ISO help identifying wrecker

[Nickyann87]

Iso help to identify the model and hopefully the year of our new family project wrecker we are restoring, I have searched everywhere on the interwebs to identify with no success....

Any and all help greatly appreciated!

[Nickyann87]

We were able to find this ad for a truck that was sold previously, but no real info on the wrecker 

[GRUMPS The Towman]

It looks like a holmes 440. I dont know about the wheel lift though. I have never seen a wheel lift like that. possibly home built?? I am 90% sure the wrecker body is a holmes 440

[Chuckud]

Looks more like a Holmes 480/500 imho.
Holmes 440's were single winch.
Appears to be an add on wheelift.


Sent from my SM-N970U using TowForce mobile app

[jeff myer]

Looks like an old no mar wrecker body

[Nathaniel Lee]

Do you know Gabe Rygaard, he was a ax man star  formerly starred on the reality TV show “Ax Men,”and he 

died Friday, Sept. 16, 2016, in a motor vehicle crash near Port Angeles, Washington, according to multiple news sources. He was 44.

The three-vehicle crash occurred on U.S. Highway 101. The State Patrol report stated that Rygaard was not wearing a seat belt, according to the Peninsula Daily News. There were no other fatalities.

Rygaard and his family owned and operated Rygaard Logging. He was featured on seasons two through nine of the History Channel’s “Ax Men.” The show documented the methods of logging crews in several states, highlighting the dangerous situations the loggers encountered on the job. The series was canceled in 2015.

[GRUMPS The Towman]

5 hours ago, Chuckud said:

Looks more like a Holmes 480/500 imho.
Holmes 440's were single winch.
Appears to be an add on wheelift.


Sent from my SM-N970U using TowForce mobile app
 

Your right chuckud, I stand corrected.440"s were single winches. 

[TowZone]

Michael Myers is one of the best I know is the industry when it comes to identifying vintage tow trucks. He said he thought it may be a mid 70's Fentron

 

 

@michael212

[TowZone]

Here are some more images found in the archives.

 

Image supplied by LarryLange

 

Image supplied by Larry Lange

 

 

Images supplied by Townhooker who added:

Here are a couple shots of my Fentron Wrecker. We bought the truck in Oakland CA, had it trucked to PA. It was a 78 Chevy 4X4, it was a great truck, we parked it in the summer and ran in during the winter months. It was rust free! It was a nice truck, liked the auto idle for the winches, was a beast in the snow or off road. It was totaled out Jan of 08 when a wreckless driver plowed into the rear of it while I was working a wreck on the interstate. I almost lost my leg, but the truck took a hard it at 60mph. I loved those older Chevys, was a good wrecker I worked it hard!

 

Michael Myers said:

 

They went out of business in the late 1970's. They started out being called the Oberg Hydraulic (twin-boom) Wrecker. The same folks who do the Oberg Racing oil filter. Then they changed the name to The Fentron twin-boom wrecker Mfg'd by Fentron Hi-way Products. They were manufactured in Lynnwood, WA. north of Seattle, WA. Due to the high cost of labor in the Seattle area compared with that of Tennessee they just couldn't compete.

Michael Myers - 253.588.1757 ext 150

 

I'll have to see if I can prompt Danny Cassello into this topic as he has more images.

 

 

[Nickyann87]

Towzone thank you so much I do believe that is what it is!

[GRUMPS The Towman]

Well I learned something new. I have never heard of Fentron wreckers. I wonder how many I have mis - Identified over the years. They do have that holmes look. 

[Nathaniel Lee]

So why does that  tow truck  have two booms ?

[TowZone]

I'll let someone much more knowledgeable than I explain the recovery mechanics  for the split booms. I never used one, but they were for side pull recoveries. A Wrecker Driver/Operator would swing the booms, side to side then tie off on one side while winching off the other. Sort of an early day rotator or simply side puller.

[KY Nick]

I wonder what they were called before Fentron.  We have a wrecker called a Twin Boom and the boom heads look identical.  Ours is a 25ton unit.  Dad told me they were made out west.  The one we have is all mechanical I wonder if Fentron bought TwinBoom then built the hydraulic version.

It's for sale.

Edited April 1, 2020 by KY Nick

[Nathaniel Lee]

That truck look cool

 

[Nathaniel Lee]

Good morning everyone 

 

 

[rreschran]

I remember the useability of my early 480 Holmes wrecker. In the age appropriate years of twin booms, "Splitting the Booms", enabled the operator to go full-spread to tie-off to an object on one side of the road and winch using the other side. At times, when heavy pull was necessary, cable could be taken-out of the boom's head where pull went straight to the mast. If I remember correctly, this was a key feature of all twin-boom wreckers all they way to 850.     R.

[fenderbendr6]

On 4/1/2020 at 3:45 PM, KY Nick said:

I wonder what they were called before Fentron.  We have a wrecker called a Twin Boom and the boom heads look identical.  Ours is a 25ton unit.  Dad told me they were made out west.  The one we have is all mechanical I wonder if Fentron bought TwinBoom then built the hydraulic version.

It's for sale.

 

The "Twin Boom" was manufactured by Glendive Sales in Glendive Montana.

[KY Nick]

I never knew exactly where they were built.  If you run across any more information please send it along.

 

Thanks

[Mikhiel Chebornek]

If you folks are still at it hope you would allow my three pennies. The Fenton’s stiff legs had a wide support at top of mast, pretty much at the ends. Now referring to unit in first photo, white Chevrolet gray front end. Notice stiff legs legs leave bolster rising up to mast without widing and are bolted. Now take note again at stiff leg bolster, also see tail board it’s almost straight across back, it angles vary little from about where sling attachments are, these are traits familiar to weldbilt , looking at face of mast,the shape as it rises to to mast cap looks same as weldbilt. They also covered boom webbings, had similar cable guilds top of mast and boom heads. Later they started pinning stiff legs behind mast face like photo with red bed. With all due respect I offer this option, not say I feel more correct then anyone but to offer additional information. All the best to ya folks.