EdsTowing

Had a heavy call today out in the middle of nowhere. Triaxle Make w/ a Knuckle Boom & partially loaded with shingles....

Always time for a Beauty Shot...loL

Didn't get any pics of the hook up point since it was hanging out in to the road quite a bit with no shoulder...

Had a couple of these in my route which are awesome when your knocking on a 100G... The first one was a 5 mile long winding stretch at 9% 

The Jake got a workout today...LoL This truck works very well with weight though...

Got it back to the shop for repairs.

I forked this in the front of the Control arm where it met the K frame. It wasn't close to anything.

Sometimes the Gods just smile down on us and make the best backdrop you can imagine!

It's tough and the market has changed quite a bit in the last 8-10 months. Trucks were bringing silly money when they couldn't keep up with demand...even shitty trucks. Now it's different...plenty of equipment on the market (new & used), interest rates are stupid high even for great credit ratings...and a lot of guys aren't real busy. You see a lot of older stuff that they are asking big money but I am pretty sure they aren't getting it. I see some dealers advertising trucks with "Only 280,000 miles" like it's a Virgin or something...LoL  Premium trucks, especially heavy's & rotators are still doing good because the new ones have climbed to a point of being ridiculous. My Pete that I have run for 3 years now is probably still worth $100,000 more then I paid for it because a new one is $550,000 - 600,000 for a 35 ton.

1st off the F650. The mileage is low for sure which will help, but that truck wasn't $100,000 when it was new. It's probably 125-150 now new depending on options & equipment. I don't see the 100 number though. Like I said, the mileage will help push the sale but I think you will be down in the 80-85k to move a 7 year old truck. But also, this is without seeing anything so... I just sold my 22 Pete which was a high option truck with 68k on it for $120,000. I paid 108 for it 3 years ago. We put a new set of drives on it for the sale but I was content with that. I feel confident I could of got 130k for it last summer though. And it all sounds great until I looked at the new one we just built that we are in to for over $190k! I don't know where it will end...

The 99 is worth what it is based on condition. It's 25 years old but it drops to a point and then holds as long as it's a useable unit that will pass inspection. These can be worth 15-25 grand depending. A lot of guys look for stuff like this as a back up truck or winter storm truck. The 11 2wd with the Dynamic can be in the same range and maybe more towards 25-35k? Again condition is everything. The 2wd & V-10 would diminish it's value in our area. The V-10 doesn't necessarily bother me but if it's a 2wd, 60"ca regular cab, it isn't going to tow much when it comes to heavier pick ups and what not. Personally I 'm not a fan of the Dynamics but they have a following and a lot of guys like them. Again, these were $50-60,000 trucks when they were new. Both of these I would consider as "entry level" but remember sometimes those folks starting up are working on a wing & a prayer. No serious finance company is going to finance a truck of this age unless the person had some pretty incredible credit and or collateral but at that point, they aren't typically looking for trucks like this.

In the end, there's a seat for every ass. Sometimes you can price it strong if you are willing to wait for the right guy but it takes patience. And sometimes you need a reality check if you stop receiving calls on them. Good luck with it.

But of course that's just my opinion...I could be wrong. 😉 

Rob moved a large toolbox out of the Fed Ex terminal the other day...

Had a call the other morning to tow a Sprinter van to the dealer because there were no keys. They wouldn't cut the key without the truck being on property.

Snug getting in & out of there but we got it...

Strapped the tow light down and it held. Customer has used us a few times for tows and had the shaft already tied up...

Dropped at the dealer 45 miles away but I didn't like leaving it where they wanted it. Steep embankment behind it, no parking brake, and I couldn't find the hardware to put the shaft back in. So I found a groove where it sat still and then chocked the wheels with big chunks of blacktop I found...

Guy calls a week later and asks to have it picked back up at the dealer because they made the key. I had to tow a Uhaul to the repair center 1/2 mile away with the heavy and figured I would just grab this on the way back for a "Round Robin"...

Got on scene and found that they never moved the van. Shaft still pulled, key doesn't start it anyway...

Same wheel chock set up & everything...LoL Appears that they charged him a bunch of money to just cut a key... I guess they didn't even program it either because it just said "Key not Detected" on the dash.

Wiggled my way back in there and forked the front control arms. I knew I wasn't going to fit where it had to go but originally thought we could drive it down there... Dropped it at the shop and had one of the guys deliver it to his house.

Well it was wrapped and in Service on Friday....

I still have to set up the tool boxes & equipment and the 2 way radio along with some other electronic goodies will be completed this week. Drove it for a bit on Thursday when i dropped it off for the wrap and I liked the new cab. The truck has more room, the ergonomics are better and I really like the mirrors over the old style.

Got a couple days to work on our Dump Truck project...it's moving right along...

Got the body mounted & sub frame.

trailer tow package installed. We use the factory Ford plug set up so we get a 7 wire & a 4 wire plug.

Got everything in the rear completed.

