 78 Ford big box RVwhen it blew one of the tires. It was a small RV ( no plumbing), but still a good sized rig.

The tow op told us that we could follow him to the shop, and that he'd take it easy. (I should have been warned when the cop on the scene insisted on giving us directions to the shop). The tow rig was fair size, but it was a hook -- as opposed to the big sliders I usually see these days.

I followed him, but it was quite a trip. Freeway speeds were one thing, but he really took it through curves and corners. I'm no racer, but I've been driving for a while, and I was uncomfortable trying to keep up.

I'm well aware that professionals are a lot more skilled and experienced, so I'm asking the question. Was this guy on the edge, or was he well within the safe driving range? I know that he was PO'd because he really didn't want us going to the shop with him. (The cop made him do it because there were firearms in the camper).

Again, I have the greatest respect for tow ops.

 

When you say on the hook do you mean a sling and chain or a wheel lift? Did the speed make you uncomfortable in the vehicle you were in or was it the watching of the tow at speed that bother you? You don't cite a particular speed in MPH for reference. Personally I get distracted and/or irritated when a person follows me to the end point of the tow. Meet me there. Don't get on my behind and ride there. Why were the firearms not removed at the scene after the rig was righted?
BTW; Was the rig on it's drive wheels? Automatic or manual transmission?

 

OK,
1. It was a wheel lift, if I get what you mean -- the front wheels were off the ground.
2. They had to search for the firearms ( the inside was a mess). This didn't come out until after they had righted the RV and met us in the nearest safe place.
3. It was an AT
4. We were following because we didn't know where the place was.
-- I stayed well back, I was not on his bumper.

It wasn't the speed as much as the cornering that bothered me. I figured that he knew how fast he could safely go. I couldn't see how things were going because it was dark out. He just seemed to be taking curves and corners faster than I was comfortable with in my vehicle.

I'm only asking because I'm curious. This happened a couple of years ago, and I never mentioned it to the driver or anyone else. It's just been sticking in my mind, and since we have a highly qualified pro at FTE, I thought that I'd ask.

So, to rephrase, how well can you corner in a rig like that with a pretty hefty load on?

 

Sorry to have not gotten back here for a couple of days.
A wheellift unit is a under reach boom and has a crossbar that secures the set of wheels being lifted to it.

A sling unit has an elevated boom and uses the winch cable and a set rubber straps attached to a drawbar and does not touch the wheels.

The wheel lift has less roll over potential in that the wheels are strapped down to the lift. The sling unit has a greater potential in that there is no restraint to the lifted wheels tilting.
A wheel lift is a more stable platform. It allows a bit more speed when towing. The lift is quite secure when the wheels are strapped down. It holds the wheel on the outside of the turn upwards in resistance to tilting while holding the inside wheel down.
Did the towman remove the driveshaft? A automatic trany will burn the friction plates if it is towed more than a short distance above a slow speed.
Always tow on the freewheeling tires. Pull the driveshaft if needed to prevent spinning the transmission.

 

I don't think I'd hire the dude again. But under the circumstances, what choice did you have?

My vote is that he got called away from a thing he would rather be doing, and did not take enough care. But I wasn't there to see it.

A ***** that has a tow rig in an emergency is a ***** with an advantage.

ALSO - if he was obvious about not wanting you to follow - he had something to hide!

"*****"

I guarantee ya....

Or at least he was to you.

A southern man would have been polite and careful even if he didn't know you.

 

Thanks for the responses.

He had an elevated boom. Don't know if he did the tranny, although he should have. But, the RV was pretty much toast.

His big deal was that he didn't want to hang around the shop after he brought it in. It was Friday night, and he said that he got a fixed rate for the job -- he wanted out. But, to give him credit, he did help locate the shotgun, and some other valuables when we got there.

It was a pretty bad deal for the kids. My son in law had just replaced the engine -- a couple of times, since there was some confusion as to what it was. ( I think it was a 351M -- if that makes sense).

 

I wouldn't put money on that. I've been all over the country and the world for that matter and the world is full great people and ****** alike. Geography and demographics don't play into that equation.

Tim