The short version is that I need to move a coach about 75 miles by tow truck. How much of a nightmare am I looking at? (Not worried about cost -- I'm worried about hassle.) Can you just slip the transmission in neutral and drag it along for that distance? It's an '89 Prevost with an 8V92 and some kind of automatic.
The coach runs fine but lacks a driver seat and is essentially unsafe to operate at the moment. It is also uninsured -- so towing lets me shift that liability burden to them rather than buy a policy that I won't need again for many months, if ever.
Any tips appreciated.
Cheers, John
Is air system operable? If it is release the brakes, if not cage them. (driver can do this if you are not familiar).
Remove the axles (driver can also do this) and away you go.
HTH....Tim
Any experienced, professional gig rig wrecker will pull the axles and hook up some air to release the brakes and keep up the suspension. No big deal. Another way is to load it onto a "landall" trailer. Speak to several towing companies about what they do and their prices. Not cheap.
JC
The transmission needs lubrication while moving. You may be able to start the engine,shift through all the gears,shift into neutral and let it idle till you get where you are going. I would make sure the trans. cannot move out of neutral while on the road. Now that is just my thoughts,please check with others to make sure this will work.
Having had my Prevost towed I can offer some free advice. First, make sure the tow vehicle can extend far enough to lift under the axle and still have room to make sharp turns without dinging the front corners of the bus.
I don't know the coach or its condition but one voice says to start the engine, put it on high idle and let it run the entire 75 miles. That keeps it aired up and you don't have to pull and axle or cage the brakes. But another voice in my head (does anyone else hear voices?) says let the operator pull an axle and supply air to the bus to keep the brakes released. On your coach the tow truck air supply has to be connected at the right rear. There is a fitting for air in the steer compartment, but it only airs up the accessories.
Dukegrad, Didn't you buy Bob's bus? Have you contacted him for suggestions? The other option is a Low boy or landall.
The engine idles and runs fine and the coach airs up without any issues. It's just gutted and taken apart, which doesn't exactly make anyone want to drive it. It's also uninsured, and as I said earlier I'm not interested in another thousand-dollar policy just to move the thing from one town to the next for more work.
I am at the critical "move-and-finish" or "abandon ship" point, and looking at all options. Thanks for the tips. We do have a good heavy-tow company locally, so when I get free time this week I will check with them on costs and availability to move it.
Cheers, John
Have the bus pulled onto a Landoll low boy trailer and off you go. More expensive (about $6/mile), but worth it. Good Luck, TomC
Quote from: Zeroclearance on November 18, 2013, 09:01:23 AM
Dukegrad, Didn't you buy Bob's bus?
Yep, it's Bob's old '89. Of course the only things left in it that were Bob's are those damnable slides!! The chassis has been gutted, all subflooring replaced (completely rotten under the bathroom), three mini-split units installed, floor plan improved, new cabinetry built from solid cherry, all house wiring replaced, etc.
It needs the slides sealed back up, the bathroom built, the wood finished and floors installed, and other finish work. I'm a victim of the old 80/20 rule, for those of you that know it... At this point I've spent more working on it than I paid to buy it, but I'd probably let it go for less than original cost just to be rid of it. Some lessons learned are more expensive than others.
Cheers, John
Hire one these rig's, not too much $.
Gotta pull the right axle or drive shaft. Make sure they have an axle cover or the mess will be multiplied 10 fold. :) Generally, running the engine in neutral isnt sufficient for lubrication purposes.
Pop the axles: put the plates on the end where they were bolted on the wrecker service will have them : pick it up and go. They do it every day. There is no roof warts.. put it on a landau if you want.. Put a seat in it and get transport insurance for a week.
Jon, bob beat me to it but you say the brakes work and if the lights all work as they should bolt a seat in it buy a three day road pass and talk to your insurance people and buy a short term policy the drive it. Might be cheaper on you with no chance the tow people will tear up the bus.
Don
I'm crazy, a glutton for punishment, and young and stupid. I would drive it with someone flowing me with flashers on. And I would call my State Farm and have them insure me for one day. We did it when we first bought ours. No issues. I even drove our bus down the road a short way without any windows or any sides on it. No flooring either. You could just stare into the luggage bay. Looked like a skeleton driving down the road :)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk (http://tapatalk.com/m?id=1). Clumsy fingers may contribute to mistakes.
