GRUMPS The Towman

I am with ESC... Ram / Cummins 5500 4x4 84"c.a. all day, every day.. Since we bought our first Ram in 2012, I will NEVER own another Ford.. The Chevron Renegade 408a ( dont quote me on the model #, I might be wrong ) the one with the stiff legs is a killer recovery unit. That is the truck / unit that is on my wish list for the near future. My 2012 Ram 3500 4x4 has the older version of this set up minus the stiff legs and it is an awesome rugged unit. It has served us well for over 20 years and benn on 2 different truck chassis.

I gotta say, In all my years of doing U-Haul service and tows ( 20years ), I can only remember 2 bearing failures like this one. Thats a pretty good track record considering how their equipment is beat on by random people its whole life.

Great to see that sexy new rig of yours earning her keep. Nice work.

Rest easy Operator. Not only are we getting run over or crashed into constantly, Now we are getting shot pretty regular now too it seems

Those man lifts are pretty heavy lil buggers. I hauled one a while back and was surprised to see it weighed 5.200lbs !! It certainly didnt feel that heavy but the scales dont lie usually. If I had to guess, depending on what was in the van, she was probably right at or just over gvw by a few.. But we all know they can handle way more than they are rated for if carried right and driven by a pro. I would have ran that load on that rig without thinking twice. It is these types of jobs where it pays off to stay on your local D.O.T. guys good side.. LMAO

Poor guy.... I can see this turning into a Gigantic mess for him and his insurance premium being in NY... Someone has to be at fault as far as they are concerned, the easiest person to blame is the tow op who last had contact with it.. This State sucks...

This one here is SUPER virgin. No A/C, But it has the "big" in-line 6. I should have taken a few interior pics because it was like getting in a time machine. Totally spotless clean and Complete with the plywood style bench seats and "Shag style carpet... Lol. AMC's were turds but there is like a cult following with them. Even crappy cars have followers.. lol I am with you on damage waivers, I see no need. If you are on a job where you feel you need one, You are probably out of your league and/or pay grade. I have snagged more than a couple jobs from the local bozo's because they scare off customers with their "damage waivers"

Towed this to my Wifes uncles resto shop today. A complete 1971 Amc hornet that was parked in a shed back in 1990. The Odometer says 63,000 !!! The r/f tire actually blew out while I was winching it out of the shed. Luckily, it was low on psi to begin with. Knowing my Wifes uncle, This gem will be showroom condition in a few weeks.

I really really like the " the support rig comes out, or I am not your guy" Phrase.... It is nice to know I am not the only guy out there that stands firm on his procedures. I dont let anyone sway me from what I feel is safe, professional and profitable. Seems that Mr. Ed is the same way. Too many companies these days will let customers chew them down or give out ultimatums that sway them from performing their jobs properly or with profit simply to get the work. I would rather stay home than take on a job that has careless, unnecessary risk. It is my way or the highway.. A "G" note seems more than fair for that deal And your shop gets the repair job to boot. Nice work.

You didnt mention what your excavating equipment weighs.. Keep in mind, Pulling weight on a spec'ed trailer is totally different than carrying it on your back. Using a truck and trailer gives you the GCVW rating where using a roll back your dealing with Total GVW.

We were all loaded up for this past Sunday But mother nature had other plans and the track rained out. This Weekend is looking much better !!!

Do you wonder why all of our insurance premiums are outrageous??? Here is probably one of the biggest reasons.... So, I had this 2020 Toyota Tacoma in my yard from a rollover mva My partner performed last week. Although it was a relatively light roll, there was significant damage to the cab. The wheels, driveline, engine, etc.. were in fine shape. I was actually able to yard drive it out of the gate for these clowns to load it. Copart sent a "contracted" tow company That I will not Name to retrieve it from me and when he showed up, he had a pretty decent looking Alfa-Romeo on the deck. After he cut the check, I asked How he planned on loading it, Assuming he might put the Tacoma on the W / L backwards... His response was " I am going to bang bar it".... So here is a 9,000 mile, excellent conditioned Tacoma parts truck off on its 70 mile journey to the Copart yard..... In neutral, Engine running.... Notice ZERO safety chains, He used ONE lone J-hook / chain combo to secure it to his cross bar, ( J-hook on one side, through the grab hooks and wrapped the other end through the cv-axle ), There is ONE tie-back on the A-R ( probably the other j-hook from his pair ) and the winch on the front. ZERO front securements... The wireless tag-light bar he put on the roof doesn't even work.. When I asked him about it, He was very matter-of-fact and said, "I just tell the cop if they ask that it died "..... The third pic is of him driving off..