I think we are in the home stretch...

The guy was from up by Poughkeepsie NY

She's on her way home...

23 hours ago, Bushwacker said:

I love the two car deals unless both are uninsured it guarantees payment 99% time. I have the milwaukee blowers on my trucks also. I love them I hardly ever touch a broom anymore. Nice job. Ed have you gotten your sidepull yet? Let me know what you think after using it a little while.

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Eddie is going tomorrow morning to pick it up

Found out this morning that Henry Fenimore aka "Uncle Henry" passed away last night from an illness he had been battling. He was a guy who was "Larger than Life" in both size & personality and a true asset to our industry. The 350th Tower to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame, he was a wealth of knowledge and a towing Legend. Godspeed Henry...

Just got home from the shop today and we get a call for a 2 car...

This is an intersection that's good for a few wrecks a year...

Quick job that got dropped in the fence & then back home for some soup!

Got a call the other day for a "commercial dump truck" fire so we loaded for something big...I got a pic sent to me but it was hard to tell what it was...

Turned up it was just an F550. I already had the big truck out waiting so we just rolled...

Making our way through the back log...

Fireman asked me to hold up, he wanted to give it one more squirt before I hooked up...

We just painted these Tahoe Command Vehicles....they look good! 😁

The skid Steer with the Power Broom makes quick work on a job like this...

It wasn't a "real impressive" hook up since I wasn't getting a bath under it and we were a mile or so from the shop...

Once back to the shop, we unloaded the two pallets of pavers in the back so the customer could get them to their job. Figured it's easier to just take them out now before I back it in the fence...

Had to put the machine on the bed and then grab the second pallet in the dump body...the pallet was a real POS and was falling apart trying to slide it to the edge... Overall, we had an hour in the job but hopefully it has insurance so we can get paid...

Got a call for a TriAxle dump that broke the rear suspension. It was loaded heavy and they were afraid that the front drive axle would roll under the truck. I informed them that they had to unload it...I knew I could lift it but nobody was going down the road with it backwards...

Pretty simple rear pick at the frame rails w/ tall forks... The driver unloaded it in the back of this lot where they can go back to get it with a skid steer & dump tomorrow.

Started to get some camper moves this week...

Sometimes they can be a "PITA" but as long as you're getting paid enough for the aggravation.... 

Getting close on our new rollback. We are supposed to be picking it up at the end of the week...

300hp, Auto, Air Ride, Air Disc Brake, duel tanks, all cab options....

22' Steel bed, Side Puller, Auto Loader wheel lift, rear air package, duel air free spools w/ a custom touch, all synthetic rope.

Lots of custom lighting going in... Aluminum/Stainless boxes & baskets with the wheel arch storage boxes as well. Bed is being painted now and then it gets aluminum removable Blade Rails.

Lot's of extras....polished air tanks & battery cover...all "inboard" catalyst for a clean frame...Navigation...Winch brake, Electronic locking rear... It should make for a real nice unit.

And....she's gone...

De-commissioned our 22' Pete today...it's been a great truck that's operated nearly flawlessly for 3 years...

Going to it's new owner in Upstate NY tomorrow. It's replacvement gets picked up next Friday so "stay tuned"...LoL 

SOLD! This truck is getting "De-commissioned" today and going to it's new home tomorrow in NY State.

10 hours ago, Bushwacker said:

No telling how many gallons of water is on it. I bet it did feel funny being a single axel being that heavy. Nice job!

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Yea they offered to unload the water but he said it was little bit of a "pita" so I didn't worry about it. I thought about rear towing it but then thought better to leave that experience for when I didn't have a choice... 😉

Had a tractor tow the other day. Picked it up in a little truck stop north of us...

Was going to be a 35 mile tow on primarily back roads so I didn't worry about the air shields. Mad at myself because I started across the lot and saw them shift around in my mirrors...got back out & checked and the hardware was all rotted that attached them. They would of been gone on an interstate...

Should of just done it in the 1st place...just lazy I guess...LoL

Got it there in one piece & got paid sop all was well...

One of our customer's called to have a motorhome disposed of from their storage facility....as you can imagine, it was Real Nice... 😎

Dale Earnhardt approved...

We explained that it will be a cost factor to cut this up and put the body in a rolloff can, then junk the chassis.

Tight area, had to "side shoot" it at an angle and worked to get it through the buildings...

It held together all the way back so that's all I cared about. The only "silver lining" is it has a 454 Big Block Chevy in it that I'm sure someone will buy. We will get it tore up next week.

Picked this one up yesterday for a running issue...

42,000lb Single Axle...Heavy little bugger

I was going through my emails and came across this article in Hemmings about the Towing Museum...

Your intrepid reporter squeezes into the world's smallest tow truck: a 20-hp 1970 Cony from Japan.

Photo: Larissa Milne

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/paying-tribute-to-tow-trucks-and-wreckers-at-the-international-towing-recovery-hall-of-fame-and-museum/