Keeping the 600R busy

[brian991219]

Topic Originally Created on Tow411 in April of 2012:

 

Here are a few simple tows we have done with the 600R.  This truck tows very well, the heavy weight on the steer axle helps a lot, it has 9900 pounds on the steer.  The only complaint, it is a little under powered at 5000 foot above sea level, but it gets the job done.

The yellow RV is a 1974, front wheel drive with air suspension in the back but well thought out, you pump it up with an onboard electric compressor then close the valve to lock in the ride height, all factory, made towing it and keeping ground clearance a breeze. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ltl900tow said:

looks good i love that truck, with those fords in the spoons i always pop off the center caps due to they are so brittle

 

Keen1051 said:

Not bashing, but why choke up on your L-arms? I always open them up so it will sit in deeper, less chance of coming out in case of sudden stop.

 

Brian991219 said:

We have very steep curb cuts and high angles in and out of out driveways and intersections in Albuquerque so it is a balancing act to get the wheels in the spoons, the ride height correct and not drag the rear end or catch the tires where they hang down below the cross bar.  I have found it is easy to bottom out the front wheels just coming into a parking lot out here.

 

RobertCAdams said:

Truck looks GOOD!!!!
Robert

 

gen4towman said:

gotta love those fwd gmc motorhomes.

 

GStyle said:

I've seen a rv like that, but it was green. Remember Stripes with Bill Murray?

 

Brian Bell said:

Nice Looking Job's but I will say I'm super scared of those 19.5's just being held in by lasso straps.  They will jump out when you get into a PANIC STOP !!!  Trust me BTDT the towed vehicle will be all into your tailboard ... You need a chain or another strap ran straight up or slightly forward up to the front T-hooks or even around the sway bar pulling backwards to your crossbar.   I always kept a auto transport style cluster with about 3ft of 5/16 chain on my truck to do this.  I could use it to pull cars out of the ditch also.  

I found this picture in my photobucket the red line is where there needs to be a chain / strap  ... You could just go around the spring stack also and leave it with a little slack if dips / hills are a huge issue.. as long as the tires can't lift up out of the L arm then they cant go forward....  I know your thinking that's what the Lasso strap is doing but there will be enough force and or leverage to flip or roll them out.  

 

 

 

AutoHaus1 said:

Good Idea on the hold-back strap. I don't let the laso straps go below the top 1/3 of the tire, and I wrench em down to where the tire complains.

 

danielswt said:

I have too seen first hand damages done with 1 tons/trailer combos pushing out of the spoons. Bellboys idea is good, I used to do that. But I prefer to wrap the entire tire, grid, and L-arm completely all the way around with a longer strap. Just have to watch dips with that setup.

I still think you need to lose the flames and go with orange fenders

 

reckmaster1 said:

I hauled one too, kinda threw me off i had never seen a front wheel drive RV

 

Robert Anaya said:

Brian, The truck looks good. Is this one your assigned truck?
I towed a few of those a while back, they hold a convention type cruise every year and they run right through here. Pretty cool little rv, no need to pull DL!!!

 

 

 

 

David V said:

Those GMC campers are built with the same front end as the old Oldsmobile Tornodo and Cadillac Eldorado. 500 c.i. engine, tranny next to the block, a big chain from the engine output to the tranny input, and I think they even had torsion front suspension didn't they? Lovely old beasts. David V.

 

Brian991219 said:

Robert, no I don't have an assigned truck I float thru whatever I need to to get the job done. I have been training one of our drivers who has been here two years on medium duty towing and rotator operation. We have been a little busy so I have been running more calls myself and I like this truck a lot.

Everyone else, thanks for your comments and advice, I love how we can all share our expierence without getting our feathers ruffled! Good point on the wheel straps and chain, I have introduced that into my training program, thanks for the reminder.

Daniel, I'm with you but the owner decided he likes the flames, for uniformity I would rather have the fenders orange or blue, most likely orange since this truck is the inverse of all our other trucks, meaning where this one is blue ours are orange.

 

Blue Stripe said:

Looks good Brian, glad to hear she's staying busy! 

Chris Flynn, WM 091008
Boardman Towing & Recovery

 

Brian991219 said:

Good to hear from you Chris, she is staying very busy, I am at almost 20,000 miles already and have had several chances to use the rotator to it's full capacity.  It has turned out to be a very good truck for us, it has filled our light/medium duty gap quite nicely.