I felt the need to post this because of what I have seen over the years. If you were to ask a group of teens or younger kids today what Memorial day is and what it stands for you might get 2 that actually understand its meaning... Memorial day is a special day for many. A important day for people like me and thousands of others. It is not just a day for BBQ's and beers or day off from school / work and sales at the local shopping mall or car dealership... Sadly, It is known more as the "unofficial start of summer" Than what it really is... A day to remember the Men and women who laid their lives upon the altar of sacrifice for the Very freedoms we have. The free opportunity to have those BBQ"S and beers, The day off of your obligations, Those killer sales at the mall... Whether you are a military family or not, Please take a moment today to say a prayer or even just give a thought to these lost heroes of freedom. Many of which have never even been brought home from the distant battle fields in which they fell. Remind your youngsters what this day really is and why we have it.

Welcome aboard Mr. House. Feel free to snoop around on here. There is tons of great info throughout. And please dont hesitate to ask any one of us questions. We are here to help one another learn and grow as Professionals.

Well, over here in hippy, tree hugging Ithaca, We have a saying that in order to be a REAL Ithacan, Your required to drive a Volvo Prius or a Subaru.. Lol This town is straight up Infested with them. This particular clown is one of the "regulars" of City P.D.'s activities.. He is no stranger to their services.. Lol And Yes Derilyn, I ended up lowering the deck once I got down the hill and rolled the whole wheel heap up onto the deck and strapping it down along side of the car for the trip to my Yard. This thing was a turd before the wreck for sure.. I am more than sure I am gonna eat this one... If it has any insurance at all I am sure its Liability only.

After 9 months of planning, designing, building and setup, the latest chassis out of my familys race shop is ready for the track. This sunday will be her first trip around the dirt oval. I am super excited to see what she has !!

City P.D. called late last night for a vehicle into a pole. Upon arrival, I was informed the driver was heavily intoxicated, and ran from P.D. when they attempted to stop him a few blocks back. The intersection he flew through just prior to crashing has a very deep and off angled approach ramp and when he struck it, the Volvo went airborne, Up over the center median, Onto the curb and struck the pole. The impact sent debris including the entire left front wheel / hub and half the strut assembly 150' further down the road where it struck another responding P.D. vehicle. After verifying with the utility company that the pole was intact, I rigged the casualty up, rotated it around and loaded it off the curb onto my deck. Fluids and debris cleanup took longer than the recovery. On my way down the hill, I stopped and retrieved the wheel / hub assembly as well.

Took this call last week from the city P.D. The woman driving this Mini Took a corner a little too hot, Clipped a parked car and rolled over onto its roof. There was significant damage to the Mini's front suspension from the Impact. My rollover stick made quick work of it and had it back on its wheels in no time. Spun it around, Loaded up and cleaned up some debris. The customer wanted the casualty towed to her home where she paid cash for the job. I was back in service within an hour.

You mean you didnt just drag it across the side of the building, Taking the gutter, soffit and half the roof with it, Let it slam down onto the ground Then drag it up onto a rollback / flatbed upside down, Throw a ratchet strap over the middle of it and off you go?? ( I have been watching too many of the local fly-by-night bozos lately I think...) Seriously, Another Excellent, well thought out, Tricky recovery executed by some real pros.. Great work Guys !!

Depending on the particular model / year Huey, She can externally carry around 5,000 lbs give or take which is pretty impressive for a relatively small, 2 rotor bladed bird. Now, if we could only get our hands on a Chinook...

Excellent work on the recovery Orcastow. It is always a good feeling when you can get one to drive away on its own. And Ed, Gimme a call after you get that Huey wrapped in Team Eds colors... Its been Awhile but, I can give you some lessons on it. I am sure it is like riding a bike... LMAO.

Still here and kicking... I havent been on as much as I used to but hoping my schedule allows for more TowForce time real soon

Wow!!! Excellent work. I assume they sailed in off that road the fire truck is on in the top of the 7th pic.. Maybe a guardrail or something sent them airborne. Must of been really hauling A$$.. Hope everyone was ok.

Welcome aboard Trent. You are certainly on the right track working and learning from Orcas Tow as well as joining on here. Good luck and don't hesitate to ask questions. We are all here to help and learn from one another.

Dad had one back in the day. Had the pop up camper tent top. As a 8-9 year old kid, I thought it was the coolest thing on the planet. Lol