EdsTowing

2 hours ago, Ehofer said:

Great looking truck. Are the collins dollies the new G7 with the 104" useable span?

Yes they are. Honestly I haven't tried them yet...we just got them back mounted on the body again...

 

 

We altered them so the wheels sit strait up and lowered the bracket some for clearance on the winch motors.

 

23 minutes ago, Njsss said:

Are you satisfied with the upfitter & the installation?   We are building our next truck soon & do not want run into the the same major installation issues we had with my last truck. Thanks

Yes we are happy with the job that East Penn did. It went long over the schedule which I will admit was frustrating but the job was right. This dolly mount issue was a learn as we go type issue and I'm sure the installer never thought about the mirror issue we ran in to. But I know this is out of the normal situation with our up-fitting of these winches. I certainly get your concerns too. We literally just finished a body repaint on a brand Ford for a friend of mine. Truck was built by a large east coast builder and the paint quality was terrible....

 

 

I was happy with how it turned out but when a guy spends $160k + for a new truck, they shouldn't have to go through stuff like this...

 

 

Delivered it last week. 

We got a little over a foot of snow dumped on us this weekend. It can be good for business but comes at a "cost" on equipment and man power...

 

 

A lot of preparation has to go in to the property and snow management equipment for storms like this. We have a large facility and 20 or so trucks that pay to park on the lot so everything has to be kept up during & after the storms..

 

 

On Large storms, we have aggressive snows mounted for the front of the wreckers that we through on. They do so well in the deep stuff but I don't like driving around with them for the other 90% of the trucks use so we can take them back off...

 

 

When they aren't on the road, I try to bring everything inside with heaters on them to defrost and get a quick spray off to keep them clean....

 

 

Personally, I prefer the snow squalls that come through and drop 1/2" - 2" of snow...it's easy, fast & profitable.

Well the key is, whatever you use - keep within the safe work load of the product and always protect the rope. All of them will perform well if cared for. Fiber core is easy to work with and retains lubricant if properly maintained. The steel core has a higher break strength but doesn't wrap as well on the winch. The swaged rope is supposedly the strongest but personally I think it sucks to work with...it just doesn't want to bend. We use a lot of synthetic rope which is real nice to work with, very strong and the safest to be around but it's costly and susceptible to abrasive issues so you need to be careful.

I would be looking for a restriction somewhere. It takes more pressure to go down then lift up so if it still moves under weight, then you probably have pressure but diminished flow or volume. 

So to know what the truck is capable of, we would need to know more about it. The 25 ton unit is very strong and I assure you it will always outwork that chassis. Maybe post a picture of it? What's the wheel base of the truck? I wouldn't call it a medium duty...a light heavy maybe, but it will do probably 90% of a companies typical daily work. Without knowing your business plan and area, it's hard for me to say if it's the right application for business but don't discount the truck...just respect it. You have to respect weight no matter what it is you operate and when you get in to HD work, there's an added concern because the weights you're dealing with can get you hurt. Obviously any single axle has diminished braking ability on a wrecker application. Make sure you get a Brake Buddy or learn to tap in to the systems of disabled trucks. Hooking & booking is all fun & stuff but you got to be able to stop it. Every man needs to know his limitations.... And there is 2 kind of weight factors to be concerned with. The steer weight of what you're lifting is a potential enemy of a wrecker, that's what makes you "pucker". Then the over all gross weight which can seem like a lot but in actuality, just requires ample power to move it and brakes to stop it. Towing a 80,000lb loaded tractor trailer is not a big deal as long as you are prepared. Hooking to a tandem dump @ 58,000 or a loaded tri axle at 73k will school you in a hurry! That is the type of stuff that fills the other 10% of the work out there that you need to avoid. This is why it's necessary knowing what your target audience is. If you are in a metro area, you can do fine with a unit like this. If your region is logging/heavy construction ect..., then this isn't the right truck for you.

 

As for performance, check out Jerr-Dan's performance calculator on their site...  https://www.jerrdan.com/tow-link That will answer the math questions....cause that's all it is - physics and math. It doesn't matter who's name is on the ID tag or where the lift cylinders are placed...it's all about weights & measures.