Did I read that right? It runs and drives? Slap a one day moving permit and a days worth of liability ins on that bad boy and drive the 85 miles! By the time you get there you will have bolstered your self esteem a hundred times and have a story for your grand kids--to say nothing of the bucks you will have saved! I'm that other dook grad and I'd do it in a heart beat if it were mine! Jack
I have to agree....if brakes work and steering wheel turns tires the right way...drive it
Not saying to do this: I have been known to drive vehicles with buckets, milk crates and folding lawn chairs (have someone follow you and just drive slow)
have fun and post pics ;D
Texas is kinda of funny for the requirements for the 1 way trip permit it maybe better and cheaper for him to have it towed ,there is no such thing as a 1 day insurance in the State of Texas there is a 30 day binder if you have the right policy and agent
If towing with wheels down-much easier (if you can get under the bus) to disconnect the drive shaft at the diff and tie it up, rather then pulling the axle shafts. Good Luck, TomC
Contact a heavy hauler(s) in the immediate area, leave the keys under the bumper, tell them to tow it when they have the next bobtail or they have nothing to do, best is a landoll or a tri-axle wheel lift (and no legitimate company will tow this way without pulling the axle(s) - anyone that wants to idle the mill or disconnect the drive shaft - run forest run) Rags can plug the axles for that short of a tow or try inflating heavy duty balloons in the cavity ;) - FWIW
Niles- what is the objection of disconnecting the drive shaft at the differential?
-Let's see the difference-Pulling the axle shafts-loosen 8-10 bolts on each side (if they're not frozen). Get either a puller or big hammer and pound like crazy until the flange releases from the hub. Pull the shaft out and make sure you have a 1/3 cut down gallon container to catch the stinky diff oil. Then make a wood block to seal off the hole from the axle shaft not being there and bolt that back on. Once there you have to do all this again in reverse. And trying to get the axle shaft back in can be a real time consuming, frustrating exercise. And this has to be done on both sides. Then after everything is buttoned back up (make sure you have two new hub gaskets), to check and refill the diff back up to the check hole.
-Let's see now-disconnecting the drive shaft. The hard part on a bus is to be able to safely crawl underneath without the chance of the air suspension coming down on you. If you can, then, just have to unscrew 4 small bolts from the U-joint, jockey the bearings out, then use wire to hold up the drive shaft while transporting. When you get there, do this in reverse. Hmm-which sounds easier? Good Luck, TomC
Although it is another option under good conditions; easy access under coach.... you really think that disconnecting the driveshaft is going to be that easy? Remember those joints weren't apart yesterday. And disconnecting the flange if it has 8 bolts....Just pull the axles. I doubt the bolts would be seized, if they were, they'd just remove the whole stud instead of the nuts. If they were seized, what would the u-joints be like? What if one or more of those little cap retaining screws were seized and snapped off while removing? Ever try to drill out a grade 8- 1/4 inch bolt?
After removing the nuts, a big sledge rap or two on end of shafts will loosen them (don't hit the studs), and then stuffing a rag in the holes will work fine. Even though I have use of a pit, Disconnecting the shaft on my 4905 is a pita, and slightly less on my former 4104. Maybe a Prevost is considerably easier, but just from my experience. yrmv
Prevost are easy to disconnect the drive line 75 miles may not hurt to pull the axle but all wrecker services will pull the drive line if towing any distance the axle feeds the lubrication to the wheel bearings without axles the hubs and bearings receive no lubrication we were told at a Rockwell class but yet they leak oil when removed go figure ::)
I would imagine that is why most haulers install plates over the ends to retain the oil in bearing cavity. BTW, another reason to have greased rear bearings instead of oil that can LEAK on the lining if the seal fails. ;D
One of our FL60 3-axle trucks at work required a tow last year about 60 miles to the shop.
The towing company chose to lift the truck by the steer axle, letting the truck idle for the trip.
The truck stalled part way along, and the operator did not notice. The automatic transmission bellhousing split the entire circumference of the case, and the crankshaft in the engine was broken with other piston and block damage damage.
We got the truck back 7 months later with a $76,000 repair bill, and a service engine light that remains lit always. The shop still works on it when we don't need it at work, but it ain't right yet.
Towing company insurance eventually agreed to pay the $76K.
Definitely pull the axles or driveshaft, or drive it if you can!!
Sorry TomC, didn't see your query till now but chessie pretty well answered - pulling the axles on a Prevost is a cake walk, why would you want to pay the labor for dis and reconnecting the drive shaft - you'd be the one getting the shaft quite literally ;D