Towing question

[dukegrad98]

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

[Timkar]

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

[lostagain]

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

[rgrauto]

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.

[Jon]

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.

[Zeroclearance]

Dukegrad,  Didn't you buy Bob's bus?   Have you contacted him for suggestions?    The other option is a Low boy or landall.   

[dukegrad98]

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

[TomC]

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

[dukegrad98]

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

[treeplanter]

Hire one these rig's, not too much $.

[opus]

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.

[robertglines1]

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.   

[Don Fairchild]

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

[Scott & Heather]

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. Clumsy fingers may contribute to mistakes.

[oltrunt]

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