 

As for the last part of your question, there are a number of principle factors that you need to identify in order to sustain. Finding business can be difficult and searching for "Motor Club Type" heavy work will typically leave you in despair, broke & frustrated 5 years from now...assuming you can hold on that long. Anybody that has their hand in your pocket, taking a piece of your hard labor is never beneficial. No different then the LD business, just magnified because of the added cost of equipment, labor and exposure. Try to avoid them at all costs would be my recommendation.  Companies like Penske & Ryder can be good accounts because they have thousands of trucks and deal with break downs & accidents every day. Many guys build their business profile around companies like this. The negative aspect is you're going to have to discount to them for any volume. I do work for these guys @ 250.00hr but guys that "do a lot" for them are working for 125-150 typically. You need to decide if you can sustain & prosper at those amounts? Years ago, I did a fair amount for them...now I don't because my business model has changed. Whatever you do, don't whore yourself. Guys doing work for these companies...tractor swaps and what not with a heavy for 100 or 125 an hour are loosing money...PERIOD! If these guys seem to be sustaining, it's because another aspect of their company or an outside source is contributing to their revenue. Remember, it's not magic.

 

Good luck with your venture and please, be careful. The heavy business can be rewarding but it can beat you down. When I started, I had a long, good reputation in our area and was told by dozens of companies that they were going to use us. Maybe 10% actually did. Some of the bigger players would say "well you only have one truck" and give the "what ifs". As I grew (without their help), you remember the folks that helped you get there and the ones that didn't...and charge accordingly.  😉

Came in this morning and my son says "You made the magazine"....to which I had no idea...

 

 

Now that I'm famous, when do I get the check?  😁

Not that I would want to....but, a small block Chevy would go in there as well if you cant find the big block. All of them are difficult to find anymore but if you came across a 350, it would get the job done. Biggest issue will be revising the exhaust a little and some radiator hoses.

 

Just a thought, good luck with your quest.

On 12/29/2023 at 2:13 PM, usmc041127 said:

I agree. Honestly when I seen it was a triple axle and no deadman insight I didn't think I had a fighting chance. 

 

I tell my guys 2 important factors... #1 Work close to utilize the ability of the wrecker body instead of relying on the amount of resistance your truck can provide, and #2 protect your line load & rigging. You 3 or 4 part the lines and I don't care what you're hooked to...it will come out or you will simply exceed the ability of the truck - but you wont hurt anything but your pride....

Nice...I love doing big jobs with smaller trucks. There's a "challenge" factor that is hard to get when I'm in my big truck...

My grandson had all most of the equipment on display the other day for our company Christmas Party...

 

 

We had a nice turn out and the kids (and a few adults) had a great time in the bounce house...LoL 

 

 

We had a local restaurant cater the party this year with their food trailer that we positioned right in the shop.

 

 

Overall, it was a great day.

The dollies look good, haven't used them yet. I had to remove them from the truck so I can modify the mounting brackets...

 

 

Problem is with these large winches, the winch motors are much bigger. They moved the dolly mounts outward to give clearance for the motors but that put the dolly tires right in line with the mirrors on the truck...You couldn't see anything out the back. I'm going to modify the brackets so the wheels sit strait vertical instead of at an angle. It will make them more difficult to get on & off but it's not like we use them regularly.

A few more feet and it would of been even more interesting...LoL Nice work.

7 hours ago, mooresbp said:

Nice,

I don't see much snow yet?

No we got a 5" storm a week or so ago...we got work from it, still getting some, but I could use a little more... 😁

Just a few recent tows for our local Transit Authority...

 

 

 

 

Just cleaning out my phone & haven't posted anything in a while...

 

Well, we finally got the truck today and everything went well.

I'm anxious to start outfitting it in the next couple of weeks.

Here are some shots of the current state...

 

 

 

Custom touches on the side badging...

 

 

 

Full Red "Under Glow" kit installed w/ extensions behind the grill and in the Fender Badges as well...

