JasonElyriaAuto

Looking to replace a truck that was recently stolen, our only light wrecker (A Dodge 5500 Cummins). Considering used Ford and International trucks (Obviously International is not available with gas engines). Who has used a gas wrecker in a 450 - 550 - 650 configuration? Looking at overall operating cost. Our trucks really do not run a lot, no where near all day long. Thanks.

I'm good at selling things.... A big part of it is pricing them right, then dealing with the 50 lowballers to get to a serious buyer. I make my (primary) living selling industrial surplus online, same thing, price it right. The advice I was seeking was how to best go about it, not whether to do it. I'm still waiting for the complex to get their sign posted (as they only want to tow vehicles at night, because many of the cars there during the day are home health care workers, etc).

I didn't say a $1200 average. That is the LOWEST I've ever sold a running car for. That particular car was a rotted out Dodge Stratus with 250xxx miles. If you can't make money selling (relatively) free cars.....I don't know. The property taxes, insurance and maintenance is exactly the same cost with or without storing impounds. Hassle? I take people's cars. Hassle is kind of implied.

The abandoned vehicles are where we make money. The least I've ever sold a running car for was $1200. Junkers I get at least $500. It's not like it costs us anything to store them until we can get title. The only ones that are not "profitable" are where they come and pick up the cars right away, which might be 10% of what we do.

There are different types of gland nuts. Some are just retained with a snap ring, some are screw in. If it's screwed in, I would attempt to loosen it while mounted to the truck. I had a cylinder years ago from a large scissors alignment lift that I had to send out..... I had a huge pipe wrench on it and it would not budge. I think that cost me about $350, 12 years ago.

You need special tools to install the gland seal (eBay). You are NOT getting that seal in without the special tool that essentially folds the seal into a "U" shape". Once you've rebuilt one cylinder, you know how to do it. They are all pretty much the same. Take pictures, and replace like parts for like parts. If you need to slide a seal over the rod and into a groove, use cut up plastic from a milk or oil jug.

I've been running a PPI program for the last year. We are in a semi rural area, so most of the impounds I have done so far are abandons. I got a call last week about a condo apartment complex that has an issue with limited parking, and people not on the leases living there (and therefore not having a parking pass). They want it enforced between 8pm and 8am. They are fine with us rolling through once or twice a week, and towing some out, just so there is some teeth to the parking permit rule. (I'm not big on doing patrol towing, however from this contract I got a much much bigger complex contract, call to tow out only, and I've already had one car out of there). We have one rollback, and one wrecker with dollies. My thought is to just walk through earlier, and inspect for permits and make a list of vehicles not having them, and the units they are in front of. Then later we know which ones to grab. My friend is a much better tow truck operator than I am at this point, so he will grab them and tow them out of the complex, and I will load two onto the rollback. As far as why we don't want to tow lots of cars out... Ohio regulated rates for PPI are lower than public rates for the same tow. Any advice from someone who does this, or has done this?

I did road service and towing years ago. I have a nicely established online business that leaves me with a lot of free time, so for the last year I have been running the PPI program for a friend's towing business.