someotherplace

Thanks fellas, however Jim, your statement confuses me - Towman says the dealer isn't supposed to accept a dollied BMW; you said your dealer doesn't say anything. Also again the specific models requiring dollies would be good to know. I'm certain it does not include every BMW model, especially older ones. I do understand arguing with the dealer can be futile, but in the case of non-consent tows, or consent (but repo), there are many BMW's dollied on a regular basis and so far I fail to understand how one can be damaged this way unless the operator is grossly negligent somehow. Richard

Interested in details/pricing - it's not on your site yet? Richard

Curious as to your information source? When manufacturers make claims like that it always makes me wonder how lifting a vehicle from the same wheels that support it on the road can somehow lead to damage. Richard

Hi Gunther, Do you have a version that is legal in Texas? AFAIK it has to have the individual turn signals, and the side markers, like your model TM21. I've seen many operators here getting by with the Limelight but vague memory tells me the reason for the TM21 design was Texas law? Please correct me if I'm wrong. Regardless of law, I believe the side markers are very important for any extra visibility you can get for the towed vehicle - and the "full glow" side markers of the current TM21 are pretty good especially compared to the old single dot LED style before y'all went to the transparent end caps that fully illuminate. Thanks, Richard

I know on that truck if the antenna dings that's one thing; if it drags, I'm gonna have a bad time. Richard

What was the posted clearance? I did this one the other night in an F450 with a Renegade unit... no light bar on the pylon, thankfully. Close! My antenna was dinging on the cross beams. Richard

So he's calling that a "fence" ... Richard

No kidding.. I see a melted aluminum F150. No tow truck in sight.. Richard

IMO your combined criteria just ruled out everything but a carrier; might be tougher to get a carrier to it vs. a wrecker, but no wheels? A wrecker w/dollies is gonna have a tough time safely bringing that load back out to the road. If the terrain is rough enough, you're gonna high-center the dollies at some point and that ain't good. Even at full pinch between the bars you have what, about 6-8" of clearance? Richard

I'm impressed. I wonder what else he has for sale so I can pester him with lowball offers from 20 different fake names, to see if he'll continue to throw away his belongings. Richard

While that's a creative solution, I wonder if his insurance provides coverage for that activity. A whole lot can go wrong in a parking garage. Richard

Nearly a week later and no movement on this case as far as I know, despite having a very clear picture of the suspect that almost immediately led to his identification (full name), his vehicle's identification (license plate and all), and status as a person of interest in the case, and the fact that he resides (resided) in the apartments where the shooting occurred. The assumption that he is clear across the border is very likely and we'll probably not hear from this waste of breath again until he comes back and commits further crimes, which is a pattern we're all too used to down here in SE TX. Richard

A lesson that can be learned from that Kentucky story: if you arrive on the scene of a winch-out call and the vehicle operator appears impaired, go ahead and call the police. Depending on how incident management is done in your area, you may lose the call to the next rotation truck or however your local system works, but you won't be putting a drunk back on the road after he has clearly displayed he is incapable of safely operating his vehicle. That "quick cash" in your pocket is not worth the life of some innocent person(s) down the road when they meet up with this idiot. I get flagged down by apparent drunks to pull their vehicles out of ditches, high-centered on curbs/medians, etc. and I refuse every single one of them. Let them flag down a cop. If they are clearly, obviously impaired, I'll call a cop for them. They don't need my help, I'm a wrecker driver, not a substance abuse counselor. You don't even have to get confrontational with them. You CANNOT predict how someone that is drunk or high will react, other than you can predict it will NOT go well. I have flat out lied to them - my winch is broken. Let me call another truck that can help. Roll the window up, call the law. Richard

Learned to do recovery work (including rollovers) in a carrier, and was in a carrier 90% of the time working for my old man when I first got into the business. Now if the equipment was MINE, I'd be very picky about what operator I would send out to do recovery work regardless of the equipment, but probably more picky if sending them in a carrier, with the belief that it's easier to damage them if you're not careful. Steel deck, removable side rails, side-puller pulley at the end of the deck...and a trailer attachment for the stinger...that FL60 with the 21' Chevron took care of just about every call I ever ran. Richard

Pretty much any 3500/4500 (350/450) style chassis should get the job done, just have to go measure a few. Fold-down light bar brackets if you gotta have a light bar. If you run wrecks and have radios, you'll want to mount the antennas...somewhere...not on the roof! You didn't give much info though, are you looking for a brand new truck, used, what brands are you for/against, etc. with more info other members may give details of their setups for garage work (assuming that's why clearance is an issue for you.) Richard