Up-fitted w/ 12,000 lb winches with Synthetic rope...

 

 

The Hydraulic motors are huge....

 

 

We had air free spools, trailer plugs for 7 wire, 4 wire flat & tow lights on the back,

along with air service port & Back Up Camera...

 

 

 

This chassis has a special Power Inverter option w/ 30 amp service plugs that

we installed in the compartment along with a compressor & hose real...

 

 

 

 

Charge port/station for the Tow Light...

 

 

 

We had these strobe/puddle lights installed that we use on our rollback.

 

 

Collins Dollies w/ Positive Arch Axles...

 

 

Top of the boxes, body side pods and complete rear portion of crane unit is Raptor Lined for durability.

I'll update once we start in the boxes.

 

20 hours ago, TowForce said:

I like the Glow... If someone were to upload the video to YouTube it could then be shared in this topic.

I'll try that Ron, thanks.

They had a few issues with all of the lights, had to get an updated file from Ford to upload in to the Body Control Modules. I think they got everything the way we wanted it. Hopefully we will be picking the truck up tomorrow...

 

 

These are some still shots captured from video's they sent us. I can't upload the video's to the page though.

Got the plow installed, Magnum Back Rack on the bed and the fuel tank mounted in the bed tray...

 

 

Fits in there like a glove and you can easily slide the tank to the back of the bed for access/filling. This is waiting for the emergency lighting to be installed, the 2 way radio and then I think we are done....

They sent a couple pics the other day of the truck....supposed to be ready for pick up on Friday so we will see...

 

Sometimes you get a call and you can just feel that this is going to be a cluster.... The other day we get a call to tow a tractor from a residence in a gated community to an IAA facility about 40 miles away. They didn't have a lot of information...or answers...and I got a negative feeling right out of the gate. But we charged accordingly and took a heavy and a rollback to assist since there was a car in the way "that just needed a jump"... Arrive to the address and it's just a wooded lot...no house...no Prostar... I call the guy and he's confused. I told him give me a call when you figure it out. We took half of the money for the bullshit and credited his carb back the rest.

 

So yesterday he calls with the correct address and wants it done. I send a LD to scope it out 1st and find the house with cars blocking the truck. An hour later, the guy says that the cars are moved and he just needs the truck towed so we head up with both trucks anyway. Looking at the driveway, there isn't any way I am fitting the heavy in the driveway and ain't getting back out when hooked up. Get back on scene, and everything is still in the way...

 

 

Of course the car in the way is a BMW 650 that hasn't run in nearly a year...flat tires, locked in park. We try to jump it but it doesn't crank so we hook it and tow it to the street...

 

 

Then we tried to jump the truck but that hasn't apparently ran for quite a few months either so no go... Had to air the truck, beat the brakes off to release and pulled it out in to the street as well to hook it. Then move everything else back in to the driveway...

 

 

Wasted so much time and now we had a better grasp on the situation, there was going to have to be more money so I brought it back to the shop for the night...

 

 

Dropped at the shop for the night. We got the balance needed for the job this morning and brought it up to Pittston today...

 

 

In the end it was ok and paid around 1500 for everything so...but I knew it was going to be one of those "Rest of the story" jobs...

 

Looks like a nice old girl...

That is cool....

Our new chassis is in for a Rollback...

 

 

This will be a real nice unit with a Steel Bed & a Side Puller. It's a 300hp w/ an Allison, all cab options, duel aluminum tanks. The body isn't scheduled in till February so we should have it some time in March/April. Our 2022 Peterbilt will be up for sale when we get a little closer to the delivery date.

We don't have the time to take this one apart so we had the body shop just shoot the frame & suspension to keep in nice through the winter...

 

 

Kevin does a nice job with this.

1 hour ago, Towman92266 said:

weighs in at 6300 or so.

That's nice...and the unit can handle it too.

Here is a F550 Diesel 4wd dump I moved in to the garage the other day...

 

 

Now I couldn't go down the road like this...my steer was skidding all around. But the MPL40 is so strong.

 

 

 

Probably half of them have wreckers